RELIGIONS AND ECOLOGY

The course is part of the interdisciplinary activities of the Master’s Degree Program in Environmental Humanities, and it aims at the following objectives:
- to study and discuss historical and cultural phenomena related to Christianity and ecology in the late modern and contemporary era in a multidisciplinary context;
- to explore contemporary Christianity and its relationship with ecological issues in these times of environmental crisis;
- to develop critical thinking when discussing in class, possibly generating religious-ecological awareness and inspiring sustainability transformations.

This course has three broad goals: 1. introduce students to the relationship between Christianity and ecology in the XX, and XXI centuries; 2. interrogate primary sources to understand historical and cultural facts; 3. hone students’ skills in reading, writing, and discussing.
The course aims at the following learning objectives:

- to analyze and interpret primary sources, including written texts, film or videos, material culture, and to read secondary sources critically and effectively;
- to develop oral and literary competencies as well as research skills through independent and corporate analysis of primary and secondary sources;
- to identify significant people, movements, places, and events within the topics covered in class;
- to communicate and debate developments and problems within the history of Christianity and its relationship with the environment;
- to think critically about the relationship between global Christianity and ecology.

Nessun prerequisito è necessario

If it is true that Christianity has helped to shape West’s attitudes toward nature, providing basic interpretative stories of what nature is and how humanity should relate to nature, it is a matter of fact that it has responded late in its involvement in the environmental crisis that the societies are facing nowadays. Theology, in the field of ecotheology and environmental theology, has tried to explain this development in different ways, stating that anthropocentric ethics have been all-consuming; that the issues of personal salvation, particularly in the Protestant world, have superseded all others; that divine-human relations, instead of human-nature relations, have been primarily; that the material world has been devalued by religions in general. However, more aspects than theological ones are at stake in how Christianity has responded to the environmental crisis. This course aims to historically, culturally, and politically examine the relationship between global Christianity and ecology in the modern era, particularly between the late 1960s and 2000s, when Christian denominations started to reflect and act pursuing an ecological trajectory. It will explore how different Christian traditions faced the urgency of the ecological debate, what strategies they developed, and to what extent their efforts influenced society as a whole on a global scale. Major actors involved in the Christian environmental debate (and their theological works) will be explored.

An essay will be assigned for each topic covered during lectures.
A list of readings for the seminar format will be provided every week on Moodle.

Oral and written exam.
The following activities will be assessed:
- Active participation in class discussions;
- Research activity: 1. research paper (5-10 pages; 12-font size, 1,5-spaced; the topic is the student’s choice but will be worked out with and approved by the professor. It could preferably be an in-depth analysis of a set of primary sources, such as archival material, oral interviews, websites and videos, etc.); or 2. Case study (team work is also possible);
- Class presentation of the research activity;
- Oral exam on the reading list.
The highest grade obtainable is 30/30 with honors.
Grade Breakdown:
Class participation + class presentation 30%
Research activity 30%
Final Exam 40%

Classes feature discussions and critical thinking. In every class, the professor’s lecture will be followed by a discussion on a weekly assigned primary source, written or visual, using a seminar format. During lectures, the professor will provide backgrounds and suggestions with which students can interpret the sources. Active learning tools (quizzes, short videos, polls, etc.) will be used while in class.

Inglese

scritto e orale

Questo insegnamento tratta argomenti connessi alla macroarea "Cambiamento climatico e energia" e concorre alla realizzazione dei relativi obiettivi ONU dell'Agenda 2030 per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile