The Los Angeles Symposium on Ecologically Informed Theological Education took place November 3 to 5, 2019 at American Jewish University’s Brandeis Bardin Campus in Simi Valley, CA.
WHO ATTENDED? Faculty, staff and administrators from California and other Western U.S. seminaries, theological schools, and rabbinical schools, and clergy to explore how theological education can address our ecological reality.
RATIONALE: An increasing number of people around the world, especially youth and young adults, are turning to their pastors, priests, rabbis, imams, and other religious leaders for wisdom and guidance on ecological sustainability, lifestyles, and spirituality.
Awareness of the injustice and inequity of pollution and waste and the implications and impacts of climate change is growing.
The Symposium included:
* Plenary and panel discussions, and breakout sessions on the emerging field of religion and ecology, and sustainability practices, in seminaries and theological schools.
* Networking and small group discussions on how faculty can integrate ecology into existing and new courses in Bible, theology, homiletics and liturgy, ethics, interfaith, and more, and how staff can facilitate putting ecological care into practice.
The Symposium was co-organized by The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, Methodist Theological School in Ohio (MTSO), The Green Seminary Initiative, the Martin Gang Institute for Intergroup Relations, and American Jewish Committee (AJC). The Steering Committee also included representatives from Fuller Theological Seminary, Hebrew Union College, American Jewish University, Pepperdine University and representatives of the above listed organizations.
Click here to view photos from a previous Symposium in Washington D.C., and click here to view a short recap video.
Symposium Schedule
Sunday, November 3
3 pm Shuttles and carpools from Los Angeles
4:00 pm Registration and check-in to rooms
6:00 pm Reception
6:30 pm Dinner – Gunther Dining Hall
- Welcome – David Miron-Wapner, chair, The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development
- Blessings/Grace – Gratitude and Abundance
7:30 pm Evening Program – Wapner Main House
- Official Greetings – Dr. Jeffrey Herbst– president, American Jewish University
- Spiritual / Inspirational Music – Rabbi Ken Chasen
- Keynote Addresses – Climate Science and Public Policy
- Dr. Andrew Gunther– board member, Union of Concerned Scientists
- Ken Kimmell– president, Union of Concerned Scientists
- Response: Prof. Laurel Kearns– Drew Theological School
- Q&A
Monday, November 4
8:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am Morning Plenary
Hope and Inspiration
- Prof. Laurel Kearns– Drew Theological School
- Prof. Tim Van Meter– Methodist Theological School in Ohio
10:00 am Break and refreshments
10:30 am Integrating Ecology into Theological Education
- Prof. Chris Doran– Pepperdine University
- Prof. Tommy Givens– Fuller Theological Seminary
- Dean Prof. Josh Holo – Hebrew Union College
12:00 pm Lunch
12:30 pm Short presentations on LA Environmental Justice Activism
- Estelle Reyes– Senior VP, Enhancing Community, LA Community Incubator
- Veronica Padilla– Exec. Director, Pacoima Beauiful
- Jamie Powell Stein, AJU
1:15 pm Breakout sessions on Ecology in Theological Education
- Greening Seminaries – rev. abby mohaupt– director, Green Seminary Initiative
- Hebrew Bible– Rabbi Yonatan Neril – The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development
- Ecology in Spiritual Counseling – Dr. Stephanie Neill – Seattle School of Theology and Psychology
2:15 pm Break
2:30 pm Interfaith Panel – Sharing My Faith-based Perspective on the Ecological Crises
- Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky – B’nai David-Judea Congregation
- Nana Firman – Green Faith
- Rev. Earl W. Koteen – Green the Church
- Moderator:
3:30 pm Break
Prof. Laurel Kearns – Drew Theological School3:45 pm Guided Walking Tour: Touching Nature – Experiencing Awe and Wonder
- Rabbi Yonatan Neril – ICSD
- Nick Scott-Blakely – Fuller
- Aryeh Goldman, AJU
5:15 pm Break
6:00 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Open Forum
Moderators:
- Dr. Tim Van Meter – Action
- Prof. Laurel Kearns – Society
Tuesday, November 5
8:00am Breakfast
9:00am Morning Plenary: Christian Ecology
- Prof. J.J. Johnson Leese – Faith and Ecological Justice
- Rt. Rev. Alexei Smith – Archdiocese of Los Angeles– On Laudato Si’
- Father John Bakas – Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral– On ‘A Pioneering Patriarch Bartholomew’
10:15 am Break
10:45am Jewish Ecology: Educating for Eden in the Anthropocene
- Dean Rabbi Brad Artson – Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, AJU
- Prof. Rabbi Elliot Dorff – AJU
- Rabbi Yonatan Neril – ICSD
- Moderator: David Miron Wapner– ICSD
12:00pm Lunch
12:30pm Islamic Ecology presentation:
- Dr. Jihad Turk – founding President, Bayan Claremont Islamic Graduate School
1:15pm Breakout sessions– Religion and Environmental Justice
- Environmental Justice Now and Future Generations – Rabbi Joel Simonds, founder, Jewish Center for Justice
- Community Meals: Opportunities and Strategies for Faith-Based Sustainable Eating – Sarah Withrow King, CreatureKind, and Melissa Hoffman, Jewish Initiative for Animals
2:30pm Concluding Session
- Envisioning Next Steps – David Miron-Wapner, ICSD
- Blessings
3:30 pm End of Symposium
4:00 pm Departure and carpools to Los Angeles
