Christian Faith and the Earth

An international, collaborative research project

on Ecology and Christian doctrine
 

 

 

Welcome to the homepage of the Christian Faith and the Earth project.
A brief history of the project

Purpose of the project

 

The purpose of this project is to reflect on the content and the significance of the Christian faith in the light of ecological concerns. The project should be regarded as one dimension of a wider theological response to environmental challenges. Although its focus is on Christian doctrine, theological reflection in this regard is often stimulated by and is enriched by ethical concerns, by engagement in earthkeeping and by Christian worship. This project was launched in January 2007 and will culminate in an envisaged conference to be held in Cape Town, 6-10 August 2012.

An open invitation

The invitation to any interested scholars and postgraduate students to participate in any of the working groups will remain open for the duration of the project. Click here to find the original invitation (dated 31 January 2007) to participate in the project .....

Working Groups

The project is constituted in the form of 12 working groups. Each of these groups focus on an area of Christian doctrine where ecological concerns have prompted renewed reflection.  In each group there is a moderator responsible to ensure that a diversity of voices are heard. There is also an editor who will be responsible for drafting the final report. Each group includes a number of interested scholars and other resource persons. There are at the moment around 100 scholars from 6 continents working in the 12 established groups.

Culminating conference

 It is envisaged that the project will culminate in a conference to be held in Cape Town, 6-10 August 2012.
Progress reports
Working Groups
Ongoing conferences
Culminating Conference
Group Description of the theme of the group
Group 1 Where on earth may God be found? Christian notions of God amidst other religious traditions and various forms of spirituality
Group 2 “At home on earth”? Christian discourse on the place and vocation of human beings within the world
Group 3 How does God respond to the suffering in creation? Christian views on God’s providence amidst sin and evil
Group 4 How is the earth itself to be “saved”? Christian discourse on creation, redemption and eschatological fulfilment
Group 5 Where on earth is the church? Christian discourse on the nature, governance and mission of the church
Group  6 Where can we find an appropriate ethos for our time? Christian discourse on categories such as justice, frugality, rights, respect, simplicity, sustainability and wisdom
Group  7 How can trinitarian theology deepen the development of an ecological doctrine of creation?
Group  8 Whither does the Wind blow? Theological reflection on the person and work of the Holy Spirit
Group  9 What can Christian discourse on the doctrine of creation contribute to an ecological understanding of the story of the universe? Reflections on cosmology, creation and evolution
Group 10 Who is Jesus Christ, for all of us on earth, today? Theological reflection on the person and work of Jesus Christ
Group 11 Liturgy and life: What can Christian worship and the celebration of the sacraments teach us about our relationship with the earth?
Group 12 Baptism & Eucharist (see Group 11)
Group 13 Hope for the earth itself? Reflections on discourse on Christian hope (see Group 4)
Group  14 What methods would be appropriate for ecological theology? Hermeneutical reflection on the role of God’s revelation, Scripture, natural theology, , tradition, experience, reason (science) and cultural context
 

International steering committee

Sigurd Bergmann (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Ernst Conradie (University of the Western Cape), Celia Deane-Drummond (University of Chester), Denis Edwards (Flinders University), Fulata Moyo (WCC), Elizabeth Theokritoff (related to the Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge), Mark Wallace (Swarthmore College) and Kim Yong-Bock (Asia Pacific Graduate School for Integral Study of Life)

 

Contact details

Last Update:

 

  

Ernst M Conradie

Department of Religion and Theology, UWC

Private Bag X17, Bellville, 7535

Tel (027) 21 959 2206

Fax (027 21) 959 1318

Email: econradie@uwc.ac.za