Here you'll find all of the videos in Season 2 (2021-2022) of our weekly video/podcast series, FORE Spotlights.
You can also view all of the videos on our YouTube channel.
Or go here to listen to these episodes as audio podcasts.
You'll find Season 1, here.
Spotlights Remix ~ Episode 2.1, Year in Review, with Sam Mickey
Welcome to a new season of Spotlights. This podcast began around a year ago, and since we’re starting our second year, this episode features our host, Sam Mickey, reflecting on the year and looking ahead toward the year to come. He talks about the aim, scope, and themes of the podcast, while also inviting suggestions and recommendations for any new developments or potential interviewees. He also mentions the Religion and Ecology Early-Career Scholar (REECS) reading group, which was launched on episode 17, featuring Russell Powell and Timothy Grieve-Carlson. For anyone interested in participating in that ongoing group, details can be found in the original episode here: https://youtu.be/_TQWikM9d5M Thanks to everyone for participating in this podcast as guests or audience members so far. If you would like to listen to this podcast instead of viewing it, we are available on all major podcast hosts (Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, etc.). Details are available here: https://fore.buzzsprout.com/
Spotlights ~ Episode 2.2, Matthew Segall, California Institute of Integral Studies
This episode of Spotlights features Matthew David Segall, PhD, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He discusses his new book, Physics of the World-Soul: Alfred North Whitehead’s Adventure in Cosmology (SacraSage Press, 2021), describing the context and key concepts of Whitehead's process philosophy. We reflect on Whiteheadian contributions to debates on a variety of topics, including panpsychism, panentheism, environmental ethics, dialogue between science and religion, and the future of philosophy. You can find the book by going to the publisher's website: https://sacrasagepress.com/product/ph… More information about the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at CIIS can be found here: https://www.ciis.edu/academics/gradua… You can learn more about Dr. Segall's work by visiting his blog, Footnotes2Plato: https://footnotes2plato.com
Spotlights ~ Episode 2.3, Worldly Divinity with Matthew David Segall
This is a clip from the episode of Spotlights featuring Matthew David Segall, PhD, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Reflecting on his new book, Physics of the World-Soul: Alfred North Whitehead’s Adventure in Cosmology (SacraSage Press, 2021), he describes the role of worldly divinity in Whitehead’s cosmology. To watch the full episode, go here: https://youtu.be/TZ31AX8kR4s Or listen (audio-only) here: https://fore.buzzsprout.com/1269704/9…
Spotlights ~ Episode 2.4, Norman Wirzba, Duke University
This week’s episode of the Forum on Religion and Ecology podcast features Norman Wirzba, PhD, the Gilbert T. Rowe Distinguished Professor of Theology at Duke University, and Senior Fellow at Duke’s Kenan Institute for Ethics. He discusses his new book, This Sacred Life: Humanity’s Place in a Wounded World (Cambridge University Press, 2021), which gives a deep philosophical and religious articulation of humanity’s identity and vocation by rooting people in a symbiotic, meshwork world that is saturated with sacred gifts. We reflect on numerous topics, including the Anthropocene, transhumanism, food, faith, farming, creativity, and much more. You can learn more about his work here: https://normanwirzba.com/ More information about the book can be found on the publisher’s website: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/…
Spotlights ~ Episode 2.5, The Rooted Life, with Norman Wirzba
This week's episode of Spotlights is a clip from our interview with Norman Wirzba, PhD, the Gilbert T. Rowe Distinguished Professor of Theology at Duke University, and Senior Fellow at Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics. He talks about a life of rootedness and the limits of what is “enough,” reflecting on his new book, This Sacred Life: Humanity's Place in a Wounded World (Cambridge University Press, 2021). You can learn more about his work here: https://normanwirzba.com/ More information about the book can be found on the publisher's website: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/… Details for the full episode are here: https://youtu.be/3tIdXNdLG8s
Spotlights ~ Episode 2.6, Mirei Takashima Claremon, Behavioral Sustainability
This week, the Spotlights podcast welcomes Dr. Mirei Takashima Claremon, a global citizen, behavioral scientist, and cross-cultural consumer insights expert based in Los Angeles. She discusses her work leading the Behavioral Sustainability movement, reflecting on the limits of analytical thinking and the importance of holistic and cross-cultural perspectives. She also talks about the important role that Shintoism and Buddhism play in her thinking. You can learn more about her work here: https://www.behavioralsustainability.org She blogs regularly here: https://drmireitc.medium.com/ You can connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mireitc-phd/
Spotlights Clips ~ Episode 2.7, Shinto and Buddhist Ecologies with Mirei Takashima Claremon
This week's episode of Spotlights is a clip from our interview with Dr. Mirei Takashima Claremon, a global citizen, behavioral scientist, and cross-cultural consumer insights expert based in Los Angeles. In this part of the interview, she reflects on the ways that Shinto and Buddhist values and animistic sensibilities shape Japanese culture and behaviors toward the environment. For more details about her work, go to the full episode here: https://youtu.be/RhubJW3hUYE
Spotlights Episode 2.8 ~ Art, Ecology, and Spirituality, with Nicole Dixon
This week's episode of Spotlights features the artist and educator, Nicole Dixon. Nicole uses art as an interactive medium, and vehicle for self-transformation, community bridge-building, and positive social change. She talks about the ways her work engages with intersections between race, culture, politics, ecology, and spirituality. As she says in the artist statement for Transcendent Iconography, “There is always something unseen: a life force in natural objects- charcoal, paper, feathers, wood in a technological age, an ancient human need for ritual and spiritual purpose in a secular society, a power in those who are most marginalized by institutional oppressions.” You can learn more about her work here: https://nicoledixon.carbonmade.com/
Spotlights Clips 2.9 ~ Lessons from Nature, with Nicole Dixon
This week's episode of Spotlights is a clip from last week’s episode, featuring the artist and educator, Nicole Dixon. In this clip, she talks about lessons that can be learned through attention to nature, specifically the nonjudgmental growth and resilience that redwoods teach us. You can watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/fK89q7EV8oE You can listen to the full episode on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or other places where podcasts are streamed. Links are available here: https://fore.buzzsprout.com/1269704/9… You can learn more about Nicole's work here: https://nicoledixon.carbonmade.com/
Spotlights Episode 2.10 ~ Mallory McDuff, Warren Wilson College
This week's episode of Spotlights features Mallory McDuff, PhD. She writes and teaches environmental education just outside of Asheville, North Carolina, at Warren Wilson College, a liberal arts school that integrates academics with work and community engagement. She's written many books, articles, and essays that examine the intersection of people and places for a better world. Weaving together personal stories and academic research, she talks about her latest book, Our Last Best Act: Planning for the End of Our Lives to Protect the People and Places We Love (Broadleaf Books, 2021). The music at the introduction and conclusion of the episode comes from a song discussed in the book. It's called “You Carry My Love,” by Elizabeth Teague. You can find more information about the book on the publisher's website: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/… You can learn more about Mallory McDuff on her personal website: https://mallorymcduff.com/
Spotlights Clips 2.11 ~ Dialogue about Death with Mallory McDuff
This is a clip from the episode of Spotlights featuring the writer and educator, Mallory McDuff, PhD, a teacher and writer at Warren Wilson College. She discusses the importance of talking about death, reflecting on her latest book, Our Last Best Act: Planning for the End of Our Lives to Protect the People and Places We Love (Broadleaf Books, 2021). The music at the introduction and conclusion of the clip comes from the song “You Carry My Love,” by Elizabeth Teague. You can find more information about the book on the publisher's website: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/… You can watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/TFzsR2Dvgqg
Spotlights Clips 2.12 ~ A New EcoJustice Hub from the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
This week’s episode of Spotlights features a new hub for Eco-Justice research and advocacy at the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology: https://fore.yale.edu/Ecojustice Our guests are the four people comprising the team that put these resources together, including the following: Tara C. Trapani, a graduate of Yale Divinity School (MAR ‘07) and the Chief Administrator of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology as well as the Coordinator for the Journey of the Universe multimedia project; Liz Burkemper, a Missourian and second year Master of Arts in Religion student at Yale Divinity School, concentrating in Religion and Ecology with interests in ecopoetry and sacred multispecies worlds; Eun Young Choi, a second-year Master of Arts in Religion candidate at Yale Divinity School, concentrating in Religion and Ecology; and Leah Snavely, a recent graduate of Yale Divinity School, where she focused her studies in religion and ecology on ecological ethics, forestry, and religion and ecology in Latin America.
Spotlights Clips 2.13 ~ What is Ecojustice?
This week, Spotlights features a clip from our episode about the new Ecojustice hub at the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, with Tara C. Trapani, Liz Burkemper, Eun Young Choi, and Leah Snavely. You can find the ecojustice hub here: https://fore.yale.edu/Ecojustice Details for the full episode are available here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/163…
Spotlights Clips 2.14 ~ Researching Ecojustice at the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
This week on Spotlights, we feature another clip from our episode about the new Ecojustice hub at the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, with Tara C. Trapani, Liz Burkemper, Eun Young Choi, and Leah Snavely. You can find the ecojustice hub here: https://fore.yale.edu/Ecojustice Details for the full episode are available here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/163…
Spotlights Episode 2.15 ~ Freedom and the Future with Sam Mickey & Mirei Takashima Claremon
This episode of Spotlights features is an audio excerpt from a conversation between Sam Mickey and Mirei Takashima Claremon. They discuss the the meaning of freedom and its relevance to contemporary social and environmental issues, concluding with some speculation about what a a transition to a more sustainable and just world might look like. For more information about Mirei's work, you can find the episode she did for the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology podcast here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/163…
Spotlights Episode 2.16 ~ Dr. Pankaj Jain, FLAME University
This week's episode of Spotlights features Pankaj Jain, PhD, an internationally recognized academic leader in sustainability, Jain studies, film studies, and diaspora studies. He is the Head of the Department of Humanities & Languages and Chair of The India Centre at FLAME University. We discuss connections between dharma and ecology in Hinduism and Jainism, with particular attention to three books by Dr. Jain, Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability (Routledge, 2011), Science and Socio-Religious Revolution in India: Moving the Mountains (Routledge, 2016), and Dharma in America: A Short History of Hindu-Jain Diaspora (Routledge, 2019). He tweets at @ProfPankajJain, and his podcast #DiscoverIndia is on Spotify, Apple, Google, YouTube, Gaana, and other platforms. You can also find more information at his faculty website: https://www.flame.edu.in/faculty/pank…
Spotlights Clips 2.17 ~ Animals in India with Dr. Pankaj Jain
This week, Spotlights features a clip from our episode with Dr. Pankaj Jain, Head of the Department of Humanities & Languages and Chair of The India Centre at FLAME University. We talk about the place of animals in Indian religion, culture, and ecology, including questions about vegetarianism, veganism, agriculture, and animal sanctuaries. Details for the full episode are available here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/164…
Spotlights Episode 2.18 ~ Art, Nature, and Society with Johnna Arnold
This week's episode of Spotlights features Johnna Arnold, an artist, photographer, educator, and urban farmer based in Oakland, CA. Her work revolves around human beings, the environments we build, and the ways these systems affect our lives. She discusses her personal and professional journey toward the intersection of art and ecology, including a body of photographic prints that work with used motor oil, expressing the dynamics of the Capitalocene. It is extra special to have her on the podcast, since many of our videos (including this one) have a print of her artwork hanging in the background, with the phrase “Interconnections Abound.” You can learn more about her work on her website, https://www.johnnaarnold.com
Spotlights Clips 2.19 ~ Expanding Space with Johnna Arnold
This week, Spotlights features a clip from our episode with Johnna Arnold, an artist, photographer, educator, and urban farmer based in Oakland, CA. In this clip, she discusses her meditation-based participatory art project, Expanding Space, which is currently on exhibit as part of Creative Attention: Art and Community Restoration at the Palo Alto Art Center, in Palo Alto, California. You can learn more about the Expanding Space Project here: https://www.johnnaarnold.com/expandin… Information about the exhibition at the Palo Alto Art center is here: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Depart… Details for the full episode can be found here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/164…
Spotlights Episode 2.20 ~ Integral Ecology with Sam Mickey
In this week’s episodes of Spotlights, our host Sam Mickey discusses some of his work in the field of religion and ecology. While we normally put the spotlight on other academics, activists, and artists, some people have asked to hear more about the host’s perspective on things, so in this episode Sam discusses one of his books, On the Verge of a Planetary Civilization: A Philosophy of Integral Ecology. Published in 2014, the questions and problems that book engages are still relevant to today’s theoretical and practical challenges for living peacefully and sustainably on Earth. You can find more information about the book on the publisher’s website: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781783481378…
Spotlights Episode 2.21 ~ Buddhism and Place with Aaron Weiss PhD
This week's episode of Spotlights features Aaron Weiss, PhD, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, CA. He talks about Tibetan Buddhism and philosophical perspectives on place, particularly in light of his recently defended dissertation, Buddhist Topology and the Practice of Lama Orgyan Khandro Norlha. Along the way, he also discusses questions of translation, cultural appropriation, and the complex challenges facing scholar-practitioners of Buddhism. More resources for studying the intersection of Buddhism and ecology can be found on the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology website: https://fore.yale.edu/World-Religions…
Spotlights Episode 2.22 ~ Faith and Environmental Education, with Madeline Stevens
This week’s episode of Spotlights features Madeline Stevens, a graduate student in the Environmental Studies program at the University of Montana. She talks about the interdisciplinary work being done in her program as well as her personal and professional engagement with the intersection of religion and the environment, including the thesis she is completing on the relationship between faith and environmental education. We talk about the relationship between science and religion, Evangelical Christianity, curriculum development, personal transformation, and more.
Spotlights Clips 2.23 ~ Limits and Enough with Norman Wirzba
This week's episode of Spotlights is a clip from our interview with Norman Wirzba, PhD, the Gilbert T. Rowe Distinguished Professor of Theology at Duke University, and Senior Fellow at Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics. He reflects on the problematic assumptions of transhumanism and the importance of discerning the appropriate limits of technological and economic development. Details for the full episode are here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/163…
Spotlights Clips 2.24 ~ The Portabillity of Buddhism, with Aaron Weiss
This is a clip from our episode featuring Aaron Weiss, PhD, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, CA. He discusses the portability of Buddhism across cultures, as it has moved across landscapes and communities since its inception in ancient India. Important questions of cultural diffusion and cultural appropriation comes up along the way. Details for the full episode are here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/164…
Spotlights Episode 2.25 ~ The Spirit of Soul Food, with Christopher Carter
This week’s episode of spotlights features Rev. Dr. Christopher Carter, an Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego and a commissioned Elder within the United Methodist Church. Reflecting on his new book, The Spirit of Soul Food: Race, Faith, & Food Justice (University of Illinois Press, 2021), he discusses the profound importance of subverting industrial agriculture and creating food sovereign communities. He talks about soul food, the history of agriculture in the United States, the Transatlantic slave trade, the religious and cultural dimensions of food, and questions of vegetarianism and veganism. You can find more information about his work at his personal website: https://www.drchristophercarter.com/ More information about his book can be found at the publisher’s website: https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books…
Spotlights Clips 2.26 ~ Black Veganism, with Rev. Dr. Christopher Carter
This week, Spotlights features a clip from our episode with Rev. Dr. Christopher Carter, Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego and a commissioned Elder within the United Methodist Church. In this clip, he discusses his notion of Black veganism, particularly in light of his new book, The Spirit of Soul Food: Race, Faith, & Food Justice (University of Illinois Press, 2021). Details for the full episode can be found here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/164…
Spotlights Clips 2.27 ~ Decolonial Thinking, with Rev. Dr. Christopher Carter
This week, Spotlights features a clip from our episode with Rev. Dr. Christopher Carter, Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego and a commissioned Elder within the United Methodist Church. In this clip, he discusses the challenge of decolonizing knowledge, particularly in light of his new book, The Spirit of Soul Food: Race, Faith, & Food Justice (University of Illinois Press, 2021). Details for the full episode can be found here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/164…
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Spotlights Episode 2.28 ~ Religion, Ecology, and Cosmology with Samuel King
This week's episode of Spotlights features Samuel King, a Research Associate for the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology and a graduate student in Religion and Ecology at Yale Divinity School. Sam discusses many facets of his work, including his experience teaching courses in philosophy, religion, and interdisciplinary humanities, his creative writing practice, and his time studying environmental practices in Sri Lanka and India. He also talks about his work with the Journey of the Universe project, including a podcast reflecting on developments in the last ten years since the film and book were released, “JOTU: 10 Years Later.” He also elaborates on his contributions to the development of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in Religion and Ecology. Details about the Religion and Ecology MOOCs can be found here: https://fore.yale.edu/Resources/Yale-… Go here for a playlist of episodes from “JOTU: 10 Years Later Podcast”: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…
Spotlights Clips 2.29 ~ Religion and Ecology MOOCs, with Samuel King
This week, Spotlights features a clip from our episode with Samuel King, a Research Associate for the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology and a graduate student in Religion and Ecology at Yale Divinity School. In this clip, Sam discusses a newly developed resource: a series of MOOCs (massive, open, online courses) oriented around the study of religion and ecology across the world's diverse traditions. Details for the full episode are here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/164… Details about the Religion and Ecology MOOCs can be found here: https://fore.yale.edu/Resources/Yale-…
Spotlights Episode 2.30 ~ Ecology, Philosophy, and Spiritual Practice, with Dr. Simone Kotva
This week’s episode of Spotlights features Simone Kotva, PhD, a research fellow in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Oslo, and an affiliated lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge. Dr. Kotva is also part of a multidisciplinary research project on the Nordic Anthropocene, ECODISTURB, and she is the author of Effort and Grace: On the Spiritual Exercise of Philosophy (Bloomsbury, 2020). She discusses mysticism, magic, contemplation, the more-than-human dimension of spiritual practice, and many other facets of her work at the intersection of philosophy, theology and ecological thought.
Details for the full episode are here.
Spotlights Clips, 2.31, Magic and Ecology, with Simone Kotva, PhD
This week, Spotlights features a clip from our episode with Simone Kotva, PhD, a research fellow in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Oslo, and an affiliated lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge. In this clip, she discusses the relationship between magic and ecology, particularly in light of the ways that the practice of magic is oriented toward skillful communication with the more-than-human world. Details for the full episode are here.
Spotlights Episode, 2.32, Dan Smyer Yu, PhD, Yunnan University/University of Cologne
This week's episode of Spotlights features Dan Smyer Yü, PhD, the Kuige Professor of Ethnology in the School of Ethnology and Sociology at Yunnan University and a Global Faculty Member at the University of Cologne. He discusses his multifaceted, interdisciplinary work with religion and ecology, including his work with trans-Himalayan studies, Buddhism and ecology, ecological indigeneity, commoning, and the role of affect in responding to climate change. Along the way, he talks about some of his books, like Mindscaping the Landscape of Tibet: Place, Memorability, Eco-aesthetics (De Gruyter 2015) as well as some of his co-edited volumes, including Religion and Ecological Sustainability in China (Routledge 2014), Trans-Himalayan Borderlands: Livelihoods, Territorialities, Modernities (Amsterdam University Press 2017), and Environmental Humanities in the New Himalayas: Symbiotic Indigeneity, Commoning, Sustainability (Routledge 2021).
Spotlights Clips, 2.33, Trans-Himalayan Studies with Dan Smyer Yu
This week, Spotlights features a clip from our episode with Dan Smyer Yü, PhD, Kuige Professor of Ethnology in the School of Ethnology and Sociology at Yunnan University and a Global Faculty Member at the University of Cologne. He discusses his groundbreaking work in trans-Himalayan studies, exploring the ways religion and ecology intersect in the mountains, valleys, plains, and rivers of regions in and around the Himalayas. Details for the full episode are here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/165…
Spotlights Episodes, 2.34, Huda Alkaff, Wisconsin Green Muslims
This week's episode of Spotlights features Huda Alkaff, an ecologist and environmental educator. She discusses her work as the Founder and Director of Wisconsin Green Muslims, a grassroots group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin formed in 2005 to connect faith, environmental justice, and sustainability through education and service. She talks about ecological values expressed in the Quran and Hadith, the cosmological orientation of Islamic practice, the importance of interfaith collaboration, solar energy development, protecting freshwater resources, and much more. More information about Wisconsin Green Muslims is available here: https://wisconsingreenmuslims.org/ More resources about the intersection of Islam and ecology are available on the Forum on Religion and Ecology website: https://fore.yale.edu/World-Religions…
Spotlights Clips, 2.35, Ecology in Islam with Huda Alkaff
This is a clip from the episode of Spotlights featuring Huda Alkaff, the Founder and Director of Wisconsin Green Muslims, a grassroots group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin formed in 2005 to connect faith, environmental justice, and sustainability through education and service. In this clip, she talks about the cosmological and ecological orientation of Islam, particularly as expressed in the Quran and Hadith. Details for the full episode are here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/165…
Spotlights 2.36, In Memoriam, Rosemary Radford Ruether
This week's episode of Spotlights is a short tribute to the memory of Rosemary Radford Ruether, who passed away on May 21, 2022, at the age of 85. She's a scholar of feminism and a Catholic theologian, well-known for her foundational work in feminist theology, including important work with ecofeminism and the field of religion and ecology. Obituaries and tributes are continuing to come out. Some noteworthy ones are listed below. National Catholic Reporter: https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinio… NPR: https://www.npr.org/2022/05/22/110059… A Tribute by Mary Hunt: https://www.ncronline.org/news/people…
Spotlights 2.37, Ellen Bernstein: Rabbi, Author, and Ecotheologian
This week’s episode of Spotlights features Rabbi Ellen Bernstein, a leader and pioneer in the field of religion and ecology. She discusses her work with Shomrei Adamah, Keepers of the Earth, the first national Jewish environmental organization, which she founded in 1988. She also talks about some of her work as an author and ecotheologian, focusing on the intersection of Judaism, Bible and ecology, including her ecotheology of Genesis 1 in The Splendor of Creation (2006), her ecologically centered Passover Haggadah in The Promise of the Land (2019), her ecological interpretation of the idea of dominion, her ecological guide for the Jewish New Year of the Trees (Tu B’Shvat) (1988), and more. You can learn more about her work on her website: http://www.ellenbernstein.org/
Spotlights Clips 2.38, Ecology in Genesis 1 with Ellen Bernstein
This clip is an excerpt of the Spotlights episode featuring Rabbi Ellen Bernstein. In this clip, she discusses her ecological interpretation of the Bible, specifically the ecological implications of the first chapter of the book of Genesis. She wrote a wonderful book on the topic, The Splendor of Creation: A Biblical Ecology (Pilgrim Press). More information about the book can be found on the publisher's website: https://www.thepilgrimpress.com/produ… Details for the full episode are available here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/165…
Spotlights Episode 2.39, Father's Day Reflections
In this week's episode of Spotlights, our host Sam Mickey presents some brief reflections on Father's Day, which is celebrated in North America and many other places on the third Sunday of June. Along with giving some historical context about the meaning of Father's Day, Sam gives some personal reflections about the important role that his father (Robert Mickey) had and continues to have on his lifelong interests in religion and in the natural world.
Spotlights Clips 2.40, Shomreh Adamah (Keepers of the Earth), with Rabbi Ellen Bernstein
This clip is an excerpt of the Spotlights episode featuring Rabbi Ellen Bernstein. In this clip, she discusses her work with Shomrei Adamah (Keepers of the Earth), the first national Jewish environmental organization, which she founded in 1988. While Shomrei Adamah, the organization, closed in 1996, it touched the hearts and minds of tens of thousands of people, and its message continues to reverberate through its books and educational materials, and through the work of a new generation of Jewish educators, naturalists, environmentalists, farmers and artists. The Shomrei Adamah leadership believed that holiday celebrations, and in particular, Tu B'Shvat, the Jewish New Year for the trees, could provide opportunities for educating and organizing masses of people to care for the earth. More information about Shomrei Adamah can be found here: http://www.ellenbernstein.org/shomrei… Details for the full episode are available here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/165…
Spotlights Episode 2.41, Thomas Berry and the Great Work
In this week's episode of Spotlights, Sam Mickey talks about the life and thought of a deeply influential figure in the field and force of religion and ecology, Thomas Berry (1914-2009). Sam draws on the book about Berry's life and thought, Thomas Berry: A Biography, by Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, and Andrew Angyal (Columbia University Press, 2019), and he concludes with a reading from one of Berry's books, The Great Work (Bell Tower, 1999), ending with the following quotation: “We are not lacking in the dynamic forces needed to create the future. We live immersed in a sea of energy beyond all comprehension. But this energy, in an ultimate sense, is ours not by domination but by invocation.” (Thomas Berry, “The Dynamics of the Future,” in The Great Work, 175). You can find more information about these and other publications by and about Thomas Berry at: https://thomasberry.org/category/publ…
Spotlights Episode 2.42, Jason Wirth on Philosophy, Zen, and Ecology
This episode of Spotlights features Jason Wirth, PhD, professor of philosophy at Seattle University, Soto Zen priest, and the founder and co-director of the Seattle University EcoSangha (www.ecosangha.net). We talk about his capacious engagements with Continental philosophy, Buddhism, ecological thought, indigenous lifeways, and more. We discuss some of his books, including Nietzsche and Other Buddhas: Philosophy after Comparative Philosophy (Indiana 2019), Mountains, Rivers, and the Great Earth: Reading Gary Snyder and Dōgen in an Age of Ecological Crisis (SUNY 2017), and Schelling’s Practice of the Wild (SUNY 2015). Incidentally, our conversation took place on a US National Holiday, July 4 (Independence Day), so our conversation naturally includes some political reflections, touching on topics of democracy, freedom, anarchy, and deep social ecology.
Spotlights Clips 2.43, Deep Social Ecology with Jason Wirth
This is a clip from the episode of Spotlights featuring Jason Wirth, PhD, professor of philosophy at Seattle University, Soto Zen priest, and the founder and co-director of the Seattle University EcoSangha (www.ecosangha.net). He discusses his idea of “deep social ecology,” which integrates the insights of two ecological philosophies often considered to be in opposition to one another: deep ecology and social ecology. You can learn more about it be reading his article, “Deep Social Ecology,” in The Trumpeter 37.1 (2021): https://trumpeter.athabascau.ca/index… You can find the full episode here: https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/165…
Spotlights Episodes 2.44, The End of Season II
In this episode of Spotlights, Sam reflects on the another successful season of podcast interviews for the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology. We have released nearly 100 episodes, featuring a wide variety of scholars, activists, and artists who engage with the sort of issues addressed by the field and force of religion and ecology. We'll take a short break from new episodes for a few weeks, and we'll be back with more interviews and conversations toward the end of August. In the meantime, we hope that you are abiding in what Wendell Berry calls “the peace of wild things.”