Ecojustice is the understanding that justice is a matter of both economic and ecological concern and that both are an integral part of the Gospel. This seminar will enable students to make the connections and see how they are being lived out in both congregations and communities that are addressing the global environmental/ economic crisis and trying to do their part to restore creation and enable all life to flourish together on the Earth. Biblical and theological foundations for Creation Care and Ecojustice will be explored, along with the scientific, economic, and ethical dimensions of the crisis and movements toward solutions. We will hear from community and congregational leaders who are doing wonderfully creative and faithful work in Indiana and beyond and visit green projects.
This is an advanced seminar and an experiment in new pedagogies and new ways of learning that will include immersive experience and some choices in what is explored in the course. Accordingly, this syllabus has only a sketch of the first few weeks and time will be allotted in class to discuss how to frame the rest of the course.
Carol Johnston, johnston@cts.edu
317.931.2344, cell 317.255.3562
Christian Theological Seminary
Spring 2014
Updated February 12, 2015
Requirements:
1. Reading and participation: This is an upper level seminar, so it is especially important that each student participate fully. That means consistent attendance, completion of weekly assignments, and being prepared to engage the class discussion and bring any reading or assignments to bear in the class. Full participation will count for one third of the final grade.
2. Other Assignments will be Discussed and Agreed Upon as a Class, keeping in mind:
Legal Requirements for a 3 hour course include:
42 hours of “contact time” with the instructor
2 hours of “study” or outside class time for each hour of contact time or 6 hours per
Credit Requirements:
Full Participation in class: consistent attendance and being prepared to discuss the reason.
Writing assignments: One of the best ways to practice engaging an issue and week or 84 hours for the course. reading assignments or present results of investigations. If a student misses more than 9 hours of class time there will be no credit granted for the course, regardless of understanding it is to write about it. Writing assignments also help in learning critical thinking and how to separate personal opinion from explication of another point of MTS thesis or Ph.D. program.
Project Presentation and WriteUp: In order to gain the most from immersive view. Students can choose between writing 5 short weekly papers or doing a final term paper due two weeks before the end of the semester. This latter option is best suited to someone who wants to go deeply into one topic and/or gain practice for a experience, students will choose a project and report on it in class toward the end of the semester, as well as write it up by the end of the semester as part of the final grade. Projects will be discussed in class, discussed with the instructor before Reading Week (make an appointment), and finalized in a class discussion right after Reading Week.
Areas for Class Exploration:
Required:
Bible and Ecology: We will definitely read my booklet and Ellen Davis, plus the section in Introducing Evangelical Ecotheology on Scripture.
Science and Ecology: Early on we’ll hear from Jim Poyser, director of Earth Charter climate change and how he is organizing youth to address it.
Environmental Racism: It has been proved that toxic dumping and other forms of this, and dig up some resources on it.
Indiana Earth Anthem Song Contest: We are going to help “vet” entries for a contest
Possibilities:
-Immersion trip to E. Kentucky to see Mountaintop Removal and meet the “St. Francis would be low, but we’ll figure it all out together if everyone agrees on it.
-Spirituality and Ecology: This could involve exploring the many Christian and Native American.
-Eco Theology: There are many now classic texts in ecotheology, including notably almost every theological viewpoint.
-EcoEthics: Broadly, this area would include personal lifestyle issues at one end of Indiana and Youth Power Indiana. He’ll introduce us both to some of the facts of environmental degradation disproportionately affects people of color and low income people. We’ll invite Denise AbdulRahman from the NAACP to visit us to talk about to take place on Weds. April 22 (Earth Day). of the Mountains,” Fr. John Rausch and Sister Robbie Pentecost. Would require two full days, maybe two and a half, and could be counted for three class sessions. Cost possibly other resources that connect these topics, including e.g. Celtic, Orthodox, Franciscan, plus sources from Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, and John Cobb’s Is It Too Late, Rosemary Ruether’s Gaia and God, and examples from the spectrum and government and corporate policy issue at the other. This could be best explored with the help of Jodi Perras of Green Congregations Indy, the Sierra Club, and Epworth U. Methodist Church. Others would help are Hoosier Interfaith Jesse Kharbanda, director of the Hoosier Environmental Council.
-Food, Hunger, Food Deserts, and Sustainable Agriculture:
Abundant print and web Power and Light (office of Larry Kleiman located here at CTS in The Hive), and resources for this, including the new Berry Center (Wendell Berry and family), the Sustainable Ag Trust in England, and the Land Institute in Kansas (Wes Jackson).
Opportunities for visits include:
-KI Ecocenter: Imhotep Adisa, nearby at Mt. Zion Baptist, active in one of highest crime areas and deeply engaged with ecojustice as such.
-Growing Places Indy: Laura and Tyler Henderson, near east side (poorest)
-Felege Hiywot Center: Aster Bekele, Martindale
Project Possibilities:
Hands On volunteer help to one of the organizations above. Check with Prof. Carleton Waterhouse’s Law School course students about projects from last semester they did that could be picked up, including possibly:
Project in MartindaleBrightwood re trash removal
Web site that ID’s pollution sources in Fountain Sq. area (ecoracism project)
Research on legislation and air pollution (also connect with Jodi Perras)
EcoJustice curriculum has been developed and needs to be introduced in more schools. Find out how it is going, where it is used, and follow up. Meet with KI Ecocenter staff and join in one of their many projects. Develop a conference/program for a faith community. Develop a Sunday school curriculum for a faith community. Establish or develop a “Green Team” or “Creation Care” ministry. Establish a “Green Team” at CTS with Sarah Lund. Develop an Earth Day worship for Sweeney Chapel with Worship Team
Volunteer with Indy Hunger Network (David Miner) or Interfaith Hunger Initiative
Volunteer with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (David Forsell)
Research an area of interest and present it and write a term paper on it.
Provisional Schedule
January 22 First Class: Introduction
January 29 Class 2: Discuss “And the Leaves of the Tree” and visit by Jim Poyser
Feb. 5 Class 3: Discuss Power Point Ideas, Ellen Davis through Chapter 5
Feb. 12 Class 4: Discuss Ellen Davis – the whole book
Feb. 19 Class 5: Discuss Introducing Evangelical Ecotheology: Part II
Feb. 26 Reading Week: No Class
Mar. 5 Class 6: Finish discussing Evangelical Ecotheology: Part III
Mar. 12 Class 7: Forum on Climate Change and Environmental Racism at
Discuss areas of choice above and start to shape semester schedule.
Finalize areas of choice and map out schedule.
KI Ecocenter (Kheprw Institute) just north of Mt. Zion Baptist at
3549 Boulevard Place.
Bridge at the Edge of the World: Part II
Mar. 19 Class 8: Discuss Johnston Essay on Global Economics and
Mar. 2728 Class 9: Immersion Trip to E. KY. No class Mar. 26
Apr. 2 Holy Week: No Class
Apr. 9 Class 10: Visit Felege Hiywot Center, 1648 Sheldon St.
Discuss Will Allen’s The Good Food Revolution: Forward – p. 39 and
Part 3
Project presentation: Chase Tibbs
Apr. 16 No class meeting
Apr. 23 Class 12: Visit from Dr. Mary Ann Fadae
Apr. 30 Class 13: Discuss Claiming Earth As Common Ground: pp. 59145
May 7 No class meeting, final projects due Friday, May 8.
Discuss Spiritual Ecology: [ reading TBD ]
One or two presentations
Final report/s