In his 2018 book The Wizard and the Prophet, Charles C. Mann describes the work and approaches of two of the most important environmentalists of the 20th century: William Vogt and Norman Borlaug. Unfortunately, their “blueprints” are contradictory approaches to the problems of climate change. Mann categorizes those who follow Borlaug’s model of “techno-optimism” (that science and technology will resolve the problems) as Wizards. Those following the Vogt model are described as Prophets—”those decrying the consequences of our heedlessness,” those calling for a lighter carbon footprint. While each derided the other’s view, neither is described by Mann in terms of “good and evil” but in terms of “different ideas of the good life.” These groups of followers I describe here as groups one and two. Many in society fall into these two categories, and of course, we find them in the Christian church.
There are however other…
