The Forum on Religion and Ecology Newsletter
6.4 (April 2012)
Contents:
1. Editorial, by Elizabeth McAnally
2. “Summer Symposium: Religion and Environmental Stewardship” (June 5-7, 2012 at Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT, USA)
3. Journey of the Universe Film Screenings
4. Events
5. Annual Meeting of the American Teilhard Association (April 21, 2012 in New York, NY, USA)
6. New Books
7. “Sustainable Energy: Politics and Technologies” (April Issue of Mother Pelican)
8. Calls for Papers
9. Holmes Rolston III Early Career Essay Prize in Environmental Philosophy
10. Bard Center for Environmental Policy Announces Two New Scholarships
11. “The Inner Life of the Child in Nature: Presence and Practice” (Program for Educators)
12. “Food, Glorious Food: The Eucharist & Your Foodshed” (June 18-24, 2012 at Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, USA)
13. “Contemplative Environmental Studies: Pedagogy for Self and Planet” (July 1-7, 2012 at Lama Foundation, Questa, NM, USA)
14. Resources for Islam and Ecology
15. Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology
1. Editorial, by Elizabeth McAnally
Greetings,
Welcome to the April issue of the newsletter for the Forum on Religion and Ecology. I have much to share with you this month with regards to developments in the field of Religion and Ecology, including publications, conferences, events, calls for papers, and more.
I am happy to invite you to a symposium taking place June 5-7, 2012 at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, CT, USA. The symposium, “Religion and Environmental Stewardship,” is organized by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, and it is sponsored by the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale, Yale Divinity School, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, and Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. The symposium will focus on environmental education that brings together science, theology, and ethics. Aimed at clergy, lay leaders, and seminary faculty, the symposium will engage experts from Yale and across the country to address topics such as the greening of seminaries and churches, curricular initiatives in eco-theology, climate change, environmental justice, and preaching and liturgical approaches to environmental stewardship. Students, ministers, and lay people are welcome to attend. For more information, see below or visit: http://summerstudy.yale.edu/environmental-symposium
I also want to inform you that we have now completed the Journey of the Universe Trilogy (film, book, and educational series of interviews). The book is available through Yale University Press, your local bookstore, and Amazon.com. The film and Educational Series are available through the website: www.journeyoftheuniverse.org. We are also making copies for use overseas, as well as Blu-Ray which plays in high definition.
The Journey of the Universe Facebook page is a great way to connect with others and show your support for the project. Come “Like” us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=212293652138039#!/pages/Journey-of-the-Universe/179213572122084
The film is continuing to be broadcast nationwide on PBS for their pledge drive over the next 2 years and has already been carried by 70% of the stations (with over 600 showings). The PBS broadcast consists of the film and an interview with Mary Evelyn Tucker. It is wonderful to have this opportunity for the New Story to be available for an even wider audience. Inspired by the New Story described by Thomas Berry, the Journey of the Universe draws on the latest scientific knowledge to tell the story of cosmic and Earth evolution. It aims to inspire a new and closer relationship with Earth in a period of growing environmental and social crisis.
The DVD Educational Series was completed in December and consists of 20 interviews. The first 10 are conversations with scientists and historians discussing the evolution of universe, Earth, life, and humans. The last 10 are discussions with environmentalists who are working on issues such as eco-cities, eco-economics, permaculture, energy, and arts and justice. We think these interviews will be very useful to complement the film and book. They will be excellent sources of discussion in your communities, churches, learning centers, and schools. You can see an overview of the series and short selections of each person interviewed online at:
www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/ed-series-previews
There is also a helpful set of Curricular Materials that accompany the Journey of the Universe project. Prepared by Matthew Riley, these Curricular Materials contain scientific summaries, discussion questions, and resources. They can be downloaded free of charge at:
http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/curriculum/
I hope this newsletter supports your own work and helps you further your own engagements with the field of Religion and Ecology.
Warm wishes,
Elizabeth McAnally
California Institute of Integral Studies
Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale
Website Manager & Newsletter Editor
http://www.yale.edu/religionandecology
news@religionandecology.org
2. “Summer Symposium: Religion and Environmental Stewardship” (June 5-7, 2012 at Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT, USA)
“Summer Symposium: Religion and Environmental Stewardship”
Environmental Education For Clergy, Lay Leaders, and Seminary Faculty
Bringing Together Science, Theology, and Ethics
Organized by Mary Evelyn Tucker & John Grim, Co-Directors of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale
Sponsored by:
Yale Divinity School
Berkeley Divinity School at Yale
Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale
June 5-7, 2012 at Yale Divinity School, 409 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, USA
Cost for participants in the symposium will be $100. Students can attend for free.
The registration deadline is May 1.
To register please contact: joanne.vanvlack@yale.edu
http://summerstudy.yale.edu/environmental-symposium
3. Journey of the Universe Film Screenings
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, CT, USA
Discussion with Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim.
April 11, 2012
Pilgrim Place
Claremont, CA, USA
April 11, 2012
Litchfield Community Center
Litchfield, CT, USA
April 18, 2012
American Teilhard Association Annual Meeting
New York, NY, USA
Film introduction by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim
April 21, 2012
Liberty Hall
Lawrence, KS, USA
April 23, 2012
The Graduate Institute
Bethany, CT, USA
April 25, 2012
Pilgrim Place
Claremont, CA, USA
Lecture by Mary Evelyn Tucker
April 26, 2012
St. Mary Catholic Church
Wytheville, VA, USA
April 26, 2012
For more information about these and other upcoming screenings, visit:
http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/upcoming-events/
4. Events
“Getting Greener Faithfully”
Annual Spring Convocation
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Gettysburg, PA, USA
April 17-18, 2012
http://www.ltsg.edu/Lifelong-Learners/Spring-Convocation
“Religious Response to Ecological Challenges”
International Conference
Nilackal St. Thomas Church Ecumenical Centre
Kerala, IndiaApril 17-20, 2012http://www.nilackaltrust.org/
“Creation, Creatureliness, and Creativity: The Human Place in the Natural World”
The Society for Continental Philosophy and Theology Conference
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA, USA
April 20-22, 2012
http://www.scptonline.org.
“The Intersection of Poverty and the Environment”
Webcast sponsored by the Episcopal Church
April 21, 2012
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/notice/episcopal-church-sponsors-major-topical-forum-intersection-poverty-and-environment
“What is Life?”
14th Conference of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology (ESSSAT)
Tartu, Estonia
April 24-29, 2012
http://www.esssat2012.edicypages.com/
“Transfiguration of Christ and Creation: A Ministry of Wholeness”
St Mary’s Sewanee, TN, USA
May 4-6, 2012
http://www.sewanee.edu/cre
“Degrowth in the Americas”
International Conference
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
May 13-19, 2012
http://montreal.degrowth.org/
“Animal Welfare: Ethical & Behavioral Questions”
Aarhus University, Denmark
May 14-16, 2012
http://conferences.au.dk/animalwelfare/
“Strategies for a New Economy”
Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, USA
June 8-10, 2012
http://neweconomicsinstitute.org/conference
Global Ecological Integrity Group International Conference
Confronting Collapse: What Agencies, Institutions and Strategies Are Needed for a Better World? How to Achieve Environmental Justice?
University of La Rochelle, France
June 18-23, 2012
http://www.globalecointegrity.net/conferences.html
For more events, visit:
http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/
5. Annual Meeting of the American Teilhard Association (April 21, 2012 in New York, NY, USA)
The 2012 annual meeting of the American Teilhard Association will take place Saturday, April 21, 2012, at the Union Theological Seminary (3041 Broadway at 121st St.) in New York. We will be screening the Journey of the Universe film. The film will be introduced by the Executive Producers, Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim. A panel of respondents will follow the screening. For more information about the film, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/
Schedule:
10:00am - Board Meeting
12:00pm - Lunch
1:30pm - Film
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Cost: $25 for lunch and film/panel, $10 for film/panel only.
Register online through Paypal at this link: http://teilharddechardin.org/index.php/event
If you will be paying at the door, please RSVP by April 13th to tcmk@aya.yale.edu as we need to know the number of people who will be in attendance.
6. New Books
The Way Forward: Educational Reforms that Focus on the Cultural Commons and the Linguistic Roots of the Ecological/Cultural Crises
By Chet Bowers
Eco-Justice Press, 2012
http://ecojusticepress.com/bowers_thewayforward.html
This latest book by Chet Bowers provides an in-depth examination of understanding cultures, including daily cultural practices, as ecologies–– and how these micro-ecologies affect the life-sustaining viability of natural ecologies. Also explored in depth are how the community-centered cultural commons represent the early stages of a post-industrial future, as well as how public schools, universities, and environmental writers continue to perpetuate the linguistic colonization of the present by the past and the linguistic colonization of other cultures. Special attention is given to how to reframe the meaning of words (metaphors) in ways that are culturally and ecologically informed. In short, this book challenges both environmentalists of all stripes as well as educational reformers to recognize that addressing the environmental crisis cannot be separated from addressing the cultural crises being perpetuated by late 20th century thinking. It also challenges educational reformers to recognize that the needed curricular reforms are easily derived from an understanding of the differences between ecologically sustainable and unsustainable cultural practices.
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Sacred Acts: How Churches are Working to Protect Earth’s Climate
By Mallory McDuff
Foreword by Bill McKibben
New Society Publishers, 2012
http://www.newsociety.com/Books/S/Sacred-Acts
Sacred Acts documents the diverse actions taken by churches to address climate change through stewardship, advocacy, spirituality and justice. This book includes stories from across North America of contemporary church leaders, parishioners, and religious activists who are working to define a new environmental movement, where honoring the Creator means protecting the planet. Contributions from leading Christian voices such as Norman Wirzba and the Reverend Canon Sally Bingham detail the concrete work of faith communities such as:
* Englewood Christian Church in Indianapolis, IN, where parishioners have enhanced food security by sharing canning and food preservation skills in the church kitchen
* Georgia’s Interfaith Power & Light, which has used federal stimulus funds to weatherize congregations, reduce utility bills and cut carbon emissions
* Earth Ministry, where people of faith spearheaded the movement to pass state legislation to make Washington State a coal-free state.
Sacred Acts shows that churches can play a critical role in confronting climate change - perhaps the greatest moral imperative of our time. This timely collection will inspire individuals and congregations to act in good faith to help protect Earth’s climate.
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Who Stole My Religion? Revitalizing Judaism and Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet
By Richard Schwartz
Lulu Press, 2011
http://whostolemyreligion.com/
In the five decades since Richard Schwartz first became a religious Jew, he has watched the mainstream Jewish community shift more and more to the Right, often abandoning the very values that originally attracted him to Orthodox Judaism. In this soul-searching book, Schwartz examines the ways in which he believes his religion has been “stolen” by partisan politics, and offers practical suggestions for how to get Judaism back on track as a faith based on peace and compassion. Tackling such diverse issues as U.S. politics, Israeli peace issues, the misuse of the Holocaust, antisemitism, U.S. foreign policy, Islamophobia, socialism, vegetarianism, and the environmentalism, Schwartz goes where many Jews fear to go — and challenges us to re-think current issues in the light of positive Jewish values. (With photos, notes, action ideas, resource lists, and annotated bibliography. Also includes appendix materials with Rabbi Yonassan Gershom.) This book is available as a free eBook at: http://www.box.com/s/2508ypqz2l207nvsxbga
7. “Sustainable Energy: Politics and Technologies” (April Issue of Mother Pelican)
“Sustainable Energy: Politics and Technologies”
Mother Pelican
A Journal of Solidarity and Sustainability
April 2012 Issue
http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv08n04page1.html
There can be no question that political institutions are becoming increasingly dysfunctional, especially with regard to energy. Naive hopes for technological breakthroughs notwithstanding, the plain fact is that fossil fuels are both limited and ecologically oppressive. Furthermore, the energy return on energy invested for solar and other “clean” energy sources is relatively low and would not be able to sustain the insatiable demand for energy that has become prevalent in industrial societies. Since, for reasons that are not hard to imagine, current political institutions are utterly unable to resolve the issue, it is imperative to redesign them in order to attain the transition from consumerism to sustainability. This is precisely the subject of a recently published book, Plato’s Revenge: Politics in the Age of Ecology, by William Ophuls. The book examines the root causes of the current political gridlock and proposes a “recycling” of Plato’s political theory, based on natural law and recent advances in the human and physical sciences, in order to navigate impending situations of energy scarcity.
Outline:
Book Review of Plato’s Revenge: Politics in the Age of Ecology, by Luis T. Gutiérrez
Global Sustainable Development Goals: The Unresolved Questions for Rio+20, by Mukul Sanwal
Seizing Sustainable Development, by Jacob Zuma and Tarja Halonen
Intergenerational Justice: How Reasonable Man Discounts Climate Damage, by Marc Davidson
The Fallacy of the Tragedy of the Commons, by Marq de Villiers
From Identity to Solidarity, by David Hollinger
The Masculinity Conspiracy - Part 7: Spirituality, by Joseph Gelfer
Machismo and Energy Planning: Time for Soft Energy Paths, by Hélène Connor
World Religions, the Earth Charter, and Sustainability, by Mary Evelyn Tucker
Supplements:
Advances in Sustainable Development
Directory of Sustainable Development Resources
Long-Term Strategies for Sustainable Energy
Short-Term Strategies for Sustainable Energy
Fostering Gender Equality in Society
Fostering Gender Equality in Religion
8. Calls for Papers
“Sharing the Wisdom, Shaping the Dream: Reclaiming Moral & Spiritual Roots of Economics & Capitalism”
Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative (GCGI)
10th Annual International Conference
Theology, Philosophy, Ethics, Spirituality and Economics: A Call to Dialogue
Oxford, UK
September 2-5, 2012
Deadline for abstracts: April 12, 2012
http://gcgi.info/news/141-gcgi-conference-call-for-presentations-oxford-2012
International Interdisciplinary Conference: Nature and Culture
North-Eastern Federal University, Yakutsk, Russia
June 13-15, 2012
Deadline for abstracts: April 16, 2012
http://s-vfu.ru/university/institutions/science/filos_osnovy_grazhd_cult/conferencii/page.php
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference Expo
L.A. Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
October 14-17, 2012
This conference will include a faith-based workshop.
Deadline for proposals: April 23, 2012
http://conf2012.aashe.org/
The International Association for Environmental Philosophy (IAEP) Meeting
At the annual meeting of the American Philosophical Association-Eastern Division
Marriott Atlanta Marquis, Atlanta, GA, USA
December 27-30, 2012
Deadline for abstracts: April 30, 2012
http://environmentalphilosophy.wordpress.com/2012-iaep-apa-call-for-papers/
“Sustainable Alternatives for Poverty Reduction and Ecological Justice”
International Conference for Justice and Sustainability
Orthodox Academy of Crete, Chania, Greece
September 27-30, 2012
Deadline for proposals: June 30, 2012
http://saprej2012.webs.com/
9. Holmes Rolston III Early Career Essay Prize in Environmental Philosophy
The International Society for Environmental Ethics (ISEE) and the Center for Environmental Philosophy invite submissions for its annual essay prize for scholars in the early stages of their career. The prize is named in honour of Professor Holmes Rolston III, for his pioneering work in the field of environmental philosophy. Papers are invited on all aspects of environmental philosophy or environmental affairs (with a strong theoretical component). A prize of $500 will be awarded to the winning essay. The winning essay will be published in the journal, Environmental Ethics.
Submissions are invited from scholars who already hold a PhD and have earned their doctorate no more than five years prior to the submission deadline.
-Word limit: 60,000 characters (including spaces), including notes and references. An abstract of 100-150 words should also be included.
Deadline for submissions: June 1, 2012
For more information, visit:
10. Bard Center for Environmental Policy Announces Two New Scholarships
Bard CEP is pleased to announce two new scholarships, the Rachel Carson Scholarship and the Wangari Maathai Scholarship, available to current and future CEP applicants. These two $20,000 scholarships are awarded to future leaders in sustainability. The deadline is May 15.
Rachel Carson Scholarship
U.S. students are eligible to apply for a merit scholarship as part of the Rachel Carson Scholars program. This new program will grant one $20,000 scholarship per year to a student who shows promise of a leadership career in environmental policy. Interested students should email a statement of no more than 500 words to cep@bard.edu on the following: Please define and explain leadership in the context of the sustainability challenges we face in the coming decades. Finalists will be reviewed based on this statement and their application materials, and will be interviewed by the selection committee. Applicants must be accepted to the Bard CEP masters program and have completed a FAFSA in order to qualify. Applications are due by May 15th. The scholarship recipient will be notified on June 1st.
Wangari Maathai Scholarship
Funding is available for one outstanding international student as part of the Wangari Maathai Scholars program. This new program will grant one $20,000 scholarship per year to a student who shows promise of a leadership career in environmental policy. Interested students should email a statement of no more than 500 words to cep@bard.edu on the following: Please define and explain leadership in the context of the sustainability challenges we face in the coming decades. Finalists will be reviewed based on this statement and their application materials, and will be interviewed by the selection committee. Applicants must be accepted to the Bard CEP masters program and have completed a international financial aid application, including a certificate of finances, in order to qualify. Applications are due by May 15th. The scholarship recipient will be notified on June 1st.
http://www.bard.edu/cep/news/release.php?id=2259
11. “The Inner Life of the Child in Nature: Presence and Practice” (Program for Educators)
The Center for Education, Imagination and the Natural World is accepting applications for “The Inner Life of the Child in Nature: Presence and Practice,” a two-year program designed to prepare educators to develop capacities to nurture the deep inner faculties of imagination and intuition in children and young adults, and to create contexts within which children and young adults are given the opportunity to develop a bond of intimacy with the natural world. The group may comprised of teachers, parents, child psychologists, guidance counselors, religious educators, child care providers, naturalists, college professors, and others who are entrusted with the care of children or young adults and who indicate a deep interest in developing capacities for nurturing a relationship between the inner life of the child/young adult and the natural world.
For a full description of this 2-year co-research program and a downloadable application, please visit: https://beholdnature.org/prog_inner_life.htm
12. “Food, Glorious Food: The Eucharist & Your Foodshed” (June 18-24, 2012 at Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, USA)
“Food, Glorious Food” is part of a ten-year commitment on the part of Ghost Ranch to “Earth-Honoring Faith: A Song of Songs.” The goal of the series is to construct justice-centered, Earth-Honoring, christianities that promote interfaith efforts on common earth issues.
Glorious food—sacrament, commodity, both or neither? If most of us do not produce our own food, what is our relationship to the food web and our foodshed? If being at table is a core sacrament for most religions, as it is for the Christian Eucharist, what is its relationship to the foodshed? Is there a Eucharistic vision of the natural world that intersects agribusiness? What does Eucharist mean if God is a gardener, we are tillers and keepers and the world is hungry? Norman Wirzba’s newest book, Food and Faith, will be the anchor book for the week.
For more information, visit:
http://www.ghostranch.org/courses-and-retreats/earth-honoring-faith
13. “Contemplative Environmental Studies: Pedagogy for Self and Planet” (July 1-7, 2012 at Lama Foundation, Questa, NM, USA)
Environmental challenges call into question not simply our technological, economic, and political capabilities, but also our fundamental understandings of who we are as a species, and how we fit into the more-than-human world. This Summer Institute aims to develop tools for teaching and researching environmental dilemmas with this broader sensibility in mind. It focuses on the interface between environmental challenges and contemplative practices with the understanding that the latter can provide access to inner resources for understanding and responding meaningfully to environmental issues. Through discussions with distinguished scholars, focused conversations among colleagues, artistic exercises, and regular contemplative practices (meditation, yoga, journaling, nature walks, etc.), participants will collectively deepen higher education’s orientation to Environmental Studies. Part workshop and part retreat, the Institute seeks to widen our own capabilities as university and college teachers committed to education on a fragile and wild planet.
The Institute will take place at the Lama Foundation in the mountains of northern New Mexico (http://lamafoundation.org). Lama is a beautiful, off-grid community committed to sustainable and mindful living. It sits on 100 acres surrounded by National Forest land and draws its power from the sun, water from a spring, and much of its food in the summer directly from the garden. At 8500 feet, Lama provides an ideal setting for reflection and engagement with contemplative environmental issues.
Faculty include David Abram, Nicole Salimbene, Paul Wapner, and Jeff Warren.
For more information, visit:
http://www.american.edu/sis/gep/Contemplative-Environmental-Studies-Workshop.cfm
14. Resources for Islam and Ecology
“Globalized Eco-Islam: A Survey of Global Islamic Environmentalism”
By A.M. Schwencke
Leiden Institute for Religious Studies (LIRS), Leiden University
February 2012
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“Green Islam in Indonesia”
Short videos sharing perspectives about Islam and ecology in Indonesia.
Made possible with support from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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“The Globalization of Eco Islam”
By Fachruddin M. Mangunjaya
“Islam dan Ekologi” Blog
March 2012
http://agamadanekologi.blogspot.com/2012/03/globalization-of-eco-islam.html
15. Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology
Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology has as its focus the relationships between religion, culture and ecology world-wide. Articles discuss major world religious traditions, such as Islam, Buddhism or Christianity; the traditions of indigenous peoples; new religious movements; and philosophical belief systems, such as pantheism, nature spiritualities, and other religious and cultural worldviews in relation to the cultural and ecological systems. Focusing on a range of disciplinary areas including Anthropology, Environmental Studies, Geography, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Sociology and Theology, the journal also presents special issues that center around one theme. For more information, visit: http://www.brill.nl/wo
For more information on other journals related to religion and ecology and to environmental ethics/philosophy, visit: http://fore.research.yale.edu/publications/journals/index.html. If you know of a publication that needs to be added to this list, email news@religionandecology.org
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For the archive of previous Forum newsletters, visit:
http://fore.research.yale.edu/publications/newsletters/index.html