Other R&E Scholars & Organizations
Moderator: Christopher Freimuth ’25 M.Div., Conference Co-chair; Speakers: Steve Kanji Ruhl, Zen Buddhist minister, poet, journalist and memoirist; Jason Rubenstein Rabin, Rabbi and chaplain at Yale University; Stephanie Johnson, Episcopal priest grid chair of the churchwide Task Force on Care of Creation and Environmental Racism; Abdul-Rehman Malik, research scholar and Director of the Muslim Leadership Lab at Yale.
Moderator: Christopher Freimuth ’25 M.Div., Conference Co-chair; Speakers: Steve Kanji Ruhl, Zen Buddhist minister, poet, journalist and memoirist; Jason Rubenstein Rabin, Rabbi and chaplain at Yale University; Stephanie Johnson, Episcopal priest grid chair of the churchwide Task Force on Care of Creation and Environmental Racism; Abdul-Rehman Malik, research scholar and Director of the Muslim Leadership Lab at Yale. This event took place on March 3, 2023.
Heather Eaton speaks as a featured speaker of the Saint Louis Climate Summit on “Religious Perspectives and Moral Obligations.” This event took place on April 24, 2018.
Lecture by Paul Waldau to faculty and graduate students of Canisius College's Anthrozoology graduate program describing forthcoming book “The Animal Invitation – Science, Ethics, Religion and Law in a More-than-Human World.”
Water is a precious, vital element connecting all living beings on Earth. Yet many of us often take water for granted, forgetting the tremendous importance this common element holds for our own survival and for the continuation of life on Earth. The dominant modern mindset views water as a mere resource and commodity. This view is part and parcel of the exploitation, pollution, and privatization of water. In an attempt to counter this dominating mindset, I explore an “integral water ethic” as a crucial component in the urgent task of cultivating mutually enhancing relations between humans and our Earth community, what the cultural historian Thomas Berry calls “the Great Work.” As opposed to the commoditized construct of water as lifeless matter that must be controlled and manipulated for maximum profit, an integral water ethic recovers the individual and community experience of water as an active agent, a teacher and guide, a vital, intrinsically valuable member of our Earth community. This presentation explores various contemplative practices that can contribute to an integral water ethic by cultivating a deeper sense of intimacy and empathy with water and the Earth community, thus leading to more compassionate and engaged responses to water crises. These practices share the theme of mindfulness and are inspired by taiji walking meditation, as well as Buddhist meditation and compassion practices. Through the cultivation of love and compassion for water, humans are better able to see water as more than a mere resource and commodity, but as a loving and compassionate member of the Earth community who nourishes all beings. This talk took place on March 10, 2017.
In this lecture, Norman Wirzba, professor of theology and ecology at Duke University, discusses why theological education needs ecological wisdom. He explores the importance of caring for the world and explains why it is crucial to recover the doctrine of creation. He notes that theological education has the potential to help students see everyone and every place as the material expressions of God’s love. This talk took place on April 14, 2015.
Paul Waldau, Canisius College, discusses religion, ethics, and animals with Mary Evelyn Tucker of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology. Waldau reflects on the 1996 Harvard conference on animals and religion and the book that arose from the conference, A Communion of Subjects: Animals in Religion, Science, and Ethics (edited by Waldau and Kimberley Patton). He also addresses the Great Apes Project and his Harvard course on animals. Waldau and Tucker consider animals in the contexts of culture and morality, empathy and sympathy, social skills, personality, multiple intelligences, wonder and awe.
This video is from the “Environmental Humanities in a Changing World” conference hosted by the Princeton Environmental Institute at Princeton University. An introduction is given by Steve Pacala. Tom A. Barron gives a lecture on the power of story and language in the context of environmental humanities. Then, Ken Hiltner provides an overview of the environmental humanities and explains how speakers throughout the conference address environmental issues in terms of art, poetry, theater, music, writing, philosophy, religion, politics, ethics, history, literature, and more. This event took place on March 8-9, 2013.
(See part 1 for description)
(See part 1 for description)
(See part 1 for description)
There is a global and vital quest for a new vision for our times. It must inspire a dynamic spirituality, foster social and ecological justice, and strengthen commitments for a sustainable future. It is emerging as a blend of science, spirituality, and insights from social movements. This lecture discusses the global efforts for an adequate vision for our times.
In this presentation at the “Jewish Thought and Jewish Belief International Conference,” Hava Tirosh-Samuelson considers Jewish environmentalism and the intersection of scholarship, faith, and activism. She gives a brief overview of the Jewish environmental movement in America and offers a portrait of Jewish environmental organizations with some comparisons to the Jewish environmental movement in Israel. She then considers Jewish ecotheology and reflects on the claim that it reflects the reemergence of paganism. She ends by clarifying some challenges that confront Jewish environmentalism and suggests how to address them.
Anne Marie Dalton is a professor of religion and culture at St. Mary's University, Halifax, Canada. She teaches and researches in the area of religion and ecology, science and religion, and religion and development. She completed her doctoral thesis on the the work of Thomas Berry. She is a member of the Canadian Forum On Religion and Ecology. This panel took place at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne, Australia.
In Part 3 of “Thomas Berry The Great Work,” Christopher Key Chapple, Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University, presents Berry's religious philosophies and work around the religions of South Asia. He calls attention to two enduring hallmarks of Berry's though: authenticity and affectivity. This panel took place at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia.
(See part 1 for talk description)
Please note that this selection is audio-only.