ECOLOGY AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

Dr. Mary Frohlich, RSCJ
Catholic Theological Union
Winter 2003
E-mail: frohlich@ctu.edu

Goals of the Course:
1. To attend to the spiritual implications of the present Earth crisis, and seek our own path of response.
2. To practice attending contemplatively to the earth and its creatures.
3. To explore what contemporary scientific insights and practices can contribute to Christian spirituality.
4. To understand basic biblical and theological issues that are involved in re-visioning Christian spirituality in relation to ecological awareness.
5. To gain some familiarity with the variety of practices and wisdom traditions that may be of value for a contemporary ecological spirituality.
6. To develop resources with which to share the vision of ecological spirituality with others

.Required Books:
– Connie Barlow, Green Space, Green Time: The Way of Science (Springer-Verlag, 1997).
– Ernest Callenbach, Ecology: A Pocket Guide (University of California, 1998).
– Dieter T. Hessel and Rosemary Radford Ruether, eds. Christianity and Ecology (Harvard University, 2000).
– Ursula King, ed. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (Orbis,1999).
– Alice Laffey, Appreciating God’s Creation through Scripture (Paulist, 1997).
– Joanna Macy and Molly Brown, Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World (New Society, 1998).

COURSE OUTLINE

October 4 INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

Reading: Callenbach and Laffey, whole books
What is Ecology?
Ecological Crisis as Spiritual Crisis
Preliminary Survey of Ecospiritual Ideas
Video: "The Unfolding Story"
Barlow’s "Five Ways"
Getting Started on "Practices"
Introduction to "Spirituality of Place" re: Chicago/Hyde Park
Place Visit (weather permitting): "The Point"

October 18 THE WAY OF SCIENCE

Be sure to work regularly with your "Place Journals!"
Plan consultation (in person or by telephone) re: your course project.
Read in preparation: Barlow (whole book)
Recommended in Hessel & Ruether: Maguire & Bratton; French
Historical Perspective: The Dialogue of Science and Religion
Video: "The Cosmic Voyage"
The Present Earth Crisis
Scientists’ Contributions to Ecospirituality:
The Ecological Vision
The Evolutionary Epic
Gaia Theory and Its Implications
"Old Story" and "New Story": Challenges for Biblical Religion

October 25 THE WAY OF REFORMING OUR OWN TRADITION

Turn in practice journal for comments.
Read: In Hessel & Ruether: Johnson; Cowdin; Keller; Knitter
King anthology: whole book
Basic Issues for Christian theology
New Hermeneutical Principles for Christian Theology:
"Recycling" Classical Traditions
"Deep Ecumenicity"
The Vision of Teilhard de Chardin
Contemporary Theologians and Spiritual Writers

November 8 PRACTICES FOR RECONCILIATION WITH THE EARTH

Read: Macy (whole book)
Other essays to be assigned
Effects of Denial, Alienation, Trauma, and Grief
Educating Ourselves and Others for the "Ecological Self"
The Way of the Ancients: Indigenous Religions
The Way of Transcendence: Eastern Religions
Place visit: Japanese Garden

December 6 CONVERSION TO THE EARTH

Read: In Hessel & Ruether:
Hiebert, Berry,Burton-Christie, Cobb, Rasmussen, Mische; Conclusion
Where do we go from here?
"Growing your own" Spirituality and Theology of Relationship with Nature.
Prophetic Action and Civic Participation
The Way of Immersion: Spirituality of Place Revisited
Bioregional Spirituality
Student Presentations

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. ATTENDANCE AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
Attendance at all five full-day sessions is presumed. Each session will also involve oral participation and reports (some informal, some more formal) by students.

2. "PLACE JOURNAL"
At the beginning of the course, select a "place" that you will visit in a contemplative spirit regularly throughout the quarter. If the place is very near your home, you may be able to make brief visits every day or several times a week; if it is at a greater distance, your visits may be weekly and more lengthy. The place may be small (your backyard; the vicinity of a particular tree) or larger (a whole park, such as Indiana Dunes State Park). In addition to simply "attending," do some research; learn something about the flora and fauna, the geological and human history, the present ecological challenges, of your "place." Journal your responses, discoveries, insights. Visual media (photography, drawing, video) may be used as well as writing, if you wish. Each week during the course, post a paragraph or an image to Blackboard so that others can share in your spiritual experience of that "place." At the end of the course, hand in selected highlights of your journal that will enable the reader/viewer to know something of your experience of "the spirit of the place." (Due Dec. 12.)

3. EXPERIENTIAL PRESENTATION
Students will develop an experiential exercise and/or presentation of about 20-25 minutes. The intent of the presentation is to awaken, deepen, and/or educate an ecological spirituality. Ideally, it should be something you can actually use in ministry. Group projects are possible, but must be correspondingly longer (i.e 2 people = 40-50 minutes). The presentation may include elements of ritual, reflective process, artistic engagement, slides or video, dramatic reading, music, etc.

4. WRITTEN REPORT
– M.A. students: Select an ecology-related theological issue that has important implications for the spiritual practice of Christians. Prepare: 1) a brief introduction to how this issue relates to spiritual practice; 2) an annotated bibliography of resources for exploring it; 3) a 3-4 page summary of perspectives on the topic. (Total pages: 7-10).
-- All other students: In consultation with the instructor, each student is to select a book for review. (A bibliography will be provided, but you may also propose other texts.) Write a three-page book review, giving an overview of the content and style of the book as well as a personal and critical assessment of its value for the development of an ecological spirituality. (Due Dec. 6)