Blog
Welcome to the new Yale Forum Blog!
We will be sharing a variety of original content including interviews, reviews, reports from the field, new and enhanced resources on the Forum website, content from our new video podcast series, FORE Spotlights, and much more.
Check back every Tuesday and Thursday for new content.
At this time of year, we at the Forum want to take a moment to express our gratitude for the animals, the wise sacred trees, the wind, and the water.
For the Indigenous peoples on whose land we now reside.
And for all of you working every day to protect and restore our beloved Earth community. For you we offer this lovely poem by poet Alberto Alvaro Rios. We can create something greater–together.
When Giving Is All We Have
By Alberto Ríos
One river...
This episode of Spotlights features our host, Sam Mickey, discussing eco-anxiety, which is generally defined as a chronic worry, distress, or fear concerning ecological devastation. Struggles with eco-anxiety have increased in recent years, and they have been exacerbated by the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic. Sam reflects on two recently published anthologies that he edited with Douglas A. Vakoch, Eco-Anxiety and Pandemic Distress: Psychological Perspectives on Resilience and Interconnectedness (Oxford University Press, 2022...
This year's American Academy of Religion's Annual Meeting officially begins in just a couple of days in Denver, and we wanted to share with you some of the ecology-related sessions that will be taking place there.
First, the Forum will be co-hosting a pre-meeting event along with the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture (session ID M18-112). This bring-your-own lunch will take place Friday November 18 from 12:00 - 2:00pm at the Sheraton Downtown-Terrace (I.M. Pei Tower - Terrace Level -...
We're please to share that the Forum now has an Instagram profile! We've recently become a part of the Instagram community and we've begun to share there about upcoming events, new book releases, podcast interviews, events and public appearances, and more. We'll also be sharing some more personal perspectives and imagery direct from our team members.
And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, as well. Though both channels will share some content, much of what will appear on each is unique and does not...
This week's episode of Spotlights features a short behind-the-scenes look at a team meeting for the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, with some brief remarks about the Forum from Tara Trapani, Elizabeth McAnally, Sam King, Anna Thurston, Mary Evelyn Tucker, and John Grim, including a final comment from our host, Sam Mickey. We hope you enjoy this little glimpse into our team meeting and get a better understanding of the way the Forum functions as a watershed for so many activities, projects, and resources that make up...
Next week is the 26th annual Festival of Faiths in Louisville, Kentucky. This year's theme is “Sacred Stories: Contemplation and Connection.” The opening ceremonies will take place Wednesday evening, November 9, and the sessions will be held Thursday-Saturday. The event is in-person and there is a fee–you can purchase a festival pass for all 4 days or tickets for individual events.
Our co-founder and director, Mary Evelyn Tucker will be appearing Friday evening at 7:30 pm on a panel titled “...
Tomorrow, Friday October 28, Trinity Washington University will hold their Environmental Justice Symposium, which is part of their 125th anniversary celebration and all-alumni reunion. The event will go from 9am-5:30pm EST. The entire event will be live-streamed here. The keynote speech at 9:30am EST will be given by our own founders and directors, Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim.
From the event site:
The Environmental Justice Symposium will feature a keynote by Yale...
This episode of Spotlights pays tribute to the French philosopher and social theorist, Bruno Latour (1947-2022). His work has been widely influence for science and technology studies, philosophy, and ecological thought. Religion also figures into his work, although it is not as well known as his writings on science and ecology. Several good overviews of his life and thought have been published since his passing. Here is one from The Guardian.
Watch the episode below or listen to it here.
An archive of previous episodes can be...
On September 21, Spain made history by granting personhood status to the ecologically troubled Mar Menor Lagoon, the largest saltwater lagoon in Europe. The lagoon, home to many marine species, including the endangered European eel, has been in crisis for years, seeing massive fish die-offs and algae blooms. This is thought to be due to fertilizer runoff from nearby farms and heavy metal runoff from old mining operations. See this New York Times article for more history of the environmental issues at Mar Menor and...
The best-selling author and historian of religion, Karen Armstrong, has written a new book, Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World (Penguin, 2022). Her exploration of the spiritual power of nature across traditions will undoubtedly be of great interest to scholars and teachers of religion and ecology.
The aim and scope of the book is summarized well by this excerpt from the book's description on the publisher's website:
Karen Armstrong re-sacralizes nature for modern times...