Resisting Climate Violence through Science-Engaged Theological Education

While many scholars of religion and theology are passionate about mitigating the catastrophic pace of human-induced climate change, few are equipped scientifically and pedagogically to intentionally integrate climate science into the curricula of their respective disciplines. However, such integration is crucial for adequately preparing and mobilizing students to resist climate violence. This roundtable will convene a diverse group of faculty from a range of theological education contexts (African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventists, Wesleyan-Holiness, and Quaker), spanning various disciplines, including biblical studies, theology, and the history of Christianity All participating faculty have benefited from the inaugural grant provided by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, equipping professors of religion and theology to engage climate science.

The goals of the roundtable are two-fold. First, the roundtable will discuss a range of curricular approaches designed and tested by the participating faculty which incorporate climate science in diverse contexts within theological education. Second, the discussion will explore effective approaches and available resources for fostering intentional collaborations between climate scientists and educators of religion and theology, aligning academic efforts with climate action. In addition to faculty, the roundtable will include a representative of the Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion program of American Association for the Advancement of Science, conducting science outreach to religious communities.

All roundtable faculty participants had previously attended a DoSER-sponsored two-day conference equipping them with a foundational understanding of climate science. Following the conference, each faculty member was paired with two accomplished academic scientists from diverse disciplines whose research intersects climate change. This pairing resulted in an active and ongoing 18-month partnership aimed at enhancing the faculty’s comprehension of science behind climate change and mapping the connections between this scientific knowledge and the faculty’s research and teaching in theology and religion.
The roundtable will include the following participants.

Panelist 1 is an assistant professor of the history of Christianity at a seminary of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Their teaching and scholarly endeavors center on the global impacts of climate change, particularly on historically marginalized communities of color and in the two-thirds world. The panelist will discuss their establishment of an international center which collaborates with scientists to educate seminary students on climate change through global immersive experiences. Additionally, the panelists will discuss how their courses in Caribbean Theology, Caribbean Church History, and Cultural Studies have been intentionally designed to reflect the broader cultural effects of climate change on the communities of the Caribbean.

Panelist 2 is an associate professor of theology at a Seventh-day Adventist Seminary. Educated in Jamaica and the U.S., the panelist’s work approaches climate change through the lenses of the broad and dynamic reconciliation and global peacemaking, also including between human beings and the Earth. The panelist will address fostering collaborations between theologians and scientists. They will discuss their project of developing an improved Christian ecological practice, informed by a dialogue with scientists and the promotion of accurate scientific information concerning climate change in diverse religious contexts.

Panelist 3 is an assistant academic dean and an assistant professor teaching Talmud and Rabbinics at a pluralistic Jewish seminary. Their work focuses on teaching climate science through the modalities of engagement, capacity building, and ministerial applications seen as paralleling Jewish emphases on Torah, service, piety, in order to produce expanding waves of impact in Jewish religious contexts. The participant will discuss their partnership with scientists, focusing on exploring physical, emotional, and psychological effects of climate change and the importance of this approach for communicating climate science within their religious contexts.

Panelist 4 is an endowed associate professor at a multi-denominational seminary in the Wesleyan-Holiness and Friends (Quaker) traditions. As an immigrant to the U.S., the panelist has cultivated a specific concern for the increasing public health impact of climate change on global communities. The panelist’s partnership with scientists focused on understanding climate change as a paramount global health issue. The link between climate violence and human health offers fresh opportunities to reach Christian communities, who see humans as unique bearers of the image of God in the natural world. The participant will discuss strategies for engaging climate change as a threat to human health, ultimately aiming to equip religious leaders with theological tools necessary to mobilize their constituencies for climate justice.

Roundtable Presider is Program Associate at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER), which seeks to foster positive engagement between scientific and religious communities. In his work at DoSER, they focused on supporting scholars of religion in exploring dialogues with scientists about forefront research and developing science learning opportunities relevant to students training for vocations in ministry or leadership.