Concentration in Climate Justice and Faith
Empowering leaders to cultivate moral, spiritual, and practical power for the work of climate justice in communities of faith.
Description
The concentration is meant for PLTS MDiv and MA students who have an interest in focusing more deeply on earth-honoring theology, ethics, spirituality, and practices that connect ecological well-being with racial, economic, and gender justice.
This concentration does not require students to take additional courses in their degree program. Instead, elective coursework is strategically taken by the student to fulfill the course requirements of the concentration.
Goals
Students who complete the requirements for this concentration will be prepared to:
- Lead congregations in developing or deepening climate justice work in their context.
- Practice climate justice work as a spiritual practice, and lead others in doing so.
- Recognize and address intersections of climate change with racial, economic, and gender-based inequity, and intersections of ecological well-being with racial, economic, and gender justice.
- Articulate biblical, ethical, theological, and spiritual grounding for climate justice.
- Articulate and employ a practical theo-ethical framework for building a more ecologically sustainable and socially equitable society.
- Employ key resources of the scientific community related to climate change.
- Collaborate with interfaith and community partners on climate justice.
- Practice hope in the face of the climate crisis.
Practicum Option
Option of a mentored practicum with Eco-Faith Recovery during internship year.
Read more at EcoFaithRecovery.org.
Questions?
For more information about this concentration, please contact:
Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda
Faculty Director
Dr. Leslie Veen
Program Manager
Curricular Innovations
The Center for Climate Justice and Faith is part of the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS). Four orienting perspectives characterize PLTS’ role in the church and our approach to theological education read them here.
Concentration Requirements
1. Pro-Seminar: Pro-seminar or foundational course CERS-4450 Climate Justice: Theology and Action in Relation. To be taken Spring Semester of Year One.
2. Selectives: 2 additional elective courses focused on earth-honoring theology, ethics, spirituality, and practices. The following is a list of courses that is illustrative but not exhaustive of offerings at PLTS, the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), and UC Berkeley that may fulfill this requirement. Distributed Learning (DL) students may take courses in their own localities if approved by the Concentration Faculty Director.
PLTS
- HMRS-3000 Preaching toward Social Transformation (with focused project)
- HSST-4450 Freedom Theology with Martin Luther (with focused project)
- ST-2225 Constructive Theology (with focused project)
- Other courses if a substantial project in them is focused on matters of climate justice.
Graduate Theological Union
- RSCE-2300 Climate Change (at Jesuit School of Theology)
- LSST-4015 Ecology & Liturgy (at Jesuit School of Theology)
- SPST-2250 Spirituality of the Earth (at Jesuit School of Theology)
- Other courses as approved by the Faculty Director.
UC Berkeley
- ESPM 253 001 – SEM 001 Advanced Readings in Political Ecology
- LDARCH 201 001 – LEC 001 Ecological Factors in Urban Landscape Design
- ENERES 276 001 – LEC 001 Climate Change Economics
- ARESEC 261 001 – LEC 001 Environmental and Resource Economics
- DEVP 222 001 – LEC 001 Economics of Sustainable Resource Development
- Other courses as approved by the Faculty Director.
A major project related to climate justice or creation care in two courses that are not specifically focused on climate justice or creation care may count as one selective. The project must be approved ahead of time by the Concentration Faculty Director. The two courses need not be in the same term or year.
3. Reflection / Peer Mentoring: Participation in a cohort reflection/support group that meets at least twice a semester.
4. Activism: Participation each term (not to include internship year) in in-person, on-site engagement with a local climate justice-oriented organization or group.
5. Integration: Development and completion of an integrative project. Examples include: a project during FE-1147 Ministry in Context III, a project during FE-4450 Internship, the Eco-faith Recovery practicum as part of internship, a project in second half of Christian Faith Formation course, and a project in a FE-2260 Theology of Ministry Practicum.
Concentration Opportunities
- Participation in a selected national or international conference together with colleagues in the Concentration – currently the Bioneers conference.
- Presenting a climate justice related project (a paper, integrative project, MICIII project, etc.) at the annual symposium of student work.
- Peer mutual mentoring on climate justice projects and papers
