The Forum on Religion and Ecology Newsletter
7.2 (February 2013)
Contents:
1. Editorial, by Elizabeth McAnally
2. Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies
3. “Journey of the Universe and Our Elegant Universe” (June 23-29, 2013 at Chautauqua Institution, NY, USA)
4. Journey of the Universe Film Screenings
5. “A Universe Story Retreat” (June 14-19, 2013 in Havertown, PA, USA)
6. New Books
7. Calls for Papers
8. Events
9. “Sustainable China” Blog by James Miller
10. Mother Pelican Journal of Solidarity and Sustainability (January 2013 Issue)
11. “A Spirit Earthly Enough: Toward a Philosophy for the Emerging Franciscan Earth Corps to Engage Youth in Climate Change Adaptation,” by Brother Coyote (Gary Paul Nabhan)
12. Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology
1. Editorial, by Elizabeth McAnally
Greetings,
Welcome to the February 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 very excited to let you know that the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) will launch a new graduate program in Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion in Fall 2013. The program is housed in the Institute’s Philosophy and Religion Department and will offer both MA and PhD degrees. Graduate study in Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion allows students to cultivate the knowledge and wisdom to respond to the ecological crisis from integral and transdisciplinary perspectives. Students gain skills and insight to transform practices, worldviews, and consciousness in the service of a more just and flourishing planetary future. Core faculty are at the forefront of the dialogue linking spiritual and cosmological with ecology and sustainability. Faculty include: Elizabeth Allison, Robert McDermott, Jacob Sherman, and Brian Swimme. To learn more about the program, visit: http://www.ciis.edu/Academics/Graduate_Programs/Ecology_Spirituality_and_Religion.html
Also, I am pleased to remind you about the upcoming conference at Chautauqua Institution in New York on June 23-29, 2013. The theme is “Journey of the Universe and Our Elegant Universe” where scientists (such as Brian Greene) will speak in the morning and religion scholars in the afternoon. The afternoon sessions will include responses to Journey of the Universe from the perspectives of the world religions and are being organized by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim with colleagues from the Forum, including Heather Eaton, Chris Chapple, David Haberman, and James Miller. We hope you might join us so that we can continue the conversation with others interested in the Great Work. Stay tuned for more information in upcoming months by visiting two pages on the conference website: http://www.ciweb.org/religion-lectures-week-one/ and http://www.ciweb.org/education-lectures-week-one/
Also, you may be interested in attending “A Universe Story Retreat” on June 14-19, 2013 at St. Raphaela’s Retreat Center in Havertown, PA, USA. This contemplative retreat will feature Mary Evelyn Tucker, Jean Newbold, SHCJ, and Terry Moran. Mary Evelyn will give a presentation on Saturday, June 15, 2pm, that is open to the public. For details and application form, visit: http://fore.research.yale.edu/files/2013–A_Universe_Story_Retreat.pdf
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. Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies
In fall 2013, California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) will launch a new graduate program in Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion. The program is housed in the Institute’s Philosophy and Religion Department, and will offer both MA and PhD degrees.
CIIS is now accepting applications for the fall 2013 semester.
http://www.ciis.edu/Admissions_and_Financial_Aid/Applying_to_CIIS.html
The ecological challenges of the 21st century represent a crisis of values and consciousness. The twin threats of climate change and biodiversity loss are among the greatest existential threats humanity has seen. Graduate study in Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion allows students to cultivate the knowledge and wisdom to respond to the ecological crisis from integral and transdisciplinary perspectives. Students gain skills and insight to transform practices, worldviews, and consciousness in the service of a more just and flourishing planetary future.
The program’s uniquely integrated curriculum explores such questions as:
* What are the roles of religion, spirituality, and culture in the ecological crises of our time?
* What ecological insights do the world’s religious heritages offer?
* How can exploring worldviews help us to understand and address ecological trauma?
Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion MA
The MA in Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion emphasizes an embodied, engaged approach, in which contemplative practice and career exploration complement rigorous study. Students are at the forefront of a rapidly emerging interdisciplinary field devoted to ecological healing and resilience. Graduates will be well prepared to engage environmental issues in multiple spheres, or to pursue doctoral-level study.
Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion PhD
PhD students investigate and analyze the role of worldviews, philosophies, and religions in generating and responding to global challenges. Doctoral students wishing to specialize in Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion should possess a master’s degree in a discipline relevant to the program (e.g., religion, ecology, biology, environmental studies, environmental history, geography, anthropology, literature, or philosophy) from an accredited graduate institution.
Core faculty are at the forefront of the dialogue linking spiritual and cosmological with ecology and sustainability. Faculty include: Elizabeth Allison, Robert McDermott, Jacob Sherman, and Brian Swimme.
To speak with an admissions counselor or to apply, email dtownes@ciis.edu, or call 415.575.6164.
For more information, visit the program’s website:
http://www.ciis.edu/Academics/Graduate_Programs/Ecology_Spirituality_and_Religion.html
3. “Journey of the Universe and Our Elegant Universe” (June 23-29, 2013 at Chautauqua Institution, NY, USA)
Journey of the Universe
The history of the Universe is both a scientific and a spiritual story. It is the scientific story of a 14-billion-year continuum from a speck of pure energy to everything we can see around us. It is also a spiritual story, one that transcends individual, human and geo-political boundaries. This understanding brings us into the present urgent need to protect our planet’s future and ensure a flourishing and spiritually connected Earth community.
Week One of the 2013 Season features a roster of interfaith scholars, led by Yale University professor and historian of religions Mary Evelyn Tucker, exploring the themes of Tucker’s Emmy-winning documentary Journey of the Universe. The film (based on her book with evolutionary philosopher Brian Thomas Swimme) draws together scientific discoveries in astronomy, geology and biology with humanistic insights concerning the nature of the universe.
Journey of the Universe will be screened throughout Week One. To learn more, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/
Confirmed Lecturers:
Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, Heather Eaton, Chris Chapple, David Haberman, James Miller, Rabbi Lawrence Troster, Safei Eldin Hamed, Lisa Sideris, and Christopher Ives.
http://www.ciweb.org/religion-lectures-week-one/
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“Our Elegant Universe”
Chautauqua opens the 2013 Season with an exploration into the wonders of the cosmos. What theories are leading thinkers wrestling with, and how do they inform our understanding of space and time? Where do they disagree? We’ll hear from pioneering scientists, deep space explorers and others who pursue answers to the most basic questions of existence.
Confirmed Lecturers:
Brian Greene, Kobie Boykins, and Jennifer Wiseman
http://www.ciweb.org/education-lectures-week-one/
4. Journey of the Universe Film Screenings
Lecture & Film Screening: Storrs-Mansfield, CT (February 7, 2013)
University of Connecticut
115 North Eagleville Road
Storrs-Mansfield, CT, USA
4pm – Lecture by Mary Evelyn Tucker
7pm – Film Screening
Contact: Gregory Anderson, gregory.anderson@uconn.edu
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Film Screening: New York, NY (February 9, 2013)
General Theological Seminary
440 West 21st Street
New York, NY, USA
7pm
Discussion afterward with Jennifer Morgan and Dr. Julianne Warren
Sponsored by Interweave and General Theological Seminary
Contact: Victoria Whitfield, information@interweave.org, 908-277-2120
http://news.gts.edu/2013/01/journey-of-the-universe-screening-at-gts-feb-9/
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Lecture by Mary Evelyn Tucker: Belmont, CA (February 21, 2013)
“An Integrating Story for the Earth Community”
Lecture by Mary Evelyn Tucker
Notre Dame de Namur University
Cunningham Memorial Chapel
1500 Ralston Avenue
Belmont, CA, USA
7:30pm
This event is free and open to the public.
Contact: Cheryl Joseph, cjoseph9@earthlink.net or Jim McGarry, jmcgarry@ndnu.edu
http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/storage/2-21-13_Tucker.pdf
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Journey of the Universe Events: Lawrence, KS (February 27-28, 2013)
University of Kansas & Spencer Art Museum
Lawrence, KS, USA
Wednesday, February 27
5:30-6:30pm Hors D’oeuvres and informal conversation at Liberty Hall
6:30pm Screening of Journey of the Universe at Liberty Hall
7:30pm Panel Discussion: Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, and Don Worster
Thursday, February 28
9-10:45am Global Environment class presentation
Lunch with Students
3:00pm colloquium at the KU Commons
7-8:30pm Formal Lecture at the Spencer Art Museum
Co-sponsored by KU Religious Studies, Environmental Studies, Indigenous Studies and KU EcoJustice. Ecumenical Campus Ministries, The Elizabeth Schultz Environmental Fund, Visiting Scholars in Religion and Kawsmos are community-based sponsors.
Contact: Rachel Myslivy, rachelm@ku.edu
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Film Screening: New Orleans, LA (March 9, 2013)
Loyola University New Orleans
Nunemaker Auditorium, 3rd Floor, Monroe Hall
6363 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA, USA
12-2pm
Sponsored by: Twomey Center for Peace through Justice, Loyola University New Orleans; Institute for Ministry, Loyola University New Orleans; Carmelite NGO; Marianites of Holy Cross
Contact: Sister Jane Remson, 504-458-3029, jfremson@loyno.edu
http://calendar.loyno.edu/sites/lucec/event/dqy5yqpkmy
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American Teilhard Association Annual Meeting: New York City, NY (May 11, 2013)
Union Theological Seminary
3041 Broadway at 121st St.
New York City, NY, USA
Lunch: 12pm
Talk: 1:30pm
“The Teilhardian Roots of Journey of the Universe”
Lecture by Mary Evelyn Tucker, American Teilhard Association Vice President and
Co-director, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
http://teilharddechardin.org/index.php/event
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For more information about film screenings, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/upcoming-events/
5. “A Universe Story Retreat” (June 14-19, 2013 in Havertown, PA, USA)
A contemplative retreat featuring Mary Evelyn Tucker, Jean Newbold, SHCJ, and Terry Moran will take place June 14-19, 2013 at St. Raphaela’s Retreat Center in Havertown, PA, USA. Titled “A Universe Story Retreat,” the usual retreat schedule will also include a presentation by Mary Evelyn on Saturday, June 15, 2pm, that is open to the public. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first accepted basis.
For details and application form, visit:
http://fore.research.yale.edu/files/2013–A_Universe_Story_Retreat.pdf
6. New Books
For Earth’s Sake: Toward a Ecology of Compassion
By Stephen Bede Scharper
Edited and with an Introduction by Simon Appolloni
Novalis, 2013
http://www.novalis.ca/Product.aspx?ids=7582351
Well-known Catholic environmentalist Stephen Scharper challenges us to rethink and repair our relationship with the earth. We are bombarded by stories about environmental devastation and climate change. While scientists present their findings and governments wrestle with how to address the problems, we can feel helpless, angry, confused or sad. This book can help. In reflecting upon the faith and fate of the Earth, Stephen Scharper reminds us that humans are part of the environment and encourages us to change our relationship to the planet. By engaging our minds, bodies and hearts, we can explore our faith from the point of view of the oppressed, alienating and suffering of our world in a self-critical way that is open to other ways of knowing the world.
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Religious Response to Ecological Challenges
Papers presented at the International Ecological Conference held at Nilackal
Edited By Mathew Koshy Punnackadu, with Nair Anup Chandrasekharan
LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, 2013
http://www.amazon.com/Religious-response-Ecological-Challenges-International/dp/3846552518
Religion is central to the consciousness of the majority in the world. Most of the actions that we indulge in are a direct offshoot of our interaction with the systems of religion in place. Environment too like religion is all pervasive and affects us day in and out. A discourse on religion, environment and interplay of both on each other and on the lives of human being is inevitable and the same is attempted in this work. Religion exists in various avatars and the same again is interpreted variously. These various interpretations and reinterpretations often contradictory and antagonistic to each other mirrors the discourse on the way environment is approached by the major religions of the world and their adherents.
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Pilgrimage to the National Parks: Religion and Nature in the United States
By Lynn Ross-Bryant
Routledge, 2012
http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415893800/
National Parks were from the first seen as sacred sites embodying the God-given specialness of American people and American land, and from the first they were also marked as tourist attractions. Author Ross-Bryant focuses on National Parks as pilgrimage sites around which a discourse of nature developed and argues the centrality of religion in understanding the dynamics of both the language and the ritual manifestations related to National Parks. Beyond the specific contribution to a richer analysis of the National Parks and their role in understanding nature and religion in the U.S., this volume contributes to the emerging field of ‘religion and the environment,’ larger issues in the study of religion (e.g. cultural events and the spatial element in meaning-making), and the study of non-institutional religion.
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Toward a New Consciousness: Values to Sustain Human and Natural Communities
A Synthesis of Insights and Recommendations from the 2007 Yale F&ES Conference
By Anthony A. Leiserowitz and Lisa O. Fernandez
With a Foreword by James Gustave Speth
and an Afterword by Stephen R. Kellert
Yale School Forestry & Environmental Studies, 2008
http://environment.research.yale.edu/documents/downloads/o-u/Toward-A-New-Consciousness.pdf
At its deepest level, if we are to address the linked environmental, social, and even spiritual crises, we must address the wellsprings of human caring, motivation, and social identity. To understand these issues, we must seek the help of fields not regularly associated with environmental issues. We have many sophisticated scientific and policy analyses of climate change, species loss, and other environmental issues, but our situation also requires the knowledge and wisdom of psychologists and philosophers, poets and preachers, historians and humanists to help us see and communicate hard truths and inspire individual and social change.
7. Calls for Papers
American Academy of Religion (AAR) Annual Meeting
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
November 23-26, 2013
http://www.aarweb.org/
Call for Papers for the Religion and Ecology Group at AAR
This Group invites proposals engaging these themes:
- Biodemocracy
- Disaster responses
- Ecology, violence, and religion (including contemplative or nonviolent direct action)
- Festivals and life events
- Childhood nature-deficit disorder
- Womanist/Gender issues
- Resilience, hope, and pedagogy
- For a cosponsored session with the Religion and Cities Group , cities represent particular environmental challenges, different than those faced in rural areas. Further, when natural disasters occur, cities are particularly vulnerable and the scale of the impact is magnified. We seek proposals that focus on the role of religion in urban environmental movements as well as religion’s response to disasters
Preference is typically given to coherent, fully-formed papers session and roundtable proposals. But individual papers related to the themes specified above, or devoted to the specific bioregion that includes Baltimore, are also welcome.
Submission Deadline: March 1, 2013
Submit your paper here: http://papers.aarweb.org/
http://rsnonline.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1257&Itemid=1406
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“Values in the Environment – Relations and Conflicts”
The X International Institute of Applied Aesthetics (IIAA) International Summer Conference on Environmental Aesthetics
Lahti, Finland
August 1-3, 2013
Deadline for submissions: February 15, 2013
http://www.helsinki.fi/iiaa/events/index.htm
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“Religious and Spiritual Perspectives on Climate Engineering”
Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies
Potsdam, Germany
April 24–26, 2013
Submission Deadline: March 15, 2013
http://fore.research.yale.edu/files/ReligiousSpiritual_Perspectives_on_CE.pdf
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“Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative 11th Annual International Conference”
The Cité Internationale’s, Paris, France
August 25-28, 2013
Deadline for submissions: April 1, 2013
http://www.gcgi.info/news/330-gcgi-11th-annual-conference-paris-call-for-presentation-and-participation
8. Events
“Pray-In Against Fracking”
Outside of Governor Cuomo’s Manhattan office, 633 Third Avenue, New York City, NY, USA
February 6, 2013
http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/item/pray-in-against-fracking/
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“National Preach-In on Global Warming”
Organized by Interfaith Power & Light
February 8-10, 2013
http://www.preachin.org/about/
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“Green Words for a Green World: Ecoconsciousness in Literature”
National Conference
PSG Krishnammal College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, South India
February 12, 2013
info@psgrkc.com and www.psgrkc.com
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“Everyday Religion and Sustainable Environments in the Himalaya”
The New School, New York, NY, USA
March 8-10, 2013
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“Igniting the Green Fire: Finding Hope in Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic”
2013 Geography of Hope Conference
The Father of the Modern Conservation Movement Inspires Weekend Gathering in West Marin
Point Reyes Station, CA, USA
March 15-17, 2013
http://www.ptreyesbooks.com/goh/aldo-leopold
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“An International Conference on Nature and Value in Chinese and Western Philosophies”
1st Annual Rutgers Workshop on Chinese Philosophy (RWCP)
Rutgers University Inn & Conference Center, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
April 4-5, 2013
http://warpweftandway.com/2013/01/30/international-conference-on-nature-and-value-in-chinese-and-western-philosophies/
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“Beastly Morality”
Second Annual Animal Ethics Workshop
Emory University’s Center for Ethics, Atlanta, GA, USA
April 5, 2013
http://fore.research.yale.edu/files/2013_Animal_Studies_Workshop_Theme.pdf
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“The Mountaintop Vision: Martin Luther King’s Cosmology of Connection”
With Drew Dellinger and Special Guests, Rev. Deborah L. Johnson, Paul Hawken, Rev. Osagyefo Sekou, Louie Schwartzberg and Jennifer Johns
The Lakeside Theater at the Kaiser Center, Oakland, CA, USA
April 6, 2013
Join this event live or by livestream.
https://ptm.ticketbud.com/mountaintop
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“Scientific, Spiritual, and Moral Challenges in Solving the World Food Crisis”
59th Annual Summer Conference of the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS)
Silver Bay Conference Center on Lake George, New York, USA
July 27 - August 3, 2013
http://www.iras.org/2013.html
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For more events, visit: http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/
9. “Sustainable China” Blog by James Miller
Sustainable China
Researching Religious Values for Ecological Sustainability
Blog by James Miller, associate professor of religious studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada
http://www.sustainablechina.info/
This blog contains information and ideas about the interrelationship of religion, nature and modernity with a focus on China. The underlying premises are that religious values and ideas are key resources for constructing a sustainable future for the human species, and that nowhere on the planet is this more important than China.
China is the world’s largest country by population, the second largest economy in real GDP terms, and the largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
The impact of modernity in China has been the terrifying devastation of its environment at the same time as an onslaught on China’s traditional religious and cultural values. As China attempts to grapple with the destruction of its natural environment, it is also experiencing a resurgence of interest in religion and spirituality. This blog explores the possibility of fostering a new philosophy of sustainable development, one that marries scientific understanding with a renewed appreciation for traditional Chinese values of harmony with and respect for the landscape.
10. Mother Pelican Journal of Solidarity and Sustainability (January 2013 Issue)
Contents:
* From Patriarchy to Solidarity and Sustainability, Editorial Essay
* Sustainable Development in the 21st Century, United Nations
* Money from Nothing: A Primer on Fake Wealth Creation and its Implications (Parts 1 and 2), by Zeus Yiamouyiannis
* (Un)Sustainability by Socialization, by Arup Kanti Konar
* Elect More Women: Prerequisite for a Sustainable Economy, by Brent Blackwelder
* Religion, Feminism, and Gender-making Theory, by Alison Jasper
* True Sustainability and the Evolution of Development Paradigms, by Lucio Muñoz
* To Save Our Ecosystems, Stop Overloading Them, by Doug Pibel and Madeline Ostrander
* Climbing the Ladder of Awareness, by Paul Chefurka
The following supplements have been updated:
* Advances in Sustainable Development (prayer, study, action, news, pubs, tools, data, models)
* Directory of Sustainable Development Resources (library of 1000+ links to online resources)
* Long-Term Strategies for Sustainable Energy (clean energy, mitigation and adaptation strategies)
* Short-Term Strategies for Sustainable Energy (education, taxes, basic income, ISO standards)
* Fostering Gender Equality in Society (gender solidarity and equality, men and women in society)
* Fostering Gender Equality in Religion (liberation from patriarchy, men and women in religion)
http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv09n01page1.html
Call for articles:
Anything related to social solidarity and ecological sustainability is within the scope of the journal, and a topic of especial interest is the intersection with gender equality in both society and religion. For more information, contact: Luis Gutierrez, the.pelican.web@gmail.com
11. “A Spirit Earthly Enough: Toward a Philosophy for the Emerging Franciscan Earth Corps to Engage Youth in Climate Change Adaptation,” by Brother Coyote (Gary Paul Nabhan)
By Brother Coyote (Gary Paul Nabhan, OEF, PhD)
December 2012
It sometimes seems odd to me that we as Christians embrace the notion that Jesus came down from heaven to do healing on earth, but that we as contemporary Christians do not take seriously the need for healing of the earth as one of the highest expressions of our faith. If God so loved this Earth that he/she gave us his/her only son to live here among us, then how in this world can we ignore that this Earth itself is blessed, that the very soil which was touched by the feet of Jesus is sacred?
And yet, many of those who have wished to walk in the path of Jesus do so by defining their vocation as service to the poor, sick and downtrodden of humanity, as if Adam (humankind) was not of the earth, as reflected in the core meaning of adama. Ultimately, working for social justice and human healing and working for environmental justice and ecological restoration are one in the same; they restore us to right relationship with all of Creation, and through that process, to right relationship with the Creator. If we need such an impulse explicitly sanctioned by the many gospels or versions of the Good News, we need only remember the passage in the Gospel of Thomas in which Jesus encourages his followers to “go out to preach/to care for all of creation.”
And yet, we must daily confront the oddest of paradoxes: in the countries with the highest percentages of their populations calling themselves Christians (in the sense of believing in Jesus and attending church), we must bear witness to the highest percentages of the lands and waters being broken from their original nature, that is fragmented, degraded, contaminated or sickened. It is hard to be healthy Christians if the land on which we live is sickened, or if the waters in which we swim or drink can sicken humans as well as other-than-human lives.
For the full essay, visit:
http://fore.research.yale.edu/files/Nabhan-A_Spirit_Earthly_Enough.pdf
About the author:
Gary Paul Nabhan is an internationally-celebrated nature writer, food and farming activist, and proponent of conserving the links between biodiversity and cultural diversity. He has been honored as a pioneer and creative force in the “local food movement” and seed saving community by Utne Reader, Mother Earth News, New York Times, Bioneers and Time magazine. For more, visit: http://garynabhan.com/i/
12. 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.com/worldviews-global-religions-culture-and-ecology
For more information on other journals related to religion and ecology and to environmental ethics/philosophy, visit: http://fore.research.yale.edu/publications/journals/. If you know of a publication that needs to be added to this list, email news@religionandecology.org
For the archive of previous Forum newsletters, visit:
http://fore.research.yale.edu/publications/newsletters/
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