The Southeast Symposium on Ecologically Informed Theological Education took place March 21-23, 2018, at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA. The Symposium brought together faculty, staff and administrators from Southern seminaries and theological schools to explore how theological education can address our ecological reality. We were able to offer this opportunity at no cost to invited participants, thanks to a Luce Fund for Theological Education grant. We provided lodging, travel reimbursement and meals. The Symposium was co-organized by The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, the Green Seminary Initiative, the Columbia Theological Seminary, and Georgia Interfaith Power and Light.
An increasing number of Americans are turning to their pastors, priests, rabbis, and imams for wisdom and guidance on ecological sustainability, lifestyle and spirituality. Awareness is growing of the injustice and inequity of pollution and waste and the implications of climate change. The Symposium enables institutions to equip the next generation of religious leaders to engage effectively in creation care and ecological justice. Our time together informed and invigorated all of us as we strive to better incorporate the care of our planet into our work as educators.
The Symposium included
- Plenary, panel discussion and breakout sessions on the emerging field of religion and ecology in seminaries and theological schools
- Networking and discussion on integrating ecology in courses in theology, Bible, liturgy, ethics, and more, as well as innovate new courses.
- Ideas and proposals for clinical and field education as well as vocational options.
- Addresses from leading environmental scientists.
Agenda
Wednesday, March 21
| 4:00 PM | Arrival & Check in |
| 6:30 PM | Dinner |
| 7:30 PM | Worship |
| 8:00 PM | Plenary Presentation. Speaker: J. Marshall Shepherd (UGA professor of atmospheric sciences) |
Thursday, March 22
| 7:30 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:00 AM | Plenary: Laurel Kearns and Tim Van Meter: Moving Toward Being a Green School: Obstacles and Strategies |
| 10:30 AM | Workshops on Teaching Ecology within and beyond Our Disciplines |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch |
| 1:30 PM | Interfaith Panel: Cultivating Eco-Consciousness within Various Communities of Faith |
| 2:45 PM | Break |
| 3:00 PM | Campus Sustainability and Environmental Justice 1. Walking Tour to Agnes Scott College to meet with Susan Kidd (Director of Sustainability). 2. Teaching Environmental Justice: Na’taki Osborne Jelks (Assistant Professor in Public Health) |
| 6:30 PM | Eat and Play! Fishbanks Simulation Game with Rob Williamson (Kennesaw State University) |
Friday, March 23
| 7:30 AM | Breakfast |
| 8:30 AM | Morning Plenary: Jennifer Ayres (Emory University/Candler School of Theology): Ecology in Religious Education |
| 10:00 AM | Panel on Takeaways and Best Practices |
| 11:30 AM | Concluding Worship with the Rev. William E. Flippin (pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Atlanta) |
| 12:15 PM | Lunch |
| After Lunch | Departure |
Past Symposiums
To view pictures from the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Symposium on Ecologically Informed Theological Education, held at Catholic University of America’s School of Theology and Religious Studies in Washington D.C., click here. To view a video from that Symposium, click here. To see a video of a similar conference in Manhattan in 2016, click here.
Our Supporters & Partners
This Symposium is part of the Seminary Environmental Leadership Initiative, which is funded through a grant from the Luce Fund for Theological Education, with additional support from the Julia Burke Foundation.
The Symposium was co-organized by Columbia Theological Seminary, The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, the Green Seminary Initiative, and Georgia Interfaith Power and Light.
