Conference on Climate Change and Religion

I am very pleased to announce that we are going to have an interesting, exciting, and timely conference at Penn State this fall. I will be on one of the panels and we will have a number of other scholars participating. If you are in Pennsylvania and interested in participating or simply attending please let me know.

Penn State to Hold Conference on Climate Change and Religion

The conference, entitled “Stewardship or Sacrifice? Religion and the Ethics of Climate Change,” will take place on October 7 and 8, 2009, at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on the Penn State University Park campus.

The conference will explore the role of religion in helping solve the climate change crisis. Panels will include:

  • Penn State climate scientists on the most recent data;
  • Pennsylvania theologians on the theological and ethical basis for protecting the world from climate change;
  • local initiatives by Pennsylvania churches and synagogues.

A series of workshops will focus on specific, practical steps that individuals can take to help avoid the threat that climate change poses to human health and the environment.

The Rev. Canon Sally Bingham, founder of Interfaith Power and Light, will be one of the keynote speakers.  Rev. Bingham has been a leader in recognizing global warming as a moral issue.  Linking together over 5,000 congregations with affiliated programs in 29 states, she has brought widespread recognition to the link between faith and the environment.

The organizers invite wide participation from members of Pennsylvania faith communities interested in learning more about responding to the ethical problems posed by climate change.

The conference is co-sponsored by Penn State’s Rock Ethics Institute, Jewish Studies Program, Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs, Department of History and Religious Studies, and the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence.

For more information, please go to:  http://rockethics.psu.edu/climate/events/ssrecc/.  The Web site will be up-dated as plans develop.  Those seeking additional information can contact:  Jonathan E. Brockopp, Department of History and Religious Studies (jeb38@psu.edu).

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