The Forum on Religion and Ecology Newsletter
7.9 (September 2013)
Contents:
1. Editorial, by Elizabeth McAnally
2. Journey of the Universe Events
3. New Publications
4. Call for Papers
5. Events
6. Directors of Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) Tour the U.S.
7. Job Announcement
8. 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, and more.
I am happy to share news that Mary Evelyn Tucker recently gave one of the keynote speeches at the Second Annual Centre of Heaven and Earth (Songshan) Forum on Chinese and World Civilizations. The topic of this year’s Songshan Forum was “Humanistic Spirit and Ecological Consciousness.” Held September 5-8, 2013 in Dengfeng, Henan, China (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010), the annual Songshan Forum creates an academic platform for inter-civilizational, inter-cultural, and inter-religious dialogue on issues pressing to China and the human civilization today towards the emergence of a new dialogical civilization. This Forum invites eminent scholars and practitioners of the field from both China and abroad to participate in the forum, representing Confucian, Buddhist, Daoist, Islamic, Christian, Jewish, and Indian civilizations, as well as experts from ecological studies and advocacy. For more on this Forum, visit: http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/item/humanistic-spirit-and-ecological-consciousness/
I also want to let you know that the second “Questions for a Resilient Future Conference” will be held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on October 8, 2013. The Center for Humans and Nature together with the American Museum of Natural History and the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation invite you to a fascinating afternoon of dialogue tackling big questions that challenge humanity today—and that could change our future. For more about this free event, visit:
http://www.humansandnature.org/questions-for-a-resilient-future-conference–save-the-date–events-14.php
The EMMY® award-winning Journey of the Universe film and Conversations (formerly titled “Educational Series”) are available now via Amazon.com and a number of other online stores listed at: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/buy/. The film and Conversations are also now sold at Whole Foods. The film has been translated into Spanish and the book into French, Italian, and Korean. For a new Overview Statement of the Journey project, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/storage/JOTU_Overview_8-28-13.pdf
Three exciting Journey of the Universe events will be occurring in the next couple of months. The “Emergent Universe Oratorio Premiere” will take place at Breeding Barn at Shelburne Farms in Vermont on September 15, 2013. This event will be comprised of composition by Sam Guarnaccia and visual art by Cameron Davis. Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim will participate in the Premiere. For the flyer, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/storage/euo-9-15-13.pdf. For more information, visit: http://www.samguarnaccia.com/emergentuniverseoratorio/premiere.php
I am also delighted to let you know about an upcoming conference on “Journey of the Universe and High School Teaching and Learning.” This conference for teachers and administrators will be held at Lawrenceville School in New Jersey on October 4-6, 2013. Conference presenters include Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, R. Craig Kochel, David Grant, Thomas Collins, and Kevin Mattingly. For the brochure, visit:
http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/storage/Journey_of_the_Universe_Conference–Oct.2013.pdf Please register by September 15th at this link: https://www.lawrenceville.org/journeyoftheuniverse
Finally, a day-long conference on “Evolving Spirituality for the 21st Century” will be held at All Saints Parish in Brookline, MA on October 18, 2013. Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim will introduce the Journey of the Universe film, after which they will speak and then lead a discussion on the day’s theme. The afternoon group workshops will be introduced with a theological reflection by the artist and author Mary Coelho, and the day will close with a summary discussion. You can register at: http://cmmjourneyoftheuniverse.eventbrite.com/
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 Events
“Emergent Universe Oratorio Premiere”
September 15, 2013
3pm
Breeding Barn at Shelburne Farms
Shelburne, VT, USA
Composition by Sam Guarnaccia
Visual art by Cameron Davis
Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim will participate in the Premiere. The Oratorio Premiere is co-hosted by collaborative partners Shelburne Farms and All Souls Interfaith Gathering. It is a project of 2020 Strategies, is supported by grants from the Argosy Foundation, the Puffin Foundation, and sponsored by the American Teilhard Association.
For the flyer, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/storage/euo-9-15-13.pdf
For more information, call 802 734 0279 or visit:
http://www.samguarnaccia.com/emergentuniverseoratorio/premiere.php
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National PBS Broadcast of Journey of the Universe
September 15, 2013
9:30 pm
Chicago, IL, USA
Channel WYIN
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“Journey of the Universe and High School Teaching and Learning”
October 4-6, 2013
A conference for teachers and administrators
Lawrenceville School
Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
Conference presenters: Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, R. Craig Kochel, David Grant, Thomas Collins, and Kevin Mattingly
For the brochure, visit:
http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/storage/Journey_of_the_Universe_Conference–Oct.2013.pdf
Please register by September 15th at this link:
https://www.lawrenceville.org/journeyoftheuniverse
Contact: journeyoftheuniverse@lawrenceville.org
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“Evolving Spirituality for the 21st Century”
A Day with Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, with reflections by Mary Coelho
October 18, 2013
8:30am – 4pm
All Saints Parish
1773 Beacon Street
Brookline, MA, USA
For the poster, visit: http://fore.research.yale.edu/files/MET-and-JG_10-18-13.pdf
Register here: http://cmmjourneyoftheuniverse.eventbrite.com/
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Film Screening
January 14, 2014
7pm
Scranton Library
801 Boston Post Rd.
Madison, CT, USA
Discussion following the screening
Sponsored by the Scranton Library
Hosted by Friends of Hammonasset
Contact: Don Rankin, M.D., donandnancyrankin@gmail.com, 203-245-9192
3. New Publications
Oxford Bibliography on Religion and Ecology
Edited by John Grim, Russell Powell, Matthew T. Riley, Tara C. Trapani, Mary Evelyn Tucker
Oxford University Press, 2013
http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199830060/obo-9780199830060-0103.xml?rskey=SbI1x3&result=61&q=
Spiritual or religious ecology refers to attitudes, values, and practices regarding nature within the world’s religions and outside of those traditions. Spiritual or religious ecology identifies ways of interacting with nature that inspire human responses of respect, protection, and appropriate uses of nature. This bibliography highlights the literature in an emerging field of study called “religion and ecology.” This field is in dialogue with other approaches to environmental studies from the social sciences, such as social ecology, political ecology, cultural ecology, industrial ecology, and ecological economics. This field began with the Harvard conference series on World Religions and Ecology at the Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions from 1996 to 1998. During this period and in the ensuing years, scholars of religion and theologians began a process of retrieving, reevaluating, and reconstructing religious traditions in light of the growing environmental crisis. This humanistic study of ways of valuing nature and of ethically using nature is seen as a complement to the empirical investigation of nature from a scientific perspective. This work has been encouraged by the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University where there is a joint master’s program between the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and the Divinity School.
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“The Potential of Religion for Earth Stewardship”
By Gregory E. Hitzhusen and Mary Evelyn Tucker
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 11.7 (2013): 368–376.
http://www.esajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1890/120322
Religious communities are playing an increasingly important role in advancing Earth Stewardship. We briefly summarize the potential of religions and religious values to support this initiative, characterizing its development and acknowledging the inherent tensions between the problems and promise of religious influences. Mobilizing religious believers to contribute to responsible stewardship of the Earth requires a critical appreciation of the complexity of religious traditions and the ways that religious communities view nature, as well as the cultural and spiritual resources that religious teachings provide in confronting change and human suffering. We emphasize religious virtues that favor sustainable resource use and key developments that have prompted fruitful dialogue between ecologists and religious believers. We also describe promising alliances between scientists and spiritual leaders that may help to encourage cooperative Earth Stewardship. Religions have great potential to transform cultures toward improved Earth Stewardship, in collaboration with key scientific, economic, public policy, and education partners.
Read the full article:
http://www.esajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1890/120322
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Special Issue on “Living Water”
Worldviews 17.2 (2013)
http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/15685357/17/2
Human life is both literally and metaphorically unthinkable without water, which permeates and enlivens every form of human activity. Water is equally important for all living organisms, flowing through plants, animals and humans, through places, river systems and ocean currents, and through the entire hydrological cycle, where it constitutes a fundamental aspect of the weather and climate. For many people water epitomizes the connections and integration of living processes: as the life-giving element enabling production and reproduction, and as a substance of community and belonging. However, the fluid qualities that enable water to connect mean that it can also be a major medium for pollution and a threat when overly abundant. And, being essential to all productive processes, it can readily become a means of control and domination. This special issue explores the ways the vitality of water is constituted, negotiated and used strategically in various socio-ecological contexts. How does water figure in experiences, narratives and symbols of living, creativity and healing, or in practices and discourses about pollution and destruction? In what ways can water be used to support or undermine particular power relations? How are ideas about “living water” articulated in property regimes, development projects and conservation strategies?
Read the entire Special Issue:
http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/15685357/17/2
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Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration: Orthodox Christian Perspectives on Environment, Nature, and Creation
Edited by John Chryssavgis and Bruce V. Foltz
Prefatory Letter from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Foreword by Bill McKibben
Fordham University Press, 2013
http://fordhampress.com/index.php/toward-an-ecoogy-of-transfiguration-paperback.html
Can Orthodox Christianity offer spiritual resources uniquely suited to the environmental concerns of today? This book makes the case emphatically that it can indeed. In addition to being the first substantial and comprehensive collection of essays, in any language, to address environmental issues from the Orthodox point of view, this volume (with contributions from many of the most influential theologians and philosophers in contemporary world Orthodoxy) will engage a wide audience, in academic as well as popular circles—resonating not only with Orthodox audiences but with all those in search of a fresh approach to environmental theory and ethics that can bring to bear the resources of ancient spirituality, often virtually unknown in the West, on modern challenges and dilemmas.
“This anthology is a monumental contribution to the literature on religion and ecology. The abundant contributions of the Orthodox tradition to seeing into the sacred depths of nature are evident in this rich collection of essays. It will stand as a classic in the field for years to come and help reshape reflections on our shared planetary future.” – Mary Evelyn Tucker
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Redacted Dominionism: A Biblical Approach to Grounding Environmental Responsibility
By Christopher Cone
Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2012
https://wipfandstock.com/store/Redacted_Dominionism_A_Biblical_Approach_to_Grounding_Environmental_Responsibility
Critiques of the environmental ramifications of the early Genesis narrative by environmental thinkers such as Aldo Leopold, Ian McHarg, and Lynn White underscore a long-standing tension between the environmental movement and Western Christianity. The evangelical community, especially, has been at odds with the environmental movement, in grounding its theology of human relations to nature on the Genesis narrative—a narrative the environmental community views generally as contributing negatively to environmental matters.
Redacted Dominionism is a literal interpretation of the early Genesis narrative that recognizes human relations to nature are based on theocentric themes. Redacted Dominionism understands humanity as initially given dominion over nature, by virtue of the image of God in humanity, but that human disobedience to God tarnished that image, and human qualification for dominion was lost. Post-fall, the dominion mandate is never repeated in Genesis and seems even to be replaced. Redacted Dominionism offers an important biblical approach to understanding human responsibility to God for how we interact with His creation.
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Kissed by a Fox: And Other Stories of Friendship in Nature
By Priscilla Stuckey
Counterpoint, 2012
http://counterpointpress.com/products/kissed-by-a-fox/
At a low point in her life, Stuckey was visited by a vision of the birch tree planted beside the house she grew up in, and soon after, she discovered that the tree was diseased and had to be cut down. She seamlessly blends memoir, philosophy, and meditation on our role in the natural world with extended discussion of previous authors’ views on subjects as diverse as religion, economics, and biology, but she always comes back to our connection with nature. And by nature, she doesn’t mean just animals, though both wild and domestic animals are woven into her narrative. Living near a small canyon with a creek in its depths provides as strong an anchor for her wandering soul as does the dog who sleeps on her bed at night. As we are guided through the years of Stuckey’s journey to understanding her relationship with nature through her own explorations and other writers’ works, we come to the realization of our own connections with the natural world. – Review by Nancy Bent
Watch the book trailer: http://priscillastuckey.com/the-book/
4. Call for Papers
“Climate Change and the Humanities Workshop”
Hosted by the Centre for Social and Political Thought and the Centre for World Environmental History at Sussex University, UK
October 17, 2013
Submission Deadline: September 20, 2013
http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.science.philosophy.region.europe/5447
5. Events
“The Ethics of Consumption: The Citizen, The Market, and The Law”
11th Congress of the European Society for Agricultural and Food Ethics
Uppsala, Sweden
September 11-14, 2013
http://www.slu.se/eursafe2013
6th Wisconsin Interfaith TelePrayer for Earth / Climate Change
Organized by Wisconsin Interfaith Power and Light and the Islamic Environmental Group of Wisconsin
12:00-12:30 pm by Phone
September 16, 2013
http://wisconsinipl.org/interfaithteleprayer.htm
“Buddha Touched the Earth”
An exploration of engaged Buddhism
Facilitated by John Seed, Caren Eisen and Anton Eastwick
Warburton, Victoria, Australia
September 27-29, 2013
www.openheartedtransformation.com.au/deep-ecology-engaged-buddhism/
To read more about this project, visit:
http://fore.research.yale.edu/files/Seed_buddha-touched-the-earth.pdf
“We Are All One: Transforming Ourselves…Healing Earth”
Spiritual Life Center, Holy Family Retreat Grounds, West Hartford, CT, USA
September 29, 2013
http://www.spiritlifectr.org/index.cfm?load=page&page=63
“PostNatural”
27th Annual Meeting of the Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts (SLSA)
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
October 3-6, 2013
http://www.litsci.org/slsa13/
“Questions for a Resilient Future”
American Museum of Natural History, Kaufmann Theater, New York City, NY, USA
October 8, 2013
RSVP to anjaclaus@humansandnature.org
http://www.humansandnature.org/questions-for-a-resilient-future-conference–save-the-date–events-14.php
“Climate Change and the Humanities Workshop”
Hosted by the Centre for Social and Political Thought and the Centre for World Environmental History at Sussex University, UK
October 17, 2013
http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.science.philosophy.region.europe/5447
“Sensing Wonder, Serious Play: Ecology and Children’s Literature”
A Graduate Student Conference
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
October 25, 2013
http://www.sensingwonder.us/
International Association for Environmental Philosophy 17th Annual Meeting
Hilton Eugene and Conference Center, Eugene, OR, USA
October 26-28, 2013
http://environmentalphilosophy.org/
“Thomas Berry and Dante’s Divine Comedy: The Journey and the Vision”
A Three-Part Series led by Andrew Levitt
The Treehouse, Timberlake Earth Sanctuary, Whitsett, NC, USA
Part One: Inferno, October 27, 2013
Part Two: Purgatorio, November 17, 2013
Part Three: Paradiso, December 8, 2013
http://beholdnature.org/dantesdivinecomedy.php
“The roles of climate models: epistemic, ethical and socio-political perspectives”
Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
October 31 - November 1, 2013
http://p-e.ieis.tue.nl/node/122
For more events, visit:
http://fore.research.yale.edu/calendar/
6. Directors of Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) Tour the U.S.
FoEME’s three directors will be visiting three major cities in the United States – Washington, DC, Chicago, and New York City – from September 25 through October 15 to promote the concept that sharing water is the best chance for reviving the moribund peace process between Israel and Palestine and that faith-based communities and interfaith groups can play a major role in cross-border environmental peacemaking efforts, especially by helping with the rehabilitation of the Jordan River. The directors will be participating in public events, media interviews, think-tank programs, and policymaker meetings to convey their message.
For the full list of events, visit:
http://foeme.org/www/?module=events&record_id=115
7. Job Announcement
Junior Professorship in “Political Philosophy and Environmental Ethics”
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
Application deadline: October 4, 2013
http://hsozkult.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/chancen/type=stellen&id=9097
8. 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/
To download this newsletter as a PDF, visit:
http://fore.research.yale.edu/files/September_2013_Newsletter.pdf
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