Oil Is a Gift From God. Are We Squandering It?

Oil Is a Gift From God. Are We Squandering It?

From The Bulletin by Christianity Today

May 19, 2026 · 37 min · Episode 279

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of oil consumption from a Christian perspective, exploring its history and the potential for moderation in usage.

The national average gas price has increased to $4.50 / gallon, reflecting skyrocketing crude oil prices due to the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. While sticker shock at the gas pump is our most salient contact point, oil surrounds us from the moment we’re born. In today’s Long Read from the CT archives, writer Ken Baake traces the history of oil from its discovery to the transformation of our world. Have Christians become too accustomed to the luxuries oil provides? Is there a place for moderation in our consumption of oil? Tune in to this 2019 piece, read with updated statistics by James Thompson. READ THE PRINT VERSION: Oil is a Gift From God: Are We Squandering It? - Ken Baake GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ken Baake is an associate professor in the English Department of Texas Tech. He studies the art of communication, specifically focusing on “the rhetoric of science” and the language of technical communication. Ken studies art, poems, and songs looking to see people's perception and what is being conveyed through different types of language…

People in this episode

Host: James Thompson

Topics covered

  • oil
  • Christianity
  • consumption
  • economics
  • environment
  • history

Keywords

  • oil
  • Christianity
  • gas prices
  • Strait of Hormuz
  • moderation
  • luxuries
  • history of oil

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Christianity Today

Places: Strait of Hormuz, Texas, Thailand

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