The Forum on Religion and Ecology Newsletter
6.9 (September 2012)
Contents:
1. Editorial, by Elizabeth McAnally
2. Journey of the Universe Film Screenings
3. “Buddhism and Development: Communities in Cambodia Working as Partners”
4. Events
5. New Books
6. New Website: http://ecospiritualityresources.com/
7. Calls for Papers
8. Job Openings
9. August 2012 Newsletter of Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME)
10. Report on Summer Conference of IRAS (Institute of Religion in an Age of Science), by Paul H. Carr
11. Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology
1. Editorial, by Elizabeth McAnally
Greetings,
Welcome to the September 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, job openings, and more.
We are happy to let you know that the EMMY® award-winning Journey of the Universe film is continuing to be broadcast nationwide on PBS for their pledge drive over the next 2 years and has already been carried by 74% of the stations (with over 690 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. The list of upcoming national PBS broadcasts can be found at: www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/pbs. Upcoming film screenings are provided below. 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. For more information about the Journey of the Universe Trilogy (film, book, and educational series of interviews), visit: www.journeyoftheuniverse.org. 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
I also want to draw your attention to James Gustave Speth’s recently published book entitled America the Possible: Manifesto for a New Economy (Yale University Press, 2012). In this third volume of his award-winning American Crisis series, Speth “looks unsparingly at the sea of troubles in which the United States now finds itself, charts a course through the discouragement and despair commonly felt today, and envisions what he calls America the Possible, an attractive and plausible future that we can still realize. The book identifies a dozen features of the American political economy—the country’s basic operating system—where transformative change is essential. It spells out the specific changes that are needed to move toward a new political economy—one in which the true priority is to sustain people and planet.” For more about book, see below or visit: http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300180763
Finally, please take note of the 2012 report by the World Faiths Development Dialogue entitled “Buddhism and Development: Communities in Cambodia Working as Partners.” This report “focuses on the practical and spiritual roles of Cambodia’s omnipresent Theravada Buddhist pagodas, the monks and nuns who live in them, and the communities that organize around them. It thus explores how the Buddhist beliefs and traditions, both central to Cambodia’s national ethos, apply in practice and how Buddhist and development actors have worked effectively together on shared priorities.” On July 31, 2012, the World Faiths Development Dialogue hosted a day-long conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to present this report. To download the full report, visit: http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/wfdd/publications/buddhism-and-development-communities-in-cambodia-working-as-partners
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. Journey of the Universe Film Screenings
First Unitarian Church
Louisville, KY, USA
Study Group held 1st, 3rd, and 4th Sundays
August 26 – November 25, 2012
Virginia Theological Seminary
Alexandria, VA, USA
October 1, 2012
Center for EcoSpirituality & The Arts
Kingstree, SC, USA
Springbank Retreat with Rev. Jim Conlon
October 5-7, 2012
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO, USA
Hosted by Dr. Tom Lovejoy, featuring a panel with Dr. Holmes Rolston III, Dr. Robin Reid, and Dr. Cameron Ghalambor
October 18, 2012
For more information about film screenings, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/upcoming-events/
3. “Buddhism and Development: Communities in Cambodia Working as Partners”
The 2012 “Buddhism and Development: Communities in Cambodia Working as Partners” report is the third in a series of World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD) exploratory reviews of the numerous connections between faith and development in Cambodia. It focuses on the practical and spiritual roles of Cambodia’s omnipresent Theravada Buddhist pagodas, the monks and nuns who live in them, and the communities that organize around them. It thus explores how the Buddhist beliefs and traditions, both central to Cambodia’s national ethos, apply in practice and how Buddhist and development actors have worked effectively together on shared priorities.
To download the full report, visit:
http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/wfdd/publications/buddhism-and-development-communities-in-cambodia-working-as-partners
On July 31, 2012, the World Faiths Development Dialogue hosted a day-long conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to present the third report. WFDD Cambodia fellows Laura Hodges and Jennifer Cimaglia led a plenary introduction on their research on the practical and spiritual roles of Cambodia’s Theravada Buddhist pagodas. Group discussions followed the presentations as participants contributed observations, experiences, and considerations for moving forward. The conference concluded with a short visitation to the nearby Preah Sihamoni Raja Buddhist University (PSBU) for an audience with His Holiness, the Supreme Patriarch Venerable Bour Kry, and a group tour of Svay Pope Pagoda led by Heik Sopheap from the Association for Buddhism and the Environment.
For more about the meeting, visit:
4. Events
Science, Faith and Ecology With Chris Philpott
The United Nations Church Center, New York, NY, USA
September 10, 2012
http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/item/science-faith-and-ecology-with-chris-philpott/
“Faithful Citizenship Project”
Featuring Drew Dellinger: Poet in Residence at Iona
Iona College, New Rochelle, NY, USA
September 12-13, 2012
http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/item/faithful-citizenship-project/
“Culture, Politics, and Climate Change”
International Conference
University of Colorado Boulder, USA
September 13-15, 2012
http://www.climateculturepolitics.org/
“Spirituality and Sustainability: A New Path for Entrepreneurship”
Annual Conference of the European Spirituality in Economics and Society (SPES) Forum
Visegrad, Hungary
September 21-23, 2012
http://eurospes.be/page.php?LAN=E&TID=4&ID=1101&FILE=agendadetail
“Conference on Creation, Evolution, and God”
Sewanee: The University of the South, TN, USA
September 22, 2012
http://theology.sewanee.edu/news/event/conference-on-god-and-creation/
“Environmentalism, Spatiality and the Public Sphere”
NIES Research Symposium VII
Oslo, Norway
September 27-30, 2012
http://philevents.org/event/show/1926
“Sustainable Alternatives for Poverty Reduction and Ecological Justice”
International Conference for Justice and Sustainability
Orthodox Academy of Crete (OAC), Chania, Greece
September 27-30, 2012
http://saprej2012.webs.com/
“World Peace and the Ecological Crisis: A Buddhist Wisdom”
Dharma Talk By Korean Buddhist Seon Master Jinje, With Response By The Reverend Fletcher Harper
Church Center for the United Nations, New York City, NY, USA
October 4, 2012
http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/item/world-peace-and-the-ecological-crisis-a-buddhist-wisdom/
“Gaining Perspective: Seeing Environmental Education Through Different Lenses”
41st annual conference of NAAEE (North American Association for Environmental Education)
Oakland, CA, USA
October 9-13, 2012
http://www.naaee.net/conference
“Education for Sustainability: International Greening Education Event”
Karlsruhe, Germany
October 10-12, 2012
http://www.etechgermany.com/IGEE2012.pdf
“Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference Expo”
L.A. Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
October 14-17, 2012
http://conf2012.aashe.org/
“Living with (out) Animals: Nonhuman Ethics for the 21st Century”
University of Sydney, Australia
October 22, 2012
http://www.animalsandsociety.org/static/events?event_id=302
“Ahimsa and Sustainable Happiness”
Prem and Sandhya Jain International Conference on Nonviolence
Ahimsa Center at Cal Poly Pomona, Los Angeles, CA, USA
November 2-4, 2012
http://www.csupomona.edu/~ahimsacenter/conference/conference_2012_CallForProposals.shtml
For more events, visit: http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/
5. New Books
America the Possible: Manifesto for a New Economy
By James Gustave Speth
Yale University Press, 2012
http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300180763
In this third volume of his award-winning American Crisis series, James Gustave Speth makes his boldest and most ambitious contribution yet. He looks unsparingly at the sea of troubles in which the United States now finds itself, charts a course through the discouragement and despair commonly felt today, and envisions what he calls America the Possible, an attractive and plausible future that we can still realize. The book identifies a dozen features of the American political economy—the country’s basic operating system—where transformative change is essential. It spells out the specific changes that are needed to move toward a new political economy—one in which the true priority is to sustain people and planet. Supported by a compelling “theory of change” that explains how system change can come to America, the book also presents a vision of political, social, and economic life in a renewed America. Speth envisions a future that will be well worth fighting for. In short, this is a book about the American future and the strong possibility that we yet have it in ourselves to use our freedom and our democracy in powerful ways to create something fine, a reborn America, for our children and grandchildren.
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Animals in the Qur’an
By Sarra Tlili, University of Florida
Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization Series
Cambridge University Press, 2012
http://www.cambridge.org/us/knowledge/isbn/item6813354/?site_locale=en_US
The Islamic tradition has always held animals in high esteem, deserving the same level of consideration as humans. The Qur’an opines that “there is not an animal in the earth nor a flying creature flying on two wings, but they are people like you.” This fascinating and highly original book examines the status and nature of animals as they are portrayed in the Qur’an and in adjacent exegetical works, in which animals are viewed as spiritual, moral, intelligent, and accountable beings. In this way, the study presents a challenge to the prevalent view of man’s superiority over animals and suggests new ways of interpreting the Qur’an. By placing the discussion within the context of other religions and their treatment of animals, the book also makes a persuasive case for animal rights from an Islamic perspective.
6. New Website: http://ecospiritualityresources.com/
Last Lent many groups throughout the world used discussion material written by Terri MacKenzie, SHCJ, that focused on Air. Terri has a similarly-arranged resource for Advent 2012, Paths to Peace, that can be found on her new web site: http://ecospiritualityresources.com/. These free and ecumenical guides integrate the New Universe Story with matters of concern to our planet: air, soil, water, light, peace, and spirituality. They follow the week’s Scripture readings.
Besides the group reflections, this site also includes a basic explanation of ecospirituality, background stories, suggested books and sites, videos, and single items like prayer rituals for occasions and pertinent Earth justice concerns. Web contents help readers better understand the mystery of Christ among us in light of new scientific discoveries. Viewers are invited to contribute reviews for the suggested books and media, and Terri welcomes all comments and suggestions.
7. Calls for Papers
“Ecocritical Perspectives on Water” National Conference
Central University of Tamil Nadu, Tiruvarur, India
October 26-27, 2012
Deadline for abstracts: September 28, 2012
http://www.asle.org/site/papers/current-conferences/
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“European And Latin American Conference On Climate Change Management”
Antigua, Guatemala, Central America
August 29-30, 2013
Deadline for abstracts: October 30, 2012
http://www.cela-project.net/download/2012_Call_for_papers_ELAC3M.pdf
8. Job Openings
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Tennessee Technological University, School of Environmental Studies, Cookeville, TN, USA
Application review begins August 8th and remains open until the position is filled.
https://jobs.tntech.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/position/JobDetails_css.jsp?postingId=141067
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Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
American University of Kuwait
Application Deadline: September 12, 2012
http://iseethics.org/2012/08/07/job-lecturer-visiting-asst-prof-2-3-year-appt/
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Assistant Professor of Environmental Ethics
The University of Chicago Divinity School, Chicago, IL, USA
Review of applications will begin on October 1, 2012 and will continue until the position is filled.
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Dehlsen Endowed Chair in Environmental Studies
University of California, Department of Environmental Studies, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Application deadline: October 31, 2012
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Assistant Professor in Environmental Justice
Concordia University, Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Application deadline: November 1, 2012
http://iseethics.org/2012/08/26/job-asst-prof-environmental-justice-concordia-univ/
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Assistant Professor in Environmental Humanities
Bucknell University, Environmental Studies Program, Lewisburg, PA, USA
Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2012 and will continue until the position is filled.
https://jobs.bucknell.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/position/JobDetails_css.jsp?postingId=162483
9. August 2012 Newsletter of Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME)
Contents:
• Joint Teacher’s Workshop
• FoEME keynote presentation to the Sister Cities International Conference
• Building the Water Agenda: Policy responses to water scarcity and shock
• FoEME’s SHE Park in Jordan is visited by U.S. students
• FoEME Directors speak at Wembley Mosque in London
• ‘Protecting Ground Water’ completes GIS training course
• FoEME is looking for a Intern to work on our Protecting Groundwater (PGW) Project, based in our Bethlehem office
http://www.foeme.org/peace.php
10. Report on Summer Conference of IRAS (Institute of Religion in an Age of Science), by Paul H. Carr
“Conference To Save Our Future: Motivating Scientific Logos With Religious Mythos”
Futurist Ruben Nelson of Foresight Canada enjoins us to co-create a new form of civilization by yoking scientific and technological logos with religious motivation and meaning, mythos. This is in response to the three-fold challenges:
(1) weather extremes from global warming,
(2) starvation from the exponential population explosion, and
(3) depletion of critical resources such as fossil fuels on our finite planet.
The 130 attendees of this Institute of Religion in an Age of Science Conference (www.iras.org) came from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Spain, India, and Pakistan. It was held at the Silver Bay Conference Center, Lake George, NY, July 28 – Aug 4, 2012. Physicists Robert Bercaw and V. V. Raman were the co-chairs. The chapel speaker was Dr. Richard S. Gilbert, Minister Emeritus, First Unitarian Church of Rochester. Jacqueline Schwab, well known for her music on Ken Burn’s TV, was the pianist.
Henry N. Pollack, professor of geophysics emeritus at the University of Michigan and author of “World Without Ice,” spoke on the earth’s changing climate. This is evident in the receding snow caps of the Himalayas, which feed major rivers in China & India. The water supply of two billion people is threatened. This is also evident in the US. The Colorado River, whose source is the snowcapped Rocky Mountains, no longer reaches the sea. Dwindling fresh water supplies and draughts are limiting the fruitfulness of our agriculture. Arctic sea-ice is melting more rapidly than IPCC (United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) models have predicted. The Arctic could be having an ice-free summer by 2030.
To read the full conference report, visit:
http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/item/saving-the-future/
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