Creation, Redemption and Environmental Ethics from the Eastern Christian Perspective
(Please note we are now in the process of gathering and editing the proceedings from this conference.)
December 8, 2017
Pleanary Speakers:
Dr. Vigen Guroian
The Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins
A day-long gathering to focus on the various ways the Eastern Orthodox Church, over past centuries and in recent times, has theologized on the questions associated with the goodness of God’s creation and our responsibility to maintain a sustainable and eco-friendly environment. This conference will thus address the central topics of environmental ethics, anthropology, eschatology and soteriology.
We aim to analyze the Eastern Christian approach to the original goodness of this world of ours, the redemptive quality of our effort to maintain its well-being, and the ethos of environmentally-sustainable action. We also endeavor to investigate the nature and destiny of human beings as they relate to the environment. Our tradition (i.e., the patristic heritage) and practice, if explored from this perspective, indeed exhibit certain soteriological and eschatological dimensions; the salvation and transfiguration of humanity imply a radical transformation of our condition so that it may bear the glory of God. The conference will approach this subject from various angles: philosophical, theological, ascetic, liturgical, etc. In general, our goal is to conceptualize the environmental ethos of Eastern Christianity and to formulate our response to the pressing issues of modern life associated with both local and global changes of the environment.
We believe that this conference topic will be of great interest to scholars, religious leaders and social activists because of its enormous significance for the life of the world and the meaning of life that is faithful to authentic sources of Christian ethics and spirituality. The conference conveners plan to produce a scholarly volume of papers presented that will continue the ground-breaking approach characteristic of previous conferences.
Convenors:
Rev. Dr. Sergey Trostyanskiy
Chair, ISEC
Prof. Emeritus Jess Gilbert
Co-Chair, ISEC
Karenna Gore
Director, Center for Earth Ethics
Sponsored by the The Orthodox Peace Fellowship & In Communion, an educational and advocacy organization endorsed by the Assembly of Bishops which exists to promote the Orthodox Christian vision of peace, hospitality, and communion. The organization conducts and publishes academic and popular research, provides courses and training, and sponsors practical peacebuilding and charitable operations in international and domestic situations of conflict or poverty