The Southwest Symposium on Ecologically Informed Theological Education
March 13 and 14, 2019 at Brite Divinity School on the campus of Texas Christian University, Ft. Worth, Texas
Seminary administrators and faculty attended the Southwest Symposium on Ecologically Informed Theological Education: Implications for Teaching, Learning and Seminary Life. The symposium brought together key faculty, staff and administrators from seminaries and theological schools from the Southwest to explore how theological education can address our ecological reality.
We offered this opportunity at no cost to invited faculty, staff and administrative participants, thanks to a generous grant from the Luce Fund for Theological Education.
An increasing number of people in the United States are turning to their pastors, priests, rabbis, imams and spiritual leaders for wisdom and guidance regarding ecological sustainability, lifestyle and learning to live faithful lives in relation to our shared world. We all are becoming more aware of the injustice and inequity of climate change, pollution and waste. The Southwest Symposium offered resources to explore how theological institutions can address these concerns from a theological and pedagogical perspective. It further enabled institutions to equip the next generation of religious leaders to effectively respond to and engage with creation care and ecological justice.
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Wednesday, March 13
1:00 p.m. Arrival and registration
1:30 p.m. Welcome and introductions
2:45 p.m. Opening address by Tim Van Meter
3:45 p.m. Talking About Climate Change in Church/Seminary: A Conversation Across Ideological Lines by Laurel Kearns and Chris Doran
5:00 p.m. Dinner
6:00 p.m. Discussion: “Climate Chaos: A Pedagogical Manifesto”
Thursday, March 14
8:00 a.m. Morning liturgy
9:00 a.m. Animals in Comparative Religious Perspectives: Pedagogical Strategies by David Aftandilian
9:30 a.m. Pedagogical and Institutional Resources from Creature Kind by Sarah Withrow King
10:00 a.m. Integrating Ecology and the Disciplines: Break out sessions
11:00 a.m. Ecologically Centered Soul Care and Spiritual Direction by Steven Chase
12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. Keynote by Melanie Harris
2:45 p.m. Interreligious Perspectives Panel
3:45 p.m. Facilities
4:15 p.m. Final processing and next steps
5:00 p.m. Closing
The Southwest Symposium was organized by Brite Divinity School, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, the Green Seminary Initiative, and the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development.
Our time together at Brite informed and invigorated participants as we strive to better incorporate the care of our planet into our work as educators.
