There is a need for broader literacy and deeper knowledge of the world’s religions and their ecological contributions. This course is designed as a gateway to the rich ecological dimensions of the Christian religious tradition. We delve into unique contributions from Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christianity, exploring views on and relationship with the natural world. We additionally highlight the relationship between Christianity and environmental justice, evangelical approaches to “creation care”, and Christian teachings on biodiversity, climate change, and the relationship between human, Earth, and cosmos.
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Christianity & Ecology
Yale UniversityAbout this Course
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Completion of Introduction to Religions and Ecology
Approx. 17 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?
Try Coursera for BusinessSkills you will gain
- Philosophy
- conservation
- Religion
- Ecology
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Coursera Labs
Includes hands on learning projects.
Learn more about Coursera Labs Beginner Level
Completion of Introduction to Religions and Ecology
Approx. 17 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?
Try Coursera for Business
Offered by
Yale University
For more than 300 years, Yale University has inspired the minds that inspire the world. Based in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale brings people and ideas together for positive impact around the globe. A research university that focuses on students and encourages learning as an essential way of life, Yale is a place for connection, creativity, and innovation among cultures and across disciplines.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week1
Week 1
MODULE 1: Course Introduction
4 videos (Total 13 min), 6 readings
4 videos
Land Acknowledgement - John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker1mCourse Overview: Christianity and Ecology - John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker2mPersonal Introduction - Mary Evelyn Tucker5mPersonal Introduction - John Grim3m6 readings
Welcome letter from Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim1mHow this course is organized1mLearn more about your Instructors5m(Optional) Religion and Ecology Conferences and Book Series, 1996-1998Pre-video introduction: The Promise of Planetary Health1m(Optional) Ways to Learn MoreWeek2
Week 2
MODULE 2: Introduction to Religion and Ecology
We begin by situating Christianity within the study of Religion and Ecology. We explore topics such as creation, incarnation, and sacraments as an entry into Christianity and Ecology. We introduce the emergence of eco-theology as a shift in theological thinking that relates the teachings of Christianity to our contemporary ecological and climate related challenges.
7 videos (Total 54 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz
7 videos
What is Religion? Mary Evelyn Tucker4mLecture - Introduction to the Study of Religion and Ecology - John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker18mLecture - Ecotheologians, Ambivalence, Affirmation - John Grim6mLecture - Pathways into Christianity and Ecology: Creation - John Grim7mLecture - Pathways into Christianity and Ecology: Incarnation - John Grim7mLecture - Pathways into Christianity and Ecology: Sacrament - John Grim7mLecture - Christianity and Ecology into the Present: Orienting, Grounding, Nurturing, and Transforming - John Grim1m4 readings
Pre-lecture introduction: “Introduction to the Study of Religion and Ecology”(Optional) Ways to Learn MoreChristianity and Ecology Into the Present1m(Optional) Ways to Learn More1 practice exercise
Module 2: Introduction to Religion and Ecology10mWeek3
Week 3
MODULE 3: Overview of Christianity and Ecological Responses
We reflect on historical questions embedded in the study of Christianity and Ecology. How do our contemporary environmental challenges and questions relate to the earlier formation and development of Christianity? Foremost among these questions are ideas of stewardship and care for the Earth along with doctrinal issues regarding incarnation, especially as this theme relates to the historical figure of Christ, and the Cosmic Christ prominent in John’s Gospel and several of Paul’s Epistles.
11 videos (Total 88 min), 15 readings, 1 quiz
11 videos
Lecture - Overview of Christianity: Introduction - John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker6mLecture - Overview of Christianity: Historical Christ - John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker8mLecture - Overview of Christianity: Cosmic Christ - John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker14mLecture - Introduction to Christianity: Background - John Grim2mLecture - Introduction to Christianity: Augustine - John Grim6mLecture - Introduction to Christianity: Maximus the Confessor - John Grim3mLecture - Introduction to Christianity: Hildegard of Bingen - Mary Evelyn Tucker4mLecture - Introduction to Christianity: Thomas Aquinas - Mary Evelyn Tucker1mLecture - Introduction to Christianity: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin - Mary Evelyn Tucker6m(Optional) Matthew Riley, "The Life and Influence of Lynn T. White, Jr." Interview by Mary Evelyn Tucker19mStephanie Johnson, "Christianity and Ecological Parish Ministry." Interview by Mary Evelyn Tucker13m15 readings
Overview of Christianity: Formation and Figures1mIntroduction to Christianity: Scripture and Commentary1mEarth Bible and Commentary5mChristianity Sacred Texts6mEcological Biblical Hermeneutics23m(Optional) Pre-video introduction: “The Life and Influence of Lynn T. White, Jr.”(Optional) Ways to Learn MoreChristianity in "Faith for Earth: A Call for Action"27mPre-video introduction: "Christianity and Ecology"1mOverview Essay - Christianity and Ecology14mChristianity and Ecology: Seeking the Well-Being of Earth and Humans5m(Optional) Christian TheologiansPre-video introduction: "Christianity and Ecological Parish Ministry"1mResources on Christianity and Ecology5m(Optional) Ways to Learn More1 practice exercise
Module 3: Overview of Christianity and Ecological Responses10mWeek4
Week 4
MODULE 4: Sacramental Christianity: Earth as Sacred Icon
We focus on Orthodox Christianity and ecology under the leadership of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, first among the religious leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church. We follow the symposium he organized on the Adriatic Sea, which like all of his eight symposia focused on water issues. This conference brought together scientists, civil servants, journalists, and religious spokespersons to consider ecology, politics, and spirituality as a basis for more integrated environmental solutions.
8 readings
8 readings
Christianity as Orienting to the Cosmos34mPre-video introduction: “The Adriatic: A Sea at Risk”1mCommon Declaration of John Paul II and the Ecumenical Patriarch His Holiness Bartholomew I10mPre-video introduction: “And God Saw that Everything was Good: The Theological Vision of Creation in the Orthodox Tradition”1mOrthodox Writings on Christianity and Ecology12m(Optional) The Face of God in the World: Insights from the Orthodox Christian TraditionJoint Message of Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the World Day of Prayer for Creation (2017)5m(Optional) Ways to Learn More1 practice exercise
Module 4: Sacramental Christianity: Earth as Sacred Icon10mWeek5
Week 5
MODULE 5: Christian Integral Ecology: “Cry of the Earth; Cry of the Poor”
We focus on Catholic theology and ecojustice under the leadership of Pope Francis, especially with attention to his encyclical letter, Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home (2015). The influence of this encyclical is widespread, including responses from other religions and transformative action led by the Laudato Si’ Movement. Through the lens of “integral ecology,” this document expands understandings of social justice to incorporate ecosystems and all forms of life.
7 readings
7 readings
Pope Francis and the Environment: Why His Encyclical Matters4mPope Francis. “Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home.” May 24, 2015.8mPre-video introduction: "Overview of Laudato Si’"1mPre-video introduction: “Our moral imperative to act on climate change”1mResources on Laudato Si’5mLaudato Si’ Movement5m(Optional) Ways to Learn More1 practice exercise
Module 5: Christian Integral Ecology: “Cry of the Earth; Cry of the Poor”10mWeek6
Week 6
MODULE 6: Embodied Christianity: Ecotheology in Practice
We focus on the impact of the Protestant Reformation movements in Christianity, especially with regard to their positions on the natural world as God’s creation. In the 16th Century, the Reformation opened new theological directions and institutional formations that have shaped human-Earth relations into the present. Christianity began to be guided by a broader community-church leadership as reformers engaged scripture and the natural world.
3 videos (Total 27 min), 18 readings, 1 quiz
3 videos
Sallie McFague, “The Role of Theologians and Religious Leaders as Public Advocates for the Environment”2mWillie Jennings, “Christianity and Environmental Justice: Race, Habitation, and the Legacy of Extraction.” Interview by John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker13mMountaintop Removal: A Crime Against Creation11m18 readings
Pre-video introduction: “The Role of Theologians and Religious Leaders as Public Advocates for the Environment”1mProtestant Reformers on Christianity and Ecology14m(Optional) The World of Nature According to the Protestant TraditionHow Shall We Live? Christianity and Planetary Economics30mResisting Structural Evil: Love as Ecological Economic Vocation7mPre-video introduction: "Rethinking Apocalypse in the Face of Climate Change"1m(Optional) A Path from Apocalypse to TransformationPre-video introduction: “Christianity and Environmental Justice: Race, Habitation, and the Legacy of Extraction”1m(Optional) Eco-Theology and Zoning MeetingsGreen The Church 5m(Optional) Ways to Learn MoreCreation Care vs. Caring for the Environment 1mEngaged Evangelical Christianity 5mPre-video introduction: “Mountaintop Removal: A Crime Against Creation"1mEvangelical Responses to Laudato Si’5mSecretary-General of the World Evangelical Alliance at COP211mEvangelical Voices on Environmental Rights and Biodiversity10m(Optional) Ways to Learn More1 practice exercise
Module 6: Embodied Christianity: Ecotheology in Practice10mWeek7
Week 7
MODULE 7: “Integral Liberation”: Christian Ecojustice Engagement
We explore topics of significance for contemporary Christianity, namely environmental justice and the roles of women in Christianity and ecology. Building on Christian concepts of social justice, ecojustice has emerged in response to disproportionate environmental harms faced by marginalized communities. This integration of environmental and social issues affirms the writings, practices, and experiences of women in Christianity worldwide.
3 videos (Total 29 min), 16 readings, 1 quiz
3 videos
Eco-Justice11mMelanie Harris, “Eco-Womanism, Ecological Memory, and Womanist Theology.” Interview by Mary Evelyn Tucker12mWangari Maathai, "'I wanted to do good': The Influence of Benedictine Nuns on Speaking for the Environment"4m16 readings
Introduction to Environmental Justice1mEnvironmental Justice and Eco-Justice2mChristianity and Environmental Justice34m(Optional) From Social Justice to Creation Justice in the Anthropocene(Optional) Toxic Wombs and the Ecology of JusticePre-video introduction: “Eco-Justice”1mChristianity Resources, Ecojustice Hub, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology5m(Optional) Ways to Learn MoreChristianity, Ecofeminism, and Transformation17mPre-video introduction: “Eco-Womanism, Ecological Memory, and Womanist Theology”1m(Optional) African Diaspora: American environmental religious ethics and ecowomanismPre-video Introduction: “The Influence of Benedictine Nuns on Speaking for the Environment”1mExpanding Contexts, Breaking Boundaries5mEcology, Feminism, and African and Asian Spirituality: Toward a Spirituality of Eco-Feminism8mEcofeminism: A Latin American Perspective16m(Optional) Ways to Learn More1 practice exercise
Module 7: “Integral Liberation”: Christian Ecojustice Engagement10mWeek8
Week 8
MODULE 8: Food, Animals, Biodiversity, and Climate Change
We explore emerging Christian perspectives regarding food, agriculture, animals, and biodiversity. We place this in the context of a “communion of subjects” affirming the profound interconnection of all life. We highlight emerging theological ethics and engaged religious action in response to the climate emergency.
17 readings
17 readings
Learning Our Place: The Agrarian Perspective of the Bible12mPre-video introduction: “Looking at Food Theologically” 1mPre-video introduction: “Food, Farming, and Faith” 1mPracticing the Presence of God: A Christian Approach to Animals11mFaith, Feminism and Animal Advocacy7mAnimals: Who Cares? 12m(Optional) CreatureKindA Christian View of Biodiversity 8mChristianity and Biodiversity5m(Optional) Ways to Learn MorePre-video introduction: “Climate Change: Faith and Fact”1mClimate Change and Christian Ethics15mChristianity Climate Change Statements5mPre-video introduction: “The Sacred Secrets of Nature”1mHow green theology is energizing the black community to fight the climate crisis9mInterfaith Power and Light5m(Optional) Ways to Learn More1 practice exercise
Module 8: Food, Animals, Biodiversity, and Climate Change10mWeek9
Week 9
MODULE 9: Christianity and Cosmology
How might Christianity flourish in relation to scientific insights about evolution? In this module, the first section focuses on the influence of Thomas Berry and a New Story. This evolutionary story is a context for human flourishing, an orientation for Christianity, and an inspiration for other religious traditions in a planetary era. The second section focuses on forms of worship that emphasize the sacred relationship between Human, Earth, and Cosmos.
1 video (Total 32 min), 16 readings, 1 quiz
16 readings
The Influence of Thomas Berry5mThe New Story 14m(Optional) Resources on Thomas BerryChristianity and Ecology 24mPre-video introduction: “The Christian Doctrine of Creation: Reimagining an Animate and Communicative World”1m(Optional) Ways to Learn MoreResources on Season of Creation 5mLiturgical Responses to Creation 14mMissa Gaia - A Mass Dedicated to the Earth1m(Optional) Animals in Christian LiturgyPre-video introduction: “Procession of the Animals”1m(Optional) Full of Your Glory: Liturgy, Cosmos, Creation(Optional) A Tree-Planting Eucharist(Optional) The Cosmic MassPre-video introduction “Hymn of the Cherubim - Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom”1m(Optional) Ways to Learn More1 practice exercise
Module 9: Christianity and Cosmology10mWeek10
Week 10
MODULE 10: Course Conclusion
1 video (Total 1 min), 1 reading
1 reading
Letter from Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim5mFrequently Asked Questions
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