September 2016

 

The Forum on Religion and Ecology Newsletter
10.9 (September 2016)


Contents:

1. Overview, by Elizabeth McAnally

2. Yale University Online Classes: “Journey of the Universe: A Story for Our Times” (Open to the Public)

3. “Care of the Earth and Climate Change” (September 9-10, 2016 in Jamaica, NY, USA)

4. “Yale Sustainability Leadership Forum” (September 21-23, 2016 in New Haven, CT, USA)

5. Journey of the Universe for Secondary School Curriculum (September 30, 2016 in Dobbs Ferry, NY, USA)

6. New Publications

7. Job Openings and Fellowships

8. Online Course: “Sustainable Development and the Prosperity of Humankind” (September 10 – October 28, 2016)

9. Online EcoSattva Training: Practicing with Climate Change (October 16 – December 11, 2016)

10. Online M.A. in Integral Ecology from the California Institute of Integral Studies

11. Calls for Papers

12. Events

13. Webinar: “Laudato Si’: A Framework for Climate Justice”

14. Video: “A Creator God and a Sense of Place: A Jewish Ecotheology” (by Ellen Bernstein)

15. Free Articles on Religion and the Environment by Oxford University Journals

16. New Syllabus: “Religion and Ecology” (with Hava Tirosh-Samuelson)

17. Sustainability and Christianity

18. Intercreate

19. Ecology and Justice Series on Integral Ecology (Orbis Books)

20. Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology



1. Overview, by Elizabeth McAnally

Hello!

Welcome to the September 2016 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.

We are excited to let you know about four MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) that Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim will teach in the fall of 2016 at Yale University through the online platform, Coursera. These will be featured as a specialization under the theme of “Journey of the Universe: A Story for Our Times” and will include two courses on Journey of the Universe, a course on the Worldview of Thomas Berry, and an integrating capstone on Living Cosmology. See the landing page at Yale announcing the courses: https://environment.yale.edu/news/article/fes-online-courses-on-cosmology-and-ecology-offered-as-yales-first-mooc-specialization/ You may formally register to be a full participant in any of the classes for a fee. This means you will get some feedback. Upon completing all the courses you will receive a certificate of completion. To enroll in the courses and to read all of the course descriptions, go here: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/journey-of-the-universe Alternatively you may audit the course free of charge. Go to the individual courses to enroll under audit: www.coursera.org/yale These courses will be officially launched on September 21, 2016 and will be offered throughout the academic year beginning every 4 weeks.

On October 14-16, the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School is hosting “Religion, Ecology, and Our Planetary Future.” This conference marks the twentieth anniversary of the Religions of the World and Ecology Conference series and subsequent book series, and advances the work of understanding and transforming the discourse of religions and ecology for the 21st century. For the program, visit: http://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news/2016/8/29/religion-ecology-and-our-planetary-future?admin_panel=1

The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Ecology, edited by Willis Jenkins, Mary Evelyn Tucker, and John Grim, is now available. This volume not only provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the field of religion and ecology by leading scholars, it also relates this field for the first time to the growing area of environmental humanities. The full table of contents can be found at https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Religion-and-Ecology/Jenkins-Tucker-Grim/p/book/9781138789579. Read the introduction by Mary Evelyn and John: http://fore.yale.edu/files/Movement_of_Religion_and_Ecology.pdf We hope you will encourage your institutions to order this book.

On September 12-14, Mary Evelyn and John will be attending a conference at the Wissenschaftsetage in Potsdam, Germany entitled “A Letter From Rome: Laudato Si’ as a Catalyst for Societal Transformation?” It is convened under the auspices of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the Catholic University at Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, and the Federation of German Scientists. For more, visit: http://fore.yale.edu/calendar/item/a-letter-from-rome-laudato-si-as-a-catalyst-for-societal-transformatio/ Also, Mary Evelyn and John have an article on “Integrating Ecology and Justice: The Papal Encyclical” this September in The Quarterly Review of Biology (Vol. 91, No. 3). Read the article here: http://fore.yale.edu/files/Integrating_Ecology_and_Justice.pdf This issue is dedicated to articles on the encyclical with an introduction by Peter Raven.

The Forum on Religion and Ecology has a Facebook page. Please show your support by “liking” us and sharing our page with your Facebook friends. Visit the page here: http://tinyurl.com/hduf35g

Journey of the Universe also has a Facebook page that we invite you to visit: http://tinyurl.com/jb8m9q4 The film is now live on Amazon.com for streaming and downloading, and via Prime as well: http://amzn.to/1PzwXuG For a list of more stores where the Journey project is available, visit: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/buy/

We hope this newsletter supports your own work and helps you further your own engagements with the field of Religion and Ecology.

Take care,
Elizabeth McAnally
California Institute of Integral Studies
Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale
Website Manager & Newsletter Editor
http://fore.yale.edu/
elizabeth.a.mcanally@gmail.com



2. Yale University Online Classes: “Journey of the Universe: A Story for Our Times” (Open to the Public)

In the fall of 2016 Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, Senior Lecturers and Research Scholars at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, will offer four six-week online courses. These will be featured as a specialization under the theme of “Journey of the Universe: A Story for Our Times.” This will include two courses on Journey of the Universe, a course on the Worldview of Thomas Berry, and an integrating capstone on Living Cosmology. Each of these courses can be taken independently.

These are MOOCS (Massive Open Online Courses) available on Coursera to anyone, anywhere on the planet. These will be the first MOOC specialization for Yale and the first MOOCs for the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

See the landing page at Yale announcing the courses:
https://environment.yale.edu/news/article/fes-online-courses-on-cosmology-and-ecology-offered-as-yales-first-mooc-specialization/

See the course descriptions: http://fore.yale.edu/files/Yale-MOOCS.pdf

You may formally register to be a full participant in any of the classes for a fee. This means you will get some feedback. Upon completing all the courses you will receive a certificate of completion.

To enroll in the courses and to read all of the course descriptions, go here: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/journey-of-the-universe

Alternatively you may audit the course free of charge. Go to the individual courses to enroll under audit: www.coursera.org/yale

These courses will be officially launched on September 21, 2016 and will be offered throughout the academic year beginning every 4 weeks.



3. “Care of the Earth and Climate Change” (September 9-10, 2016 in Jamaica, NY, USA)

Conference on Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si and the Wisdom of Thomas Berry

Immaculate Conception Passionist Parish
86-45 Edgerton Blvd
Jamaica, NY, USA

September 9-10, 2016

Friday at 7:30pm: free screening of Journey of the Universe (Parish school auditorium)
Presented by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim

Saturday 9am-4pm: Conference on “Care of the Earth”
Presenters: Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim
Reception and Award Presentation to Mary Evelyn and John by Provincial, V. Rev. Robert Joerger, cp

Registration for Saturday is required.
To register and find further information, contact: sgjdunn@gmail.com
Sponsored by the Passionist Community

Description of events: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/storage/Care_of_the_Earth-description.pdf

Flyer: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/storage/Care_of_the_Earth-flyer.pdf

Directions: http://passionists.creativestand.com/contact-us



4. “Yale Sustainability Leadership Forum” (September 21-23, 2016 in New Haven, CT, USA)

From Environment to Sustainability: Megatrends of the 21st Century

September 21-23, 2016

Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

This September 21-23, Yale University will host the first “Yale Sustainability Leadership Forum”, bringing together perspectives from the United States and across the world, from business, government, NGOs, and academia, to examine the concept of sustainability. In this video, Forum Director Daniel C. Esty explains what participants can expect to take away from the Forum and its impressive faculty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTKuKccytEE

Faculty Director: Daniel C. Esty

Faculty: Gary Brudvig, Marian Chertow, Todd Cort, E. Donald Elliott, Bradford Gentry, Richard Kauffman, Mary Evelyn Tucker

Applications to the Forum are being accepted on a rolling basis and space is filling up quickly.

See the program and schedule:
http://sustainability-forum.yale.edu



5. Journey of the Universe for Secondary School Curriculum (September 30, 2016 in Dobbs Ferry, NY, USA)

The Masters School
49 Clinton Ave
Dobbs Ferry, NY, USA

September 30, 2016 at 9am-3:30pm

Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim will introduce how Journey of the Universe can be incorporated into secondary school curriculum.

This event is complimentary for the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE) member schools, thanks to donations to the Jane Rechtman Memorial Fund. Registration for others is $100.

http://www.csee.org/event/Journey16



6. New Publications

Routledge Handbook on Religion and Ecology
Edited by Willis Jenkins, Mary Evelyn Tucker, and John Grim
Routledge Books, 2016
https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Religion-and-Ecology/Jenkins-Tucker-Grim/p/book/9781138789579
Read the introduction by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim: http://fore.yale.edu/files/Movement_of_Religion_and_Ecology.pdf

The moral values and interpretive systems of religions are crucially involved in how people imagine the challenges of sustainability and how societies mobilize to enhance ecosystem resilience and human well-being. This volume not only provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the field of religion and ecology by leading scholars, it also relates this field for the first time to the growing area of environmental humanities. It encourages both appreciative and critical angles regarding religious traditions, communities, attitude, and practices. It presents contrasting ways of thinking about “religion” and about “ecology” and about ways of connecting the two terms. Written by a team of leading international experts, the Handbook discusses dynamics of change within religious traditions as well as their roles in responding to global challenges such as climate change, water, conservation, food and population. It explores the interpretations of indigenous traditions regarding modern environmental problems drawing on such concepts as lifeway and indigenous knowledge. This volume uniquely intersects the field of religion and ecology with new directions within the humanities and the sciences.

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Coexistentialism and the Unbearable Intimacy of Ecological Emergency
By Sam Mickey
Lexington Books, 2016
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498517652/Coexistentialism-and-the-Unbearable-Intimacy-of-Ecological-Emergency

The philosophy of existentialism is undergoing an ecological renewal, as global warming, mass extinction, and other signs of the planetary scale of human actions are making it glaringly apparent that existence is always ecological coexistence. One of the most urgent problems in the current ecological emergency is that humans cannot bear to face the emergency. Its earth-shattering implications are ignored in favor of more solutions, fixes, and sustainability transitions. Solutions cannot solve much when they cannot face what it means to be human amidst unprecedented uncertainty and intimate interconnectedness. Attention to such uncertainty and interconnectedness is what “ecological existentialism” (Deborah Bird Rose) or “coexistentialism” (Timothy Morton) is all about. This book follows Rose, Morton, and many others (e.g., Jean-Luc Nancy, Peter Sloterdijk, and Luce Irigaray) who are currently taking up the styles of thinking conveyed in existentialism, renewing existentialist affirmations of experience, paradox, uncertainty, and ambiguity, and extending existentialism beyond humans to include attention to the uniqueness and strangeness of all beings—all humans and nonhumans woven into ecological coexistence.

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Becoming Planetary People: Celebrations of Earth, Art, & Spirit
By Jim Conlon
Trowbridge & Tintera LLC, 2016
http://www.becomingplanetarypeople.com/

Becoming Planetary People is the result of deep reflection on the work of Thomas Berry and Teilhard de Chardin and many others who have explored the integration of science, art, and mysticism and the implications for us today. The book extends James Conlon’s decades-long meditation on concepts he developed: geo-justice and an engaged cosmology. Filled with fresh insights and moving poetry, Becoming Planetary People provides a roadmap for the way ahead. Accompanying the book is a series of videos that Jim has produced to help orient newcomers to the messages and values of eco-spirituality. Watch the videos here: http://www.becomingplanetarypeople.com/video-pt-1/

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Ecotheology in the Humanities: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Understanding the Divine and Nature
Edited by Melissa Brotton
Lexington Books, 2016
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498527934/Ecotheology-in-the-Humanities-An-Interdisciplinary-Approach-to-Understanding-the-Divine-and-Nature#

This book is a collection of essays about the interaction between God, humans, and nature in the context of the environmental challenges and Biblical studies. Chapters include topics on creation care and Sabbath, sacramental approaches to earth care, classical and medieval cosmologies, ecotheodicy, how we understand the problem of nonhuman suffering in a world controlled by a good God, ecojustice, and how humans help to alleviate nonhuman suffering. The book seeks to provide a way to understand Judeo-Christian perspectives on human-to-nonhuman interaction through Biblical, literary, cultural, film, and music studies, and as such, offers an interdisciplinary approach with emphasis on the humanities, which provides a broader platform for ecotheology.

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Asian Sacred Natural Sites: Philosophy and Practice in Protected Areas and Conservation
Edited by Bas Verschuuren and Naoya Furuta
Routledge, 2016
https://www.routledge.com/Asian-Sacred-Natural-Sites-Philosophy-and-practice-in-protected-areas/Verschuuren-Furuta/p/book/9781138936317

Nature conservation planning tends to be driven by models based on Western norms and science, but these may not represent the cultural, philosophical and religious contexts of much of Asia. This book provides a new perspective on the topic of sacred natural sites and cultural heritage by linking Asian cultures, religions and worldviews with contemporary conservation practices and approaches. The chapters focus on the modern significance of sacred natural sites in Asian protected areas with reference, where appropriate, to an Asian philosophy of protected areas. Drawn from over 20 different countries, the book covers examples of sacred natural sites from all of IUCN’s protected area categories and governance types. The authors demonstrate the challenges faced to maintain culture and support spiritual and religious governance and management structures in the face of strong modernisation across Asia.

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Nature and Experience: Phenomenology and the Environment
Edited by Bryan Bannon
Rowman & Littlefield International, 2016
http://www.rowmaninternational.com/books/nature-and-experience

What do we mean when we speak about and advocate for ‘nature’? Do inanimate beings possess agency, and if so what is its structure? What role does metaphor play in our understanding of and relation to the environment? How does nature contribute to human well-being? By bringing the concerns and methods of phenomenology to bear on questions such as these, this book seeks to redefine how environmental issues are perceived and discussed and demonstrates the relevance of phenomenological inquiry to a broader audience in environmental studies. The book examines what phenomenology must be like to address the practical and philosophical issues that emerge within environmental philosophy, what practical contributions phenomenology might make to environmental studies and policy making more generally, and the nature of our human relationship with the environment and the best way for us to engage with it.

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Who Stole my Religion?: Revitalizing Judaism and Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet
By Richard H. Schwartz
With Rabbi Yonassan Gershom and Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
KTAV and Urim Publication, 2016 (2nd edition)
http://www.urimpublications.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=UP&Product_Code=WhoStole

“Who Stole My Religion?” is a thought-provoking and timely call to apply Judaism’s powerful teachings to help shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path. While appreciating the radical, transformative nature of Judaism, Richard Schwartz argues that it has been “stolen” by Jews who are in denial about climate change and other environmental threats and support politicians and policies that may be inconsistent with basic Jewish values. Tackling such diverse issues as climate change, world hunger, vegetarianism, poverty, terrorism, destruction of the environment, peace prospects in Israel, and American foreign policy, he offers practical suggestions for getting Judaism back on track as a faith based on justice, peace, and compassion. He urges the reader to reconsider current issues in line with Judaism’s highest values in an effort to meet the pressing challenges of today’s world.



7. Job Openings and Fellowships

Assistant Professor in Religion and Environment
Environmental Studies Program and Department of Religious Studies
University of California (UCSB), Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Application deadline: October 31, 2016
https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/apply/JPF00780

Assistant Professor in Religious Studies
Department of Religious Studies
Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, USA
Specialty: Religion and Ecology/Sustainability
Application deadline: October 15, 2016
https://jobs.scu.edu/postings/4833

Assistant Professor in Religion and Environmental Studies
The Department of Religion and the Department of Environmental Studies
St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, USA
Application deadline: October 1, 2016
https://stolaf.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobID=1192&job=religion-and-environmental-studiestenure-track-2017

Assistant Professor of Religion
Department of Religion
Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA
Specialty: religion and science, religion and the body, or religion and the environment
Application deadline: October 14, 2016
https://jobs.carleton.edu/postings/2875

Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Sustainable Development
The Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Application deadline: November 1, 2016
Fellowships begin in the fall of 2017 and are a 24-month appointment.
www.earth.columbia.edu/fellows



8. Online Course: “Sustainable Development and the Prosperity of Humankind” (September 10 – October 28, 2016)

The Wilmette Institute will offer an online course on Sustainable Development and the Prosperity of Humankind, from September 10 to October 28, 2016.

This course explores the spiritual dimensions of sustainable development. We will learn to perceive the word prosperity from a new perspective, meaning the condition where the basic needs of all the people of the world are being met and where everyone has the opportunity to develop their full potential and is able to contribute to the well-being of humankind. We will discuss the urgent need to make a fundamental transition away from a society and economy that are threatening our planetary security. After looking at the origins and definition of sustainable development, we will study the economic, social, and environmental issues that humanity faces in achieving sustainability and discuss the spiritual principles that can help us find solutions. We will explore the implications of the new Sustainable Development Goals and of Agenda 2030 adopted at the United Nations. Finally, we will look at the importance, for sustainable development, of education reinforced with spiritual values as the basis for helping each of us detach ourselves from Western materialistic civilization; reexamine our present lifestyles; and begin to live more sustainably in accordance with spiritual teachings. The course materials were designed from a Baha’i perspective, but they are interfaith in spirit; people from all faiths will enjoy the spiritual approach to this vital topic.

For more information and to register, visit:

http://www.cvent.com/events/sustainable-development-and-the-prosperity-of-humankind/event-summary-bf18d2ded1854e4d8324455c43f47a9e.aspx



9. Online EcoSattva Training: Practicing with Climate Change (October 16 – December 11, 2016)

Many of us are searching for a way to wisely respond to the growing crises facing our Earth. Dharma communities have a particular role to play in bringing mindfulness and compassion to both motivate and inform our response. We invite you to consider joining this year’s EcoSattva Training, offered by One Earth Sangha. This refreshed offering builds on last year’s training with two new live sessions, the first featuring Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, and updated content from last year’s program. Most importantly, this year’s training provides another opportunity to come together in community to explore how the practices of wisdom and compassion can meet a challenge even as immense as global climate change.

Registration opens September 7 and the first of two live, online sessions takes place on Sunday October 16th from 12:30-2:30 Eastern Time. Let’s continue the conversation about how our community can actively contribute to this awakening.

https://oneearthsangha.org/ecosattva



10. Online M.A. in Integral Ecology from the California Institute of Integral Studies

Several years prior to Pope Francis’s call for an integral ecology in Laudato Si, the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) began offering the first accredited concentration in Integral Ecology at the graduate level. Beginning in 2017, the concentration will be available as an online course of study. The Integral Ecology concentration allows students to study the complex character of the Earth community, the factors that threaten it, and possibilities for a better way forward. Students explore vital links between ecology and other fields including philosophy, religion, psychology, and cosmology, and learn strategies for building a regenerative and ecologically just future among a community of planetary citizens.

To find out more about this unique and timely educational opportunity, explore the program website:

http://www.ciis.edu/academics/graduate-programs/philosophy-cosmology-and-consciousness/pcc-online-masters-degree/integral-ecology-concentration



11. Calls for Papers

Mountains and Sacred Landscapes”
The New School, New York City, NY, USA
April 20-23, 2017
Submission deadline: September 19, 2016 by 5pm EST
http://www.indiachinainstitute.org/2017conference/

Ecology and Religion Unit
American Academy of Religion (AAR) Western Region Conference
Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
March 10-12, 2017
Submission deadline: September 30, 2016
http://fore.yale.edu/calendar/item/aar-western-region-conference/

The Ethics of Fur”
Fourth Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School
St Stephen’s House, Oxford, UK
July 23-26, 2017
Submission deadline: January 1, 2016
http://www.oxfordanimalethics.com/2016/09/call-papers-summer-school-2017/

Nature Strikes Back! Thinking the asymmetry of the Human Relationship to Planet Earth”
Special Issue of Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics
Submission deadline: June 15, 2017
http://fore.yale.edu/files/CFP_Nature_Strikes_Back.pdf



12. Events

“Re-Polishing the Silver Covenant Chain: Building Relationships for the Good of the Earth”
This is the seventh in the series of Ancient Voices - Contemporary Contexts Forums.
Six Nations Polytechnic, Ontario, Canada
September 13-15, 2016
http://fore.yale.edu/calendar/item/re-polishing-the-silver-covenant-chain-building-relationships-for-the-/

Our Sacred Ocean”
American University, Washington DC, USA
September 14, 2016 at 9:00-11:30 am
http://www.greenfaith.org/resource-center/coming-events

Rainer Maria Rilke and the Force of the Storm”
Retreat with Joanna Macy
Garrison Institute, Garrison, NY, USA
September 19-23, 2016
https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/joanna-macy-and-anita-barrows-rainer-maria-rilke-and-the-force-of-the-storm/

Protecting our Common Home: Scientific Contributions & Religious Perspectives”
Presidential Conference on the Integrity of Creation
Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
September 28-30, 2016
http://duq.edu/research/integrity-of-creation

Our Common Home: Reverence for the Earth and for Each Other”
With Mercy By the Sea and The Watershed Partnership
Mercy by the Sea, Madison, CT, USA
October 1, 2016
https://www.mercybythesea.org/CourseCatalog/classView.asp?id=2669

Nature and Joy: A New Defense of the Natural World”
A talk by renowned UK environmental journalist Michael McCarthy
Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (F&ES), Burke Auditorium, Kroon Hall, New Haven, CT, USA
Welcome by Indy Burke (F&ES Dean), introductory remarks by Mary Evelyn Tucker, and a special appearance by Paul Winter
October 4, 2016 at 5:30pm
http://fore.yale.edu/files/Flyer_MothSnowstormYale2016.pdf

Rational animals? Comparing human and animal minds from an interdisciplinary perspective”
Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
October 4-6, 2016
http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/philosophy/rationalanimals/

Religion, Ecology, and Our Planetary Future”
Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, MA, USA
October 14-16, 2016
http://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news/2016/8/29/religion-ecology-and-our-planetary-future?admin_panel=1

Ecological Spirituality and Laudato Si’”
October 29, 2016
Iona College, New Rochelle, NY, USA
http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=7dfebad9f521329c5f304bcbe&id=f96817d8c1&e=8ef2cb6901

International Conference on Building Human Resilience for Climate Change”
The Capital View Conference Center, Washington D.C., USA
This conference includes a special session on how communities of faith can build personal and psychosocial resilience.
November 3-4, 2016
http://www.theresourceinnovationgroup.org/building-human-resilience/



13. Webinar: “Laudato Si’: A Framework for Climate Justice”

On July 25, 2016, the Catholic Climate Covenant hosted a webinar on “Laudato Si’: A Framework for Climate Justice,” focusing on how climate change impacts the most vulnerable – the poor, the elderly, children, and people of color. In this webinar, Dr. Sylvia Hood Washington, noted environmental scientist and member of the Illinois Environmental Justice Commission, speaks about how climate change is an issue of justice and protection of life. Dr. Hood Washington is joined by Katelyn Roedner Sutter, and Edgar Garibay from the Environmental Justice Program at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Stockton. They talk about the impacts of poor air quality and climate change in the fields and towns along the vast San Joaquin Valley of central California.

Watch the webinar and see the powerpoint:

http://www.catholicclimatecovenant.org/resource/register-now-laudato-si-a-framework-for-climate-justice



14. Video: “A Creator God and a Sense of Place: A Jewish Ecotheology” (by Ellen Bernstein)

Ellen Bernstein, a Rabbi and Ecologist, is the founder of the first national Jewish environmental organization, Shomrei Adamah (Keepers of the Earth). On July 27, 2016, she gave a presentation at Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY, outlining the necessity for balance between Man and Earth, and God’s oneness which connects them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGe49y3dy6Q



15. Free Articles on Religion and the Environment by Oxford University Journals

Since the beginning of time, religion and the environment have been two subjects that have continually crossed paths. Each year, Christians wave palm leaves to commemorate Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. Still many turn to natural environments for a place of prayer and solace. Religious leaders have even taken varying stances on environmental policies. Enjoy the collection of articles below exploring the complex historical relationship of religion and the environment.

• “The Natural Environment as a Spiritual Resource: A Theory of Regional Variation in Religious Adherence” (Sociology of Religion)

• “Responding to Religious Oppositions to Environmentalism” (Journal of Church and State)

• “The Haunted Grid: Nature, Electricity, and Indian Spirits in the American Metaphysical Tradition” (Journal of the American Academy of Religion)

• “Science, Nature, and Christianity” (The Journal of Theological Studies)

• “Planting Eucalyptus Trees in the New Settlements in Nineteenth- to Twentieth-Century Palestine as Reflected in Rabbinic Documents” (Modern Judaism: A Journal of Jewish Ideas and Experience)

• “‘Natural Supernaturalism?’ The Tagore–Gandhi Debate on the Bihar Earthquake” (Journal of Hindu Studies)

These articles are freely available until December 31, 2016.

http://oxfordjournals.org/en/our-journals/arts-and-humanities/religion-and-environment.html



16. New Syllabus: “Religion and Ecology” (with Hava Tirosh-Samuelson)

Course with Hava Tirosh-Samuelson
Arizona State University
Fall 2016

View the syllabus here:
http://fore.yale.edu/files/Tirosh-Samuelson_Religion-and-Ecology.pdf

For more syllabi related to religion and ecology, visit:
http://fore.yale.edu/education/resources/syllabi/



17. Sustainability and Christianity

This project brings together tenets of the largest religion of the world—Christianity—and the powerful contemporary paradigm of sustainability to envision and create a better future. The collection of essays examines the environmental, social, and economic reality, inequity, and injustice of the world today. The essays include scripture that gives readers a clear understanding of where God, the prophets, the Psalmists, Jesus Christ, and the apostles stand on the threats to the sustainability of people and planet that plague our word today. The essays contain practical suggestions for daily living to create a more sustainable world and prayers to address contemporary concerns. The collection of essays highlights approaches to Christianity that are based on the Bible and eco-social justice. The site is designed to be a resource for individuals and congregations.

http://www.sustainabilityandchristianity.org/



18. Intercreate

Intercreate is a project-based organisation consisting of an international network of people interested in art, science, culture and technology. Our motto is developing the culture to create a sustainable civilisation. We live in a world where the human connection to the environment is having a strong negative impact, particularly for the generations that follow. At Intercreate we believe an important part of resolving the problems around the human relationship with the environment, is to involve indigenous groups in all discussions of the environment. Consequently we are working with partners to ensure this is a component of our major projects. Our projects and residencies have a strong focus on environment, regionally, nationally and internationally. Intercreate Trust was formed in 2007 and is a registered charitable entity as specified by the New Zealand Charities Act 2005. The organisation arose from the Solar Circuit Aotearoa New Zealand (SCANZ) residency in 2006. SCANZ aims to integrate art, science, culture, technology and indigenous awareness.

http://www.intercreate.org/



19. Ecology and Justice Series on Integral Ecology (Orbis Books)

Published by Orbis Books, the Ecology and Justice Series on Integral Ecology seeks to integrate an understanding of Earth’s interconnected life systems with sustainable social, political, and economic systems that enhance the Earth community. To see the flyer for this Orbis series, visit: http://thomasberry.org/assets/uploads/Orbis_Ecology_and_Justice_3-24-16.pdf

This month we are featuring the following book from this series:

Earth Community, Earth Ethics
By Larry Rasmussen
Orbis Books, 1996
http://www.orbisbooks.com/earth-community-earth-ethics.html

Earth Community, Earth Ethics provides a comprehensive approach to issues of social cohesion and ecological concern, synthesizing insights from religion, ethics, and environmental sciences in a single vision for creating a sustainable community of the Earth. With a primary focus on environmental ethics, this book brings together insights from diverse sources on the state of the environment–and on what can be done, now, to halt the degradation of life. For all those concerned with the future of the earth, Earth Community, Earth Ethics offers a deeply nuanced and brilliantly illuminating vision of where we are now, and where we must go from here.



20. 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/15685357/20/2

Table of Contents for Volume 20, Issue 2 (2016)

• In Search of an Authentic Pax Gaia (Simon Appolloni and Christopher Hrynkow)
• Catholics and Climate Change Skepticism (Lynn Vincentnathan, S. Georg Vincentnathan, and Nicholas Smith)
• Eco-theological Responses to Climate Change in Oceania (Cecilie Rubow and Cliff Bird)
• Reading Nature Religiously (Nancy Menning)
• Engaged Buddhist Practice and Ecological Ethics (Charles Strain)
• Book Review: Naturethik und biblische Schöpfungserzählung: Ein diskurstheoretischer und narrativ-hermeneutischer Brückenschlag, written by Christof Hardmeier and Konrad Ott (Review by Sigurd Bergmann)



For the archive of previous Forum newsletters, visit:
http://fore.yale.edu/publications/newsletters/

To download this newsletter as a PDF, visit:
http://fore.research.yale.edu/files/September_2016_Newsletter.pdf



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