by Rev. Richenda Fairhurst
There was so much to love about this book. Perhaps, though, I have to start with the stories. Rachel G. Jordan has a gift for sharing the insights and wisdom of her Christian faith alongside her true-life experiences as a marine biologist studying coral ecosystems and coral preservation. Each story she offers is both a faithful reflection and vibrant case study of God’s perfect cosmos. For Rachel, as a Christian and a scientist, the glory of God is reflected in every underwater inch of the creation, in every fist of coral, every clownfish, and even in the stinging bristles of the bearded fireworm.
Rachel is a bridge, holding scientific study in one hand and the Bible in the other. Her passion to keep and protect marine ecosystems and the Word of God show no stress between them. In the vast ocean there is room in plenty for them both. In her book she gifts us with the insights she has gained from hoarder hermit crabs, curious groupers, and steely-eyed bull sharks. Alongside stories of Mister Snuggles the seahorse, she pours out the wisdom that surpasses all understanding, wisdom drawn from Psalms, Job, Hebrews, Romans, Genesis, and more.
The love she has gained in her work has drawn through her a deep theology of creation that will unpick the locks of dominion and invite us into nothing less than the thrill of discovering God’s glory and our humanity in a natural world filled with seabirds and parrotfish. Rachel has a willingness to embrace the material of her coral samples, the poetry of ecosystems, and the mystery of life. She pushes deep into the ocean and the Bible both, and surfaces with questions like, how can we love the world better? How can we be better disciples? How can we better share our love of God?
The book is more poetry than science. It’s not a textbook. Yet all the same the book is filled with the best of science: the inquiry, the measurements, the striving to learn more. Many a reader may discover a call to scientific vocation in its pages, as Rachel shows us the revelation to be had through the scientific study of the cosmos in the deep, on the dry land, and within our own hearts.
I am grateful.
This book earns a big recommend from me for book groups, and I hope there is a Bible study curriculum in the future. This book is wholesome to its core and will appeal to older youth and adults of all ages.
This is also a book you can read at the start of your journey to better understand God’s good earth, or in the midst of it. It’s about taking that first step of appreciation, or deepening it. It is about learning to love something. It’s about discovering a deep caring and desire to protect this one precious earth. The book is 100% accessible, you don’t have to know anything about anything to read or listen to this book and hear the stories for yourself.
Book Title: If the Ocean has a Soul, a Marine Biologist’s Pursuit of Truth Through Deep Waters of Faith and Science
Publisher: Tyndale Refresh, softcover and audio, 2025
Author: Rachel G. Jordan (publisher bio) (website)
Overview: Recommend
The Rev. Richenda Fairhurst is here for the friendship and conversations about climate, community, and connection. For more conversations, see the team at the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement Café. Find Richenda in Southern Oregon and at JustCreation.org.
Disclosure: Although sometimes publishers provide free copies for review, I did not receive a free book in this case. I purchased my own copy at the recommendation of a colleague. I decided to write a review because this book offers an important contribution to a faithful conversation about God’s good creation.