Environmental Intersections Panel

Earlier this month, I spoke at Northwestern University at their Environmental Intersections Panel. SEED {Students for Ecological and Environmental Development} organized the program to examine the connection between the environment and another topic. This year, the series looked at the relationship of religion to the environment. I spoke specifically about the Genesis Group at St. John's.

The interfaith panel included: an Episcopalian, a Unitarian reverend*, a Catholic priest, a representative from the Jewish Reconstructionist Center and a member of the Jainist Society of Chicago.

*Reverend Clare Butterfield is the Executive Director of Faith In Place. St. John's is a partner congregation with FIP.

Some of the topics/ themes of the panel included: What does your faith’s scriptures/belief system say about humanity’s relationship to the environment? What place are humans given in the world? What is the connection between religion and social justice (clean water/land/healthy food rights) and the environment? What makes a religious approach to environmental concerns unique?

It was an interesting discussion.