Faith and Ecology Report Lists Engaging Seminaries
The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD) has released its first-ever report on Faith and Ecology courses in North American seminaries. Boston University School of Theology is listed as one of 25 schools that “excel in offering courses on faith and ecology.” The report lists 162 courses from 51 seminaries, and ICSD also offers a searchable collection of faith and ecology syllabi for seminarians.
Dr. John Hart, Professor of Christian Ethics, and Dr. Mary Elizabeth Moore, Dean of the School of Theology, are both recognized for their environmental leadership. Dr. John Hart teaches four faith-based environmental courses at the School of Theology and “connects social and environmental courses, liberation theology and ethics, and science and Christianity.”
The report lists Dr. Hart’s course, Sacred Earth: Indigenous Peoples’ Ecological Traditions as one of seven selected courses that “dug deeply into religious text and stories to find the connection between the spiritual and the interconnected natural world.” His other courses include Christian Ecological Ethics and Political Issues, Christianity and Ecology in Community Contexts, and Advanced Topics in Ethics: Ecology. Dr Hart’s recent webinar series on socioecological ethics can be viewed here.
In addition to writing Ministering with the Earth, Dean Mary Elizabeth Moore is committed to the Hebrew idea of tikkun olam, translated as “repair of the world.” “This phrase embraces the ideals of justice, compassion, peace, and ecological integrity,” she is quoted in the report. “I measure the value of my research and writing by its contribution to tikkun olam, and while the School of Theology does not hold the phrase at the center of its vision, I know it hopes to contribute to those same values.”
ICSD works to catalyze a transition to a sustainable human society through the active leadership of faith communities. The report is a product of the Interfaith Eco Seminaries Project, an initiative that promotes courses for seminarians on faith and the environment to advance moral leadership for sustainability.