The Bible and Ecology

Programme

Ecological crisis is one of the main challenges in need of combined response in the last decades. In the critical discussion regarding its roots, biblical scholars have turned to the biblical text and its interpretation through the ages, searching for possible misinterpretations that supported ideologically the environmental exploitation and degradation. They also developed different methodological models for reading the biblical text from an ecological perspective. In light of the pressing global ecological crisis, the research unit would like to continue the critical and inter/trans-disciplinary exploration of the Bible and ecology.
The research unit aims to: • Explore and employ various methodological trends in reading well-known and uncharted biblical and early Christian texts from ecological perspective; • Analyze the use of these texts from the perspectives of various stakeholders including but not limited to biblical scholars from all over the world; • Promote dialogue with various groups from different global locations, within and beyond biblical exegesis and theology, that can improve the ecological biblical interpretation and contribute to other areas of knowledge while enhancing knowledge distribution.

Keywords:

Bible, Religion, Christianity, Ecological Crisis, Climate Change, Environment, Hermeneutics

Chairs

Ma. Maricel S. Ibita
Ateneo de Manila University

Ma. Marilou S. Ibita
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and De la Salle University-Manila
malou.ibita@kuleuven.be,
ma.marilou.ibita@dlsu.edu.ph

Ekaterini Tsalampouni
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Wuppertal 2020 Call for Papers

Ecology, the Bible and Ecojustice

In the 2019 Climate Action Summit held in New York, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, expressed the need to win the climate emergency we face. He underlined that “This is not a climate talk summit. We have had enough talk … This is not a climate negotiation summit. You don’t negotiate with nature. This is a climate action summit.” For him, what is necessary is for local, national and global government, businesses, and the civil society including young people, to act together in making sure that ecological concerns are addressed and mitigated while global action plans towards ecological justice are realized. In the 2020 session, the Bible and Ecology research group opens the conversation on ecology, the Bible and ecojustice. It aims to present creative dialogue on this issue among those who work on the ground or climate-damage vulnerable communities, biblical-theological disciplines, and people in policy making bodies in the area of governance, law, business, and religious institutions. One group of invited speakers and an open call for papers will make up the sessions for the 2020 EABS conference in Wuppertal, Germany.