Faith at the Summit – Christianity and Climate
What role can Christianity — and specifically the Franciscan tradition — play in the global fight against climate change? In this conversation recorded on December 14, 2009, Mark Dowd speaks with a Franciscan brother to explore this question in depth. Drawing on the Franciscan order’s deep-rooted reverence for creation, exemplified by St. Francis of Assisi’s own legacy of environmental stewardship, the discussion examines how Christian theology and monastic tradition can inform meaningful climate action. The Franciscan brother offers insight into how faith communities, particularly those with a historical emphasis on simplicity and care for nature, are uniquely positioned to contribute moral leadership to the climate conversation. Recorded during a pivotal period of international climate negotiations, this conversation captures an important moment of interfaith and theological reflection on humanity’s responsibility toward the environment.
Desmond Tutu at the ‘We Have Faith’ rally before COP17 in Durban, South Africa
On the eve of major international climate negotiations, what message did one of the world’s most respected moral voices deliver to a crowd of faith-driven activists? Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu addresses this moment directly at the “We Have Faith” rally, held the day before the UN COP17 Climate Talks began in Durban, South Africa. Speaking to a gathering unified by shared spiritual conviction, Archbishop Tutu brings his characteristic moral clarity and passion for justice to the climate crisis, framing environmental action as inseparable from his lifelong commitment to human dignity and equity. His remarks set a powerful, faith-driven tone ahead of the formal COP17 negotiations, reinforcing the rally’s core message that people of faith have a critical role to play in demanding urgent climate action from world leaders. This address stands as a significant moment of interfaith mobilization on the international climate stage. Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu…
Reaching Out to Evangelicals on Sustainability
How can interfaith environmental efforts effectively engage Evangelical communities, a group not always associated with mainstream climate advocacy? Rabbi Yonatan Neril addresses this question in his talk, exploring the broader landscape of world religious leaders and their engagement with environmental issues, with particular attention to reaching Evangelical audiences on sustainability. He examines the unique considerations and approaches needed to build bridges with Evangelical communities, recognizing that effective interfaith environmental advocacy requires tailored strategies that resonate with each tradition’s specific values and concerns. Rabbi Neril’s reflections highlight the importance of inclusive, cross-denominational outreach in building a truly global movement for environmental stewardship, demonstrating the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development’s commitment to engaging religious leaders across the full spectrum of faith traditions. Viewers interested in exploring more about religious leadership and environmental advocacy can check out a related video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0v2W7XIoDc If you want to know more about the work of The Interfaith…
The Covenant between God, People, and the Earth
Rabbi Neril founder of The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development speaks about human responsibility to protect the earth. If you are interested in hearing more commentary on the subject, please see this video on spiritual environmental responsibility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftZSIKrZHn0&t=1s If you desire to know more about the work of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, check out our website : https://www.interfaithsustain.com
Spiritual Ecology
What does Sufi mysticism have to say about humanity’s spiritual relationship with the natural world? This four-minute video clip, excerpted from “Interview on the Naqshbandi Path and the Awliyâ,” recorded at the 2008 Sufi Conference, explores the concept of spiritual ecology through the lens of the Naqshbandi Sufi tradition. Drawing on the teachings and wisdom of the Awliyâ — recognized spiritual saints within Sufi tradition — this excerpt offers a mystical perspective on humanity’s connection to the Earth, framing environmental awareness as inseparable from deeper spiritual development. This clip provides just a glimpse into a broader conversation available in full on the DVD “The Naqshbandi Path,” offering viewers an introduction to Sufi mystical thought as it relates to ecological consciousness. This piece contributes a distinctly mystical and contemplative dimension to the broader interfaith conversation on spirituality and environmental stewardship. http://www.goldensufi.org/dvd.html#naqshbandi_path_dvd
Judaism and the Environment
Please Join Our Live Classes @ https://thetrugmans.com/events-ohr-chadash/ Please Join Our Live Classes @ https://thetrugmans.com/events-ohr-chadash/ More @ https://thetrugmans.com http://thetrugmans.com Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman, Director of Ohr Chadash, discusses the great importance Judaism puts on guarding the environment and how this is rooted in Jewish law and philosophy.
World Faith Leaders Speak About the Ecological Crisis
When religious leaders from across the world’s major faith traditions speak with a unified voice, what message do they send about the ecological crisis? This piece brings together perspectives from world faith leaders as they collectively address the environmental challenges facing human society today. Rather than presenting a single religious viewpoint, this compilation showcases the breadth of interfaith concern surrounding ecological degradation, illustrating how diverse spiritual traditions — despite their theological differences — increasingly converge on the shared urgency of environmental stewardship. This collective statement underscores the growing recognition among religious leadership worldwide that the ecological crisis transcends any single faith tradition, requiring a genuinely global, interfaith response. Viewers interested in exploring the underlying drivers of this crisis can check out a related video on the root causes of climate change, and learn more about the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development’s ongoing work at interfaithsustain.com.
Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks – Eco Judaism Roots
Where do environmentalist ideas within Judaism actually begin? Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks traces this question back to its earliest roots, exploring the biblical account of Adam being instructed to preserve the environment as one of humanity’s foundational responsibilities. In this talk, Rabbi Sacks examines how this early instruction establishes a theological basis for environmental stewardship that predates modern environmentalism by millennia, demonstrating that care for the Earth has been embedded within Jewish thought since the very beginning of scripture. His reflection offers a compelling historical and textual foundation for understanding Judaism’s relationship to ecological responsibility, framing environmentalism not as a contemporary addition to Jewish practice, but as a core value present from the tradition’s origins. Viewers interested in further exploring Jewish environmental leadership can check out a related video featuring Rabbi Ronen Lubitch on Judaism and ecology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGgrCyKSy5E&t=10s Check out our website : https://www.interfaithsustain.com
Archbishop Rowan Williams’ message to 2011 UN Climate Change Conference
A message from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, to the 2011 UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa. Transcript: I’ve been spending this afternoon here in south London at a local environmental project, a project that’s involved local school children, local community groups, residents associations, people of all ages and backgrounds, in bringing back to this community some sense of ownership of the place where they live. It’s one of a number of projects that’s making a small difference, but one of those without which big differences don’t happen. People are learning to grow their own vegetables again, to grow their own flowers around their houses and their flats. And across the world there are countless people involved in projects like this. Earlier this year I was visiting Kenya, and everywhere I went the request was “will you plant a tree”. Because in Kenya, with soil erosion…