March 2014

The Forum on Religion and Ecology Newsletter
8.3 (March 2014)

 

 

Contents:


1. Editorial, by Elizabeth McAnally


2. Ecology and Religion (New Book by John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker)


3. “The Journey of the Universe – A New Story for Our Times” (Schumacher College Course with Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, June 23-27, 2014)

 
4. A Day of Action and Contemplation for Monarchs and Other Imperiled Pollinators

 
5. New Publications

 
6. Journey of the Universe Events


7. Sophia Summer Institute 2014: “The Legacy of Thomas Berry in Journey of the Universe” (July 17-20, 2014 in Oakland, CA, USA)

 
8. Events


9. Calls for Papers


10. Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion (Graduate Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies)


11. Ecumenical Lenten Carbon Fast


12. Earth Hour (March 29, 2014 at 8:30pm)


13. Regenerative Leadership Retreat: “IONA: A Celtic Pilgrimage of Renewal”
(July 12-19, 2014 on the Island of Iona, Scotland)


14.
Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology

 


 
1. Editorial, by Elizabeth McAnally

 

Greetings,

 

Welcome to the March issue of the newsletter for the Forum on Religion and Ecology. We 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.

 

The Journey of the Universe film continues to move out into the world. It is now available on Netflix, and since it went up in December, it has been rated by over 36,000 people. For more about the Journey project, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/

 

John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker have been working on a book that explores the young field of religious ecology–and we’re thrilled to announce it’s here! Ecology and Religion (Island Press, 2014) offers an introduction to this emerging field that bridges the gap between religion and science. By exploring the environmental dimensions of religious traditions and analyzing the role of religion in sustaining ecosystems and people, Grim and Tucker show why significant change requires looking at environmental problems through an ethical lens. To read the book description and short reviews, see below or visit the Island Press website: http://islandpress.org/ip/books/book/islandpress/E/bo8053388.html

 

If you would like to purchase a copy from Island Press, use the code 4ECOREL, which is good for a 20% discount. You can also order it from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, your local independent bookstore, and other retailers. The e-book format is on its way.

 

We hope you will consider supporting the book. Here are a few ways you can help:
• Forward this message to your own contacts or share the news on your social media networks. Feel free to include the discount code 4ECOREL.
• If you would like to review it for a publication or website, you can request a review copy from press@islandpress.org.
• If you would like to use it in a class, you can request an exam copy at: http://www.islandpress.org/educators
• Encourage your organization to ask info@islandpress.org for details about a discounted bulk purchase.
• Review the book on Amazon, Goodreads, or another review site.

 

If you have any questions or ideas for how to use Ecology and Religion in your own work, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We hope you enjoy the book and thank you for your support and feedback.

 

We 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 and Religion (New Book by John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker)

 

Ecology and Religion
By John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker
Island Press, 2014
http://islandpress.org/ip/books/book/islandpress/E/bo8053388.html
For the order form (with 20% discount), visit:
http://fore.research.yale.edu/files/Ecology_and_Religion_order_form.pdf

 

From the Psalms in the Bible to the sacred rivers in Hinduism, the natural world has been integral to the world’s religions. John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker contend that today’s growing environmental challenges make the relationship ever more vital.

 

This primer explores the history of religious traditions and the environment, illustrating how religious teachings and practices both promoted and at times subverted sustainability. Subsequent chapters examine the emergence of religious ecology, as views of nature changed in religious traditions and the ecological sciences. Yet the authors argue that religion and ecology are not the province of institutions or disciplines alone. They describe four fundamental aspects of religious life: orienting, grounding, nurturing, and transforming. Readers then see how these phenomena are experienced in a Native American religion, Orthodox Christianity, Confucianism, and Hinduism.

 

Ultimately, Grim and Tucker argue that the engagement of religious communities is necessary if humanity is to sustain itself and the planet. Students of environmental ethics, theology and ecology, world religions, and environmental studies will receive a solid grounding in the burgeoning field of religious ecology.

Reviews

 

Grim and Tucker integrate vast personal experiences and serious scholarship across multiple global cultures and disciplines to produce keen, fresh insight for today’s world. A compelling, inspirational, and hopeful look at a path to a meaningful and sustainable future.”
- Jane Lubchenco, Former Administrator of NOAA

 

A must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of ecology, religion, and ethics, and in the role that religions could play in resolving the complex environmental concerns of today.”
- Eleanor Sterling, Director, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History

 

An astonishingly comprehensive view of human relations with the natural world.”
- John Cobb, Co-Director of the Center for Process Studies, Claremont University

 

The almost unimaginable environmental challenge humanity faces—a daunting Gordian knot of science, plus ethical and moral values—demands ways forward. Those will be found at the intersection of science and religion. Nobody understands this thicket—so filled with hope, promise and complexities—better than John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker. Ecology and Religion lights the path forward.”
- Thomas E. Lovejoy, University Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University

 

“How wonderful to have the world’s leading authorities on religion and ecology, John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker, offer this profound but accessible examination of the field just as the world’s religions are entering their ecological phase. This book is more than a source of deep understanding–it is an inspiration.”
- James Gustave Speth, author of
America the Possible: Manifesto for a New Economy



3. “The Journey of the Universe – A New Story for Our Times” (Schumacher College Course with Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, June 23-27, 2014)

 

Schumacher College, The Old Postern, Dartington, Totnes, Devon, UK

 

June 23-27, 2014

 

For many years we have been looking to science, engineering, policy, law and economics to provide information to help us understand and resolve our complex environmental issues. We now have a great deal of knowledge in these areas, but we still lack the collective will to engage in long-term changes essential for the continued flourishing of our ‘Earth Community’. Now we are beginning to recognise that other types of knowledge are needed alongside this information – knowledge from the humanities, from spirituality and ethics.

 

In this course we will explore the Journey of the Universe – a film, a book and a series of conversations with leading scientists and environmentalists, born out of Thomas Berry’s call in 1978 for a ‘New Story’ and developed by Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim and Brian Swimme. The Journey of the Universe is a cosmological narrative that transcends the boundaries between disciplines and integrates science and values to tell the story of our Universe and its evolution.

 

From this story we will take a new orientation and context as we reconsider our relationship with the Earth Community, looking at the many symbolic and lived expressions of interconnection between us and how they inspire us to action. Our goal for the week is to explore how this new story can evoke the ‘Great Work’ of our time for social and environmental transformation.

 

On this course you will gain a fuller understanding of the epic of evolution as a context for inspiring wonder and evoking creativity. We will explore how it is possible for humans to work to enhance Earth’s life systems, looking at examples ranging from bioregionalism and transition towns to international efforts like the Earth Charter.

 

Contact: admin@schumachercollege.org.uk

 

For more information and to register, visit:
http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/the-journey-of-the-universe-a-new-story-for-our-times



4. A Day of Action and Contemplation for Monarchs and Other Imperiled Pollinators

 

In Remembrance of Rachel Carson on the 50th Anniversary Her Death

 

We welcome America’s rural and urban communities, faith-based communities, college and university campuses, community gardens and botanical gardens, as well as non-profits of all kinds to join us in a day of action and contemplation for imperiled pollinators from dusk on April 13th (Palm Sunday) to dusk on April 14th (Rachel Carson’s death anniversary).

 

Through her landmark book Silent Spring, Rachel Carson was among the first to alert the American public to the risks which neglectful, untargeted or excessive uses of pesticides and herbicides may pose for pollinators such as monarch butterflies and bees. Other factors—from climate change to habitat fragmentation to diseases and pests—are also affecting the health and abundance of butterflies and bees, and should be taken into account as well. But now is the time for Americans to show the concern for, love of and commitment to the pollinators which help bring us our daily bread and offer nature’s services to keep our food system secure.

 

Events will take place all across North America from dusk on April 13th to dusk the next day, in whatever form a community chooses to do as a fitting collective response to their own concerns. Contact us at http://www.makewayformonarchs.org through Facebook and Twitter to report to us what your community has chosen to do.

 

Our Winged Credo, Metamorphosis essay and resources for liturgies and celebrations postings posted on the website can help you in shaping your own events. They are found below.

 

http://makewayformonarchs.org/pdfs/day-of-action.pdf

 

http://makewayformonarchs.org/pdfs/metamorphosis.pdf

 

http://makewayformonarchs.org/pdfs/winged-credo.pdf


The Forum on Religion and Ecology is a co-sponsor of this event.

 

For more information, visit: http://makewayformonarchs.org/i/archives/695



5. New Publications

 

How the World’s Religions are Responding to Climate Change: Social Scientific Investigations
Edited by Robin Globus Veldman, Andrew Szasz, Randolph Haluza-DeLay
Routledge, 2013
http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415640343/

 

A growing chorus of voices has suggested that the world’s religions may become critical actors as the climate crisis unfolds, particularly in light of international paralysis on the issue. In recent years, many faiths have begun to address climate change and its consequences for human societies, especially the world’s poor. This is the first volume to use social science to examine how religions are helping to address one of the most significant and far-reaching challenges of our time.

 

While there is a growing literature in theology and ethics about climate change and religion, little research has been previously published about the ways in which religious institutions, groups and individuals are responding to the problem of climate change. Seventeen research-driven chapters are written by sociologists, anthropologists, geographers and other social scientists. This book explores what effects religions are having, what barriers they are running into or creating, and what this means for the global struggle to address climate change.

 

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Just Water: Theology, Ethics, and the Global Water Crisis
By Christiana Z. Peppard
Orbis Books, 2014
http://www.amazon.com/Just-Water-Theology-Ethics-Global/dp/162698056X

 

This book is an interdisciplinary analysis of the value of fresh water that generates timely and principled conclusions at the intersections of hydrology, ecology, ethics, theology, and Catholic social thought.

 

“By probing deeply into a crucial environmental problem, Christiana Peppard succeeds in opening up other interlaced and contested environmental debates in global agriculture, climate change, and energy use as well as complex ethical questions about human rights, economics and gender issues. Woven into the account, we find critical theological threads emerging from liberation theology and Roman Catholic social teaching as well as humility about humanity’s place in the world, while affirming insights emerging from the natural sciences. This approach serves to make complex environmental issues more accessible to the reader, more manageable, and therefore provides a concrete basis for specific action. I heartily recommend this book for students and researchers alike.”
- Celia E. Deane-Drummond, University of Notre Dame

 

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Philosophy Activism Nature (PAN) Journal
Special Issue edited by Alison Pouliot and John Ryan
Issue Number 10, 2013
http://panjournal.net/issues/10

 

How do the perspectives of the arts and humanities broaden the ways in which we think about fungi? Conversely, how might fungi contribute to the evolution of our understandings of philosophy, literature and other disciplines? In exploring the theme of fungi with these questions in mind, the special issue combines analytical approaches with narrative forms commonly found in the humanities. As far as we are aware, this is the first special issue in an interdisciplinary, academic Australian journal to bring together these broad-ranging approaches to the fungal kingdom. This variety of lenses through which to imagine – or re-imagine – this kingdom will hopefully improve possibilities for reaching wider audiences and for inspiring new approaches to considering and conserving fungi. One of the aims of the issue is to provide a forum for understanding how Homo sapiens might be included within the entangled lives of fungi. Indeed, human intersections with fungi have broader implications for a challenge faced by the humanities and arts today: learning to think integratively and ethically about nature and culture, particularly in terms of other species.

 

Read this issue online:
http://panjournal.net/issues/10



6. Journey of the Universe Events

 

Film Screening: San Rafael, CA, USA

 

March 31, 2014
7:00pm

 

Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center
1118 Fourth St. (Between A & B Streets)
San Rafael, CA
7:00pm
http://www.cafilm.org/rfc/films/1990.html

 

Please join authors Brian Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker, and film makers David Kennard, Patsy Northcutt, Catherine Butler, and Neal Rogin for a showing of Journey of the Universe.

 

Panel Discussion after the film:

 

Moderator:
Mary Evelyn Tucker, PhD
Professor, Yale University
Co-Author/Co-Executive Producer,
Journey of the Universe

 

Panel:
Brian Thomas Swimme, PhD
Professor, California Institute of Integral Studies
Co-Author/Host,
Journey of the Universe

 

Richard Grossinger, PhD
Anthropologist, Author of The Night Sky, Co-Founder of North Atlantic Press

 

Claude Poncelet, PhD
Physicist, Author, Responsible for Environmental Policy at PG&E

 

Ashok Vaish, PhD
Structural Engineer, Computer Scientist, Worked for NASA in Artificial Intelligence.

 

Journey has been included as part of Science on Screen, a series pairing theatrical film screenings with lively scientific discussions and presentations. The Science on Screen series is made possible by a grant from the Coolidge Corner Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

 

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Journey of the Universe/Journey of the University or What’s an Education For?”

 

April 2-4, 2014

 

Spring 2014 Chautauqua at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Celebrating the Centennial of Thomas Berry’s Birth

 

University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Sullivan Science Building
Greensboro, NC, USA

 

Film screening: April 2, 7pm, Sullivan Science Building, Room 101
Discussion with John Grim

 

Presentations by John Grim, David Orr, Anthony Weston, Jean Beasley, Stuart Pimm, and others.
All events are free and open to the public.
Sponsored by the 2013-2014 UNCG Think Tank Class Ecologically SANE
Contact: Ann Berry Somers, absomers@uncg.edu
View schedule and register:
http://biology.uncg.edu/Chautauqua/

 

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For more events, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/upcoming-events/



7. Sophia Summer Institute 2014: “The Legacy of Thomas Berry in Journey of the Universe” (July 17-20, 2014 in Oakland, CA, USA)

 

In celebration of the centenary of Thomas Berry’s birth

 

Sophia Summer Institute 2014

 

July 17-20, 2014

 

Holy Names University, Sophia Center
3500 Mountain Blvd
Oakland, CA, USA

 

Join our outstanding faculty as we take another significant step to create together the mutually enhancing world about which Thomas dreamed.

 

Presenters: Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, Sister Helen Prejean, Brian Swimme, Carl Anthony, Paloma Pavel, Marya Grathwohl, Ursula King, Dedan Gills, Belvie Rooks, Drew Dellinger, Peter Mayer, and Jim Conlon.

 

For the schedule, visit: http://fore.research.yale.edu/files/2014-Summer-Flyer.pdf

 

Register online: www.hnu.edu/sophia or call (510) 436-1046

 

Post-Institute Workshop – July 20-22, 2014
“Beauty and Danger: A Spiritual Path Inspired by Thomas Berry”
Led by Helen Prejean and Marya Grathwohl

 

http://www.hnu.edu/sophia/summerInstitute.html



8. Events

 

Greening the Gods: Ecology and Theology in the Ancient World”
Cambridge University
Cambridge, United Kingdom
March 18-19, 2014
http://philevents.org/event/show/11055

 

Gongfu and meditation in Buddhist practice: A view from the Shaolin Temple”
Geballe Room at the Doreen B. Townsend Center for the Humanities, 220 Stephens Hall
University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
Panel discussants: Abbot Shi Yongxin, Professor Jiang Wu, and Mary Evelyn Tucker
Moderator: Mark A. Csikszentmihalyi
March 19, 2014, 5-7pm
http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/item/gongfu-and-meditation-in-buddhist-practice-a-view-from-the-shaolin-temple/

 

Half the Sky, Half the Earth: A Conference on Women, Food, and Faith”
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
March 19, 2014
http://divinity.wfu.edu/events/half-the-sky-half-the-earth-a-conference-on-women-food-and-faith/

 

Celebrating our Relationships With Water”
13th Indigenous Women’s Symposium
Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
March 20-23, 2014
https://www.trentu.ca/academic/nativestudies/womenssymposium.htm

 

Called to Preach on Climate Change - Practical Advice Religious Leaders Needed”
Webinar with Rev. Dr. Jim Antal
March 25, 2014 at 8pm ET
http://progressiverenewal.org/portfolio-view/called-preach-climate-change-practical-advice-religious-leaders-needed/

 

Eco–Congregation Scotland Annual Gathering
St Aloysius College, Glasgow, Scotland
Registration deadline: March 14, 2014
March 29, 2014
http://uploads.ecocongregationscotland.org/assets/ag-invitation-2014.pdf

 

Ecology and Religion: Pedagogical Challenges and Opportunities”
Loyola University Chicago, IL, USA
April 2, 2014
http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/item/ecology-and-religion-pedagogical-challenges-and-opportunities/

 

Natural Relationality and Environmental Awareness”
International Meeting
Centro Mariapoli, Castelgandolfo, Rome
April 4-6, 2014
http://ecoone.org/ecoone%20convegno%202014/hpen.html

 

You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
A retreat on the cosmic, planetary, and human evolutionary story and the Triduum Liturgy
Guided by Margaret Galiardi and Terrence Moran
The Grail, Cornwall on the Hudson, NY, USA
April 17-20, 2014
http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/item/you-satisfy-the-hungry-heart/

 

Teilhard’s Thought: Growing the Tradition Forward”
American Teilhard Association Annual Meeting
Lecture by Elizabeth Johnson
Union Theological Seminary, New York City, NY, USA
May 3, 2014
http://teilharddechardin.org/index.php/event

 

Nonviolence: A Weapon of the Strong (Mahatma Gandhi) – Advancing Nonviolence, Spirituality, and Social Transformation”
Keynote Speakers: Christopher Key Chapple, Heather Eaton, Paul Waldau, Rajagopal P.V., Jill Carr-Harris, Yves Maigne, Alain Tschudin, Raffi Cavoukian, Heather Milton Lightening, and Ramin Jahanbegloo
Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
May 8-11, 2014
http://ustpaul.ca/en/conference-nonviolence-a-weapon-of-the-strong-mahatma-gandhi-advancing-nonviolence-spirituality-and-social-transformation_1601_17.htm

 

From Sabbath Economics to Watershed Discipleship: A Theology and Practice for Transition”
Featuring Ched Myers
Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC, USA
June 16-20, 2014
http://divinity.wfu.edu/watershed/

 

Oxford Summer School on Religion and Animal Protection”
St Stephen’s House, Oxford, United Kingdom
July 21-23, 2014
http://www.oxfordanimalethics.com/what-we-do/summer-school-2014/

 

Eco-Spirituality with Rev. Tom Goldsmith and Dr. Maeera Schreiber”
Taft-Nicholson Center, Lakeview, MT, USA
July 24-29, 2014
http://www.ehec.utah.edu/?p=705

 

For more events, visit: http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/



9. Calls for Papers

 

Uniting for Peace: Building Sustainable Peace Through Universal Values”
25th International Peace Research Association (IPRA) General Conference on the Occasion of 50th Anniversary of IPRA
In cooperation with Sakarya University
Istanbul, Turkey
August 10-14 2014
Submission Deadline: March 15, 2014
http://ipra2014.org/

 

Human-Animal Relationships in Religious Traditions”
Bonn University, Bonn, Germany
September 25-27, 2014
Submission deadline: March 31, 2014
https://networks.h-net.org/node/3128/discussions/9170/cfp-conference-human-animal-relationships-bonngermany-sept-25-27

 

Biodiversity”
Special Issue of Rivista di Estetica
Submission deadline: September 30, 2014
http://labont.it/rivista-di-estetica/call-for-papers



10. Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion (Graduate Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies)


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.

 

For more information, visit the program’s website:
http://www.ciis.edu/Academics/Graduate_Programs/Ecology_Spirituality_and_Religion.html

 

To speak with an admissions counselor or to apply, email dtownes@ciis.edu, or call 415.575.6164.

 

Applications for Fall 2014 are accepted throughout the spring, and admission is on a rolling basis.



11. Ecumenical Lenten Carbon Fast

 

An invitation to you AND to your congregation:
Please join us in a Lenten fast … from carbon

 

2014 will be the fourth year we have provided a day-by-day opportunity to fast from carbon as a Lenten discipline. Initiated by the UCC and endorsed by other denominations and faith groups, people of every Christian perspective – and people who are not Christians – have benefitted from this opportunity to become more conscious and conscientious in their daily lives.

 

We invite you to join us as we commit to fasting from carbon during Lent. Beginning Ash Wednesday (March 5) and throughout Lent, participants will receive a daily email with the day’s suggested carbon-reducing activity. Many will also suggest ways to engage others. Each daily email will also provide material that can be the basis for a weekly congregational conversation. Sign up for daily Carbon Fast emails here: http://macucc.org/pages/detail/2410

 

Congregations that participate are encouraged to gather weekly to share their experiences, support one another, compare notes, share resources and pray. Each day’s activity will be cumulatively posted on this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/carbonfast?sk=wall

 

http://macucc.org/pages/detail/2410



12. Earth Hour (March 29, 2014 at 8:30pm)

 

This year’s Earth Hour takes place on Saturday, March 29th at 8:30 pm. Earth Hour is a global movement uniting people to protect the planet. By asking individuals, cities, landmarks and business to turn their non-essential lights off for one hour and commit to reducing their environmental impact, we are showing everyone that the world’s environmental issues don’t have to overwhelm us. Small things we do every day can make a better future. Join the movement and make your commitment to a better planet.

 

Earth Hour is the single, largest, symbolic mass participation event in the world. Born out of a hope that we could mobilize people to take action on climate change, Earth Hour now inspires a global community of millions of people in 7,001 cities and towns across 152 countries and territories to switch lights off for an hour as a massive show of concern for the environment.”
- World Wildlife Fund

 

Join churches from around the world to celebrate Earth Hour. As we get closer to the day, Eco-Congregation Scotland will share information on how your church can take part and stories about what other churches are planning. After the event they will add photographs and stories about what you did during Earth Hour.

 

Download a free information pack for churches:
http://www.ecocongregationscotland.org/materials/earth-hour-for-churches/

 

For more information, visit:
http://worldwildlife.org/pages/earth-hour?link=txt3&utm_campaign=earthhour&utm_medium=email&utm_source=can-alert&utm_content=140304



13. Regenerative Leadership Retreat: “IONA: A Celtic Pilgrimage of Renewal”
(July 12-19, 2014 on the Island of Iona, Scotland)

 

On behalf of lay and ordained leaders who are renewing our congregations and restoring our world, we invite you to join us for a special week-long retreat at historic Bishop’s House on the beautiful island of Iona in the western Hebrides of Scotland, where a group of 24 spiritual pilgrims will go in search of that “fugitive faith we have allowed to run away from ourselves.” Inspired by the enduring wisdom of Celtic Christianity, this Regenerative Leadership Retreat will both feed the longings of our souls in the good company of others on the pilgrimage, and help us shape the emerging future of a regenerative society that is now being born inside our communities of faith as they become local centers for spiritual, environmental and community renewal.

 

In our efforts to encourage a community of practice in our home congregations, groups applying together will be given a 10% discount on the retreat deposit by the application deadline of March 31st.

 

Sponsored by: Center for Regenerative Society (CRS)

 

Facilitators: Rev. Benjamin & Sarah Webb, CRS

 

Application Deadline: March 31, 2014

 

Contact: info@regenerativesociety.org

 

For more information, visit:
http://www.regenerativesociety.org/programs/iona-retreat



14. 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: brill.com/wo

 

For the online edition, visit: http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/journals/15685357


Table of Contents for Volume 17 (2013)

 

Articles:

 

* Introduction to Special Issue: Synthetic Biology and the Notion of “Producing Life” in Different Cultures - Anna Deplazes-Zemp
* How Do We See That Something Is Living? Synthetic Creatures and Phenomenology of Perception - Christoph Rehmann-Sutter
* Biocentrism, Religion and Synthetic Biology - Robin Attfield
* From Homo Faber to Homo Creator? A Theological-Ethical Expedition into the Anthropological Depths of Synthetic Biology - Matthias Braun, Jens Ried and Peter Dabrock
* Playing God? Synthetic Biology from a Protestant Perspective - Christina Aus der Au
* The Oromo Conception of Life: An Introduction - Workineh Kelbessa
* Ethics of Synthetic Life: A Jaina Perspective - Christopher Key Chapple
* Introduction to Special Issue: “Living Water” - Franz Krause and Veronica Strang
* Keeping the Faith: Divine Protection and Flood Prevention in Modern Buddhist Ladakh - Andrea Butcher
* From Living Water to the “Water of Death”: Implicating Social Resilience in Northeastern Siberia - Susan A. Crate
* Water as a Vital Substance in Post-Socialist Kyrgyzstan - Stephanie J. Bunn
* “Living Water” in Nguni Healing Traditions, South Africa - Penelope S. Bernard
* Making Sense of Water Quality: Multispecies Encounters on the Mystic River - Caterina Scaramelli
* Going Against the Flow: The Biopolitics of Dams and Diversions - Veronica Strang
* Rapids on the “Stream of Life”: The Significance of Water Movement on the Kemi River - Franz Krause
* On the Ethics of International Religious/Spiritual Gatherings and Academic Conferencing in the Era of Global Warming: A Case Study of the Parliament of The World’s Religions Melbourne 2009 - Part 2 - Almut Beringer and Steven Douglas
* The Least of My Brethren: Mining, Indigenous Peoples, and the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines - William N. Holden
* Extinction and Progress in Charles Kingsley’s Alton Locke (1850) - Laurence Talairach-Vielmas

 


Reviews:

 

* Laura M. Hartman. The Christian Consumer: Living Faithfully in a Fragile World
* William S. Hamrick and Jan Van der Veken. Nature and Logos: A Whiteheadian Key to Merleau-Ponty’s Fundamental Thought
* Susan Power Bratton. The Spirit of the Appalachian Trail: Community, Environment, and Belief on a Long-Distance Hiking Path
* Larry Rasmussen. Earth Honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key
* Whitney A. Sanford. Growing Stories from India: Religion and the Fate of Agriculture
* Clifford Chalmers Cain (ed). Many Heavens, One Earth: Readings on Religion and the Environment
* Nancy Ellen Abrams and Joel R. Primack. The New Universe and the Human Future: How a Shared Cosmology Could Transform the World
* Donal Dorr. Option for the Poor and the Earth: Catholic Social Teachings
* Beningo P. Beltran.
Faith and Struggle on Smokey Mountain: Hope for a Planet in Peril



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