Religion 172 - Religion and Ecological Movements

This course introduces students to the complex relationships among religion, ecology, and culture. Religions have been instrumental in shaping how societies understand what nature is and what humans' place in it is. Environments have also molded religions, spiritualties, and societies. In this course, we explore how ecological movements of all sorts--from the global to the local--draw upon religions, faith traditions, and spiritualities from all around the world to advance their diverse goals. Some framing questions include: How do global faith/religious traditions hinder or support ecological regeneration? Can spiritual-led eco-movements help reorient and re-imagine the dominant views of nature spurred by Western religions? Is an ecologically oriented society possible or even desirable? What would it look like? How does intersectionality figure into ecological concerns? What about animal rights? These and other questions invite students to gain a deeper understanding of our being and actions amid an increasingly fragile ecosystem and ever-expanding cosmos.