October 2011


The Forum on Religion and Ecology Newsletter
5.10 (October 2011)

Contents:
 
1. Editorial, by Elizabeth McAnally
 
2. Wangari Maathai (1940-2011)

3. Gordon Kaufman (1925-2011)

4. Journey of the Universe Film Screenings

5. Events

6. Forum Luncheon & Journey of the Universe Film Screening at the American Academy of Religion (November 18, 2011 in San Francisco, CA, USA)

7. Church Forest: a documentary film about the Church Forests of Ethiopia

8. Call for Papers: Minding Animals Conference 2012 (July 1-7, 2012 at Utrecht University, The Netherlands)

9. Call for Papers: 9th Annual Meeting for Environmental Philosophy (June 12-15, 2012 in Allenspark, CO, USA)

10. Call for Papers: “Towards Indian Ecocriticism” (December 2-3, 2011 at Central University of Tamil Nadu, India)

11. Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology

 


 

1. Editorial, by Elizabeth McAnally

Greetings,

Welcome to the October 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 film screenings, conferences, events, calls for papers, and more.

I am excited to let you know that the Journey of the Universe project is thriving.  The Journey film will be broadcast on national PBS in December.  For the press release, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/storage/JOTU_PBS_Broadcast_PR.pdf

Many film screenings are scheduled for this month, which I have listed below.  You can find the most up-to-date list of screenings, along with information on hosting a screening, on the Journey website: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/

Both the Journey film and book have both been released and are available to purchase at: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/buy/ 

A collaboration between Brian Thomas Swimme, Mary Evelyn Tucker, and John Grim, the Journey of the Universe project also includes a twenty-part educational series (available November 7, 2011). 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 Journey project relies on your tax-deductible contributions.  To help support this project, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/donate/

The Forum would like to bring your attention to the recent passing of two great figures, Wangari Maathai and Gordon Kaufman.   As founder of the Greenbelt Movement and as an Earth Charter Commissioner, Wangari Maathai worked closely with thousands of people around the planet to create a world based on ecological integrity, social and economic justice, democracy, non-violence, and peace. Her vision, dedication, and courage were recognized when she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.  She taught and lectured at many universities around the world, including the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale.  Wangari participated in several of our Forum conferences on World Religions and Ecology.  She spoke eloquently at Thomas Berry’s memorial service in 2009 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, and she delivered an inspiring video message in 2005 at the UN at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Teilhard’s death.  Wangari published a number of books, including The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience (1985), The Canopy of Hope: My Life Campaigning for Africa, Women, and the Environment (2002), Unbowed: A Memoir (2006), Reclaiming Rights and Resources: Women, Poverty and Environment (2007), Rainwater Harvesting (2008), and The Challenge for Africa (2009).  Below you will find links to various tributes to Wangari, along with an essay from her most recent book, Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World (2010).

The Forum also remembers eco-theologian, Gordon Kaufman, and his many contributions and insights to the field of Religion and Ecology.  As a faculty member at Harvard’s Divinity School, Gordon framed much of his thinking around issues of creativity in the cosmos.  His theology oriented him towards constructive approaches to Religion and Ecology. Gordon was one of the first theologians to suggest that we need new images of God to respond to the ecological crisis.  This perspective was important for Sally McFague, who was influenced by him.  Gordon was an active participant at the series of conferences at Harvard on Religion and Ecology from 1995 to 1998.  His many publications include Relativism, Knowledge and Faith (1960), Systematic Theology: A Historicist Perspective (1968) God the Problem (1972), Nonresistance and Responsibility, and Other Mennonite Essays (1979), In Face of Mystery: A Constructive Theology (1993), God-Mystery-Diversity: Christian Theology in a Pluralistic World (1996), In the Beginning…Creativity (2004), and Jesus and Creativity (2006).  Below you will find links to tributes to Gordon.

Finally, I want to let you know that Sam Mickey, my close friend and colleague, is stepping down from his position as co-editor of the Forum newsletter and website.  Sam has been working for the Forum for the past five years, and he is excited to continue working within the field of Religion and Ecology in other capacities as he teaches classes at the University of San Francisco and Pacifica Graduate Institute, edits a forthcoming anthology of essays on Integral Ecologies, and finishes his doctoral dissertation at the California Institute of Integral Studies.  I’m extremely grateful for all of our collaboration throughout the years!

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
elizabeth@religionandecology.org



2. Wangari Maathai (1940-2011)

UNEP Pays Tribute to Professor Wangari Maathai

United Nations Environment Programme
September 26, 2011

Nairobi - Professor Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, founder of Kenya’s Green Belt Movement and patron of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Billion Tree Campaign, has died in Nairobi. She was 71 years old.

http://www.unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=2653&ArticleID=8873&l=en

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Wangari Maathai: The Tree that Became a Forest

Pambazuka News
Issue 550
September 29, 2011

A number of tributes to Wangari Maathai have been published in Pambazuka News, the authoritative electronic weekly newsletter and platform for social justice in Africa.

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/issue/550

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Spiritual Environmentalism: Healing Ourselves by Replenishing the Earth

By Wangari Maathai
Yes! Magazine
Posted: June 3, 2011
Updated: September 26, 2011           

Editor’s Note: Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan activist and 2004 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, passed away on September 25. In this essay from her book Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World, she describes what motivated her groundbreaking work.

http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/wangari-maathai-spiritual-environmentalism-healing-ourselves-by-replenishing-the-earth 


3. Gordon Kaufman (1925-2011)

In Memoriam

American Academy of Religion (AAR)
July 2011

Gordon Kaufman, Harvard University and 1982 AAR President, passed away on July 22, 2011. A memorial article in honor of Dr. Kaufman will be in the October 2011 issue of Religious Studies News.

http://www.aarweb.org/Members/Member_Notes/listings.asp

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Gordon Kaufman, Leading Theologian, Dies

Harvard Divinity School Communications
July 28, 2011

Gordon Dester Kaufman, Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Professor of Divinity Emeritus at Harvard Divinity School, died on Friday, July 22, at age 86.

A member of the Faculty of Divinity since 1963, Kaufman was a renowned liberal theologian whose research, writing, and teachings had a profound influence on constructive and systematic theology.

http://www.hds.harvard.edu/news-events/articles/2011/07/28/gordon-kaufman-leading-theologian-dies


4. Journey of the Universe Film Screenings

Film Screening: Dorval, Quebec, Canada (October 6, 2011)

Sheraton Montreal Airport Hotel
12505 Côte de Liesse
Dorval, Quebec H9P
7pm
This screening is part of the CRC JPIC National Gathering: “Co-Creating with the Spirit on the Cutting Edge: Actualizing a Transformed Earth Community.”
Film intro and conference keynote lecture by Mary Evelyn Tucker.
Contact: fcabana@crc-canada.org (Francophones) or jmurray@crc-canada.org (Anglophones)
http://www.crc-canada.org/en/node/450

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Film Screening: Montreal, QC, Canada (October 7, 2011)

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion
Maxwell Cummings Auditorium
1379 Sherbrooke Ouest
Montreal, QC, Canada
7:00-9:15pm
Mary Evelyn Tucker will introduce the film.
Reception after film showing.
Sponsored by the Thomas More Institute
Contact: Andrew Byers, andrewbyers@sympatico.ca

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Film Screening: Bioneers Conference, San Rafael, CA (October 16, 2011)

2011 Bioneers Conference
San Rafael, CA
2:45-4:15pm
Discussion afterwards with Brian Thomas Swimme, Mary Evelyn Tucker, and Carl Anthony
Contact: 1-877-BIONEERS
For ticket information, visit: http://www.bioneers.org/conference

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Film Screening: Pleasantville, NY (October 19, 2011)

Jacob Burns Film Center
364 Manville Road
Pleasantville, NY
7:30pm
Followed by discussion with Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim.
Purchase tickets here: http://www.burnsfilmcenter.org/films/film-series/detail/43757

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Film Screening: Chicago, IL (October 21, 2011)

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
1100 E. 55th St.
Chicago, IL 60615
4pm
“Sacred Soil, Living Water, Holy Air: Science, Spirituality, and the Elements of Earthly Life”
4th Annual Student Symposium on Science and Spirituality
Discussion with John Grim
Contact: zcrs@lstc.edu or call 773-256-0670
http://www.zygoncenter.org/studentsymposium/

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Film Screening: Salt Lake City, UT (October 27, 2011)

Salt Lake City Public Library
210 East 400 South
Salt Lake City, UT
7pm
Free and open to the public
Followed by discussion with Mary Evelyn Tucker and Terry Tempest Williams
Contact: Geralyn Dreyfous, gdreyfous@slcfilmcenter.org

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Film Screening & Conference: St. Paul, MN (November 4-5, 2011)

18th Annual Fall Soul Conference
“Religion and a New Environmental Ethic, with Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim”
Film - Nov. 4, 7-9pm
Jeanne d’Arc Auditorium, St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Ave, St. Paul, MN
Conference - Nov. 5, 9am-2pm
Carondelet Center, 1890 Randolph Ave., St. Paul, MN
Sponsored by Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality and St. Catherine University MA in Theology Program
Contact: Rev. Barbara Lund, blund@wisdomwayscenter.org
http://wisdomwayscenter.org/soulconference.html

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Film Screening: Louisville Science Center (November 6, 2011)

IMAX Theatre
Louisville Science Center
727 West Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202
5 PM
Discussion with Mary Evelyn Tucker & John Grim
Contact: Kathleen Lyons, Kathleen@interfaithrelations.org
http://www.louisvillescience.org/

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Film Screening: Louisville Collegiate School, KY (November 7, 2011)

Louisville Collegiate School
2427 Glenmary Avenue
Louisville, KY
10:30am
Discussion with Mary Evelyn Tucker & John Grim
Contact: Kathleen Lyons, Kathleen@interfaithrelations.org
http://www.louisvillescience.org/

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Film Screening: Bellarmine University, KY (November 7, 2011)

Bellarmine University
2001 Newburg Rd.
Louisville, KY
4pm
Discussion with Mary Evelyn Tucker & John Grim
Contact: Kathleen Lyons, Kathleen@interfaithrelations.org

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For more events related to Journey of the Universe, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/upcoming-events/



5. Events

“The Wisdom of Thomas Berry”
Knox United Church, Calgary, AB, Canada
Tuesday evenings, 7-9pm
September 27 – November 22, 2011
www.knoxcentre.ca
http://fore.research.yale.edu/files/The_Wisdom_of_Thomas_Berry.pdf

Energy Stewardship for Religious Facilities”
Free three-part webinar series sponsored by GreenFaith and US EPA’s Energy Star for Congregations Office
October 10, 17, and 24, 2011 at 8:30-9:30 pm ET
https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/greenfaith/event.jsp?event=147

Religion, Nature and Art”
Joint conference sponsored by the Ethnological Museum of the Vatican Museums and the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture
Vatican Museums, Roma, Italy
October 13-14, 2011
http://www.religionandnature.com/society/

The Environmental Humanities: Cultural Perspectives on Nature and the Environment”
Stockholm, Sweden
October 14-15, 2011
http://www.kth.se/abe/nies

Building Bridges to the Commons: New Foundations, New Cosmology, New Collaboration”
Conference featuring Miriam MacGillis
Hawthorne Valley School Hall, Ghent, NY, USA
October 15, 2011
http://hawthornevalleyassociation.org/event/building-bridges-commons-day-reflection

The Earth Speaks: Water, a Sacred Gift of Life”
An Interfaith Conversation
Siena Retreat Center, Racine, WI, USA
October 16-17, 2011
http://www.wichurches.org/calendar/the-earth-speaks-water-a-sacred-gift-of-life-is-there-enough-for-all-of-us/

Community of Christ 2011 Peace Colloquy & International Peace Award”
2011 Peace Colloquy, “Creating Hope, Healing Earth,” to Focus on Environmental Healing and Justice
2011 Community of Christ International Peace Award to be presented to Terry Tempest Williams
Community of Christ International Headquarters, Independence, MO, USA
October 21 - 23, 2011
http://www.cofchrist.org/peacecolloquy/

Sacred Soil, Living Water, Holy Air: Science, Spirituality, and the Elements of Earthly Life”
4th Annual Student Symposium on Science and Spirituality
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, IL, USA
October 21, 2011
http://www.zygoncenter.org/studentsymposium/

International Association for Environmental Philosophy (IAEP) Meeting”
Fifteenth Annual Meeting
Philadelphia, PA, USA
October 23-24, 2011
http://www.environmentalphilosophy.org/  

Yale Screening of Green Fire, a new movie about Aldo Leopold
With reception and panel discussion on the “Land Ethic”
Kroon Hall, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 
Free & open to the public
6-8:30pm
October 25, 2011
http://environment.yale.edu/leopold

Rediscovering the Natural World”
St. Mary’s Sewanee Retreat Center, Sewanee, TN, USA
October 28-30, 2011 
http://www.stmaryssewanee.org/programs/2011Oct28.shtml

Sacred Land Celebration”
Assisi, Italy
October 31 - November 2, 2011
http://fore.research.yale.edu/news/item/green-pilgrimage-network-launch-in-assisi-end-october-2011/

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



6. Forum Luncheon & Journey of the Universe Film Screening at the American Academy of Religion (November 18, 2011 in San Francisco, CA, USA)

We would like to invite you to the annual Forum on Religion and Ecology luncheon to be held in San Francisco on Friday November 18, before the American Academy of Religion (AAR) meetings begin. The luncheon will take place from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Intercontinental Hotel, 888 Howard Street, in the Telegraph Hill Room.

Please RSVP for the luncheon to tcmk@aya.yale.edu.

If you have students or colleagues who may be interested in attending, feel free to pass the information along to them, but please ask them to RSVP as well, as we do need to know how many people will be in attendance. 

We are also pleased to announce that the film Journey of the Universe will be shown that same evening, Friday November 18, 7:30pm at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, 555 Fourth Street ((Room: Marriott Marquis Golden Gate A). The film is a collaboration of Brian Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker who will be present to discuss the film along with Barbara Holmes (Memphis Theological Seminary) and Heather Eaton (St. Paul University). Don’t miss this opportunity to view the film that Catherine Keller has described as ”… stunning–visually mesmerizing, exquisitely situated, and persuasively narrated. It releases the quality of wonder that can change the world.”

We look forward to seeing you in San Francisco!



7. Church Forest
: a documentary film about the Church Forests of Ethiopia

Church Forest is a documentary film about the lush, wooded churchyards scattered across the otherwise arid landscape of Ethiopia.  For 1500 years Ethiopian Orthodox Churches have protected the woodland surrounding them as recreations of the Garden of Eden, but today these forests are vanishing rapidly - with some estimates predicting their complete disappearance in the next 5 years.  In January, an international team of scientists and conservationists will collaborate with the local priests and parishioners to create a truly sustainable approach to protecting these unique eco-systems forever.  The film will explore the culture and beauty of the church forests, revealing that conservation is not a political luxury but rather a spiritual necessity deeply rooted in the history of Christianity. 

For more information, contact: churchforestmovie@gmail.com or visit: www.churchforest.com
 The Minding Animals Conference 2012 will be held at Utrecht University in the Netherlands on July 1-7, 2012.  Abstracts are considered for the following six themes:

1. The Human-Animal Relationship (including animals in art, literature, religion; history of the human-animal relationship; animals in the history of philosophy; psychological approaches towards the human-animal relationship, cultural aspects of human-animal relationships).

2. Animal Capacities (including animal emotions; animal cognition; extrapolation of capacities from animals to humans and vice versa).

3. Animal Welfare (including animal welfare at the interface between science and society; approaches of positive welfare; welfare assessment in practice; animal slaughter).

4. Animal Ethics (including the foundation of duties towards animals; animal welfare; animal rights; animal liberation; the killing of animals; harm of death; vegetarianism and veganism; animal experimentation; animal husbandry; chimeras and hybrids; dignity; integrity)

5. Animals and Sustainability (including (public-) health aspects, social consequences, landscape, environmental effects, climate change)

6. Animals and Public Policy (including animals in the law; politics and stakeholders; the use of best practice guidance; national identity versus the level playing field; the role of ethics in politics; sustainability; current themes concerning the future of animal husbandry)

Deadline for abstracts: December 15, 2011

To submit an abstract, visit:
http://www.eventure-online.com/eventure/welcome.do?type=abstract&congress=66_811

For more information, visit:
http://mindinganimals.com/
http://www.uu.nl/faculty/humanities/EN/congres/mindinganimals/Pages/default.aspx



8. Call for Papers: Minding Animals Conference 2012 (July 1-7, 2012 at Utrecht University, The Netherlands)

The Minding Animals Conference 2012 will be held at Utrecht University in the Netherlands on July 1-7, 2012.  Abstracts are considered for the following six themes:

1. The Human-Animal Relationship (including animals in art, literature, religion; history of the human-animal relationship; animals in the history of philosophy; psychological approaches towards the human-animal relationship, cultural aspects of human-animal relationships).

2. Animal Capacities (including animal emotions; animal cognition; extrapolation of capacities from animals to humans and vice versa).

3. Animal Welfare (including animal welfare at the interface between science and society; approaches of positive welfare; welfare assessment in practice; animal slaughter).

4. Animal Ethics (including the foundation of duties towards animals; animal welfare; animal rights; animal liberation; the killing of animals; harm of death; vegetarianism and veganism; animal experimentation; animal husbandry; chimeras and hybrids; dignity; integrity)

5. Animals and Sustainability (including (public-) health aspects, social consequences, landscape, environmental effects, climate change)

6. Animals and Public Policy (including animals in the law; politics and stakeholders; the use of best practice guidance; national identity versus the level playing field; the role of ethics in politics; sustainability; current themes concerning the future of animal husbandry)

Deadline for abstracts: December 15, 2011

To submit an abstract, visit:
http://www.eventure-online.com/eventure/welcome.do?type=abstract&congress=66_811

For more information, visit:
http://mindinganimals.com/
http://www.uu.nl/faculty/humanities/EN/congres/mindinganimals/Pages/default.aspx

 



9. Call for Papers: “Towards Indian Ecocriticism” (December 2-3, 2011 at Central University of Tamil Nadu, India)

The Central University of Tamil Nadu in South India is hosting the conference “Towards Indian Ecocriticism” on December 2-3, 2011.

Though papers on ecocritical readings of Indian texts (of the past or present) including texts in Indian languages (or translations of these into English) as well as Indian Writing in English, are welcome, the focus of the conference will be on the discussion of Indian ecocritical theories and concepts for critical purposes. Scholars are encouraged to explore the possibility of using folk/classical texts as well as past/contemporary cultural practices of the diverse and little known traditions of the country for ecocritical analysis. The purpose of the conference is to mobilise the ecocritical energies of Indian ecocritics working in different Indian traditions.

Abstracts not exceeding 300 words have to be submitted before November 4, 2011 for acceptance. The contributors will be informed of the acceptance by November 11, 2011. Full papers, not exceeding eight pages and typed in double space in A4 following MLA style sheet, have to be submitted by November 26. There is no fee charged for the registration.

For more information, contact Nirmal Selvamony and Rayson K. Alex at cutnecoconference@gmail.com

For the full call for papers, visit: http://www.cutn.ac.in/news-29-09-2011.php



10. Call for Papers: 9th Annual Meeting for Environmental Philosophy (June 12-15, 2012 in Allenspark, CO, USA)

The 9th Annual Meeting for Environmental Philosophy will be held on June 12-15, 2012 at the Highlands Center in Allenspark, CO.  The meeting is sponsored by the International Society for Environmental Ethics, the International Association for Environmental Philosophy, and the Center for Environmental Philosophy. 

Conference sessions will take a variety of forms. This call is for proposals of the following kinds:

1. Themed Sessions: Proposals for 2-hour themed sessions are encouraged, including author-meets-critics sessions, sessions emphasizing socially engaged philosophic activities, etc. Themes might include but are not limited to: animals; species; agricultural ethics and food ethics; ecosystem management; sustainability and the arts; ethics and technology.

*Abstracts for themed sessions should include names of participants, an outline of the theme and how the session will fit together, and a 150 word abstract for each paper.*

2. General session papers: Papers are welcomed from all philosophical traditions, and from environmental philosophy broadly conceived (not just environmental ethics). The format for full paper presentations at the conference will be a 15 minute summary of the paper by the author, followed by a 10 minute commentary.

*Abstracts of 300 words should be submitted for this category.*

Deadline for abstracts: December 9, 2011.

Abstracts should be prepared so that they may be blind-refereed by the conference committee. Acceptances will be announced by January 16th, 2012. Full papers must be available to be placed on the conference website by May 1, 2012. Send abstracts and proposals (in Word format), or expressions of your willingness to comment or chair, via email to Emily Brady at Emily.Brady@ed.ac.uk.

For more information, visit:

http://iseethics.org/2011/09/08/call-for-papers-ninth-annual-meeting-for-environmental-philosophy/



11. 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 


For the archive of previous Forum newsletters, visit:

http://fore.research.yale.edu/publications/newsletters/index.html