The Bible, Ecology and Sustainability

Programme

Ecological crisis is one of the most crucial challenges needing combined response in the last decades, now and the most immediate future. In the critical discussion regarding its roots as well as religion’s contribution to address it, 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. Given the pressing global ecological crisis, the research unit would like to continue the critical and inter-/multi-/trans-disciplinary exploration of the Bible and ecology and to link these two to the larger project of sustainability.

 

 The research unit aims to:

  • Explore and employ various methodological trends in reading well-known and uncharted biblical and early Christian texts from ecological and sustainability perspectives.
  • Analyse the use of these texts from the global perspectives of various stakeholders including but not limited to biblical scholars.
  • Encourage dialogue and synergy with various groups from different global locations, within and beyond biblical exegesis.
  • Develop pedagogical strategies in exegesis, theology, and religious education for effective response to pressing pastoral challenges of the climate crisis and sustainability.

Keywords:

Bible, Hermeneutics, Ecological Crisis, Sustainability, Ecumenical/Interreligious Dialogue

Chairs

Ma. Maricel S. Ibita
Ateneo de Manila University

Ma. Marilou S. Ibita
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and De la Salle University-Manila

Tina Dykesteen Nilsen
VID Specialized University 

 Ekaterini Tsalampouni
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki


Member Area

Syracuse 2023 Call for Papers

The increasingly worsening ecological crisis requires global solidarity from everyone including people who belong to faith communities and synergy from all bodies of knowledge. However, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the various local, national, and multi-nation wars around the world, and the prevailing economic systems demand cooperation from all bodies of knowledge including theology and biblical scholarship. The response to the ecological crisis ought to be sustainable and open to various stakeholders as reflected in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). Thus, the Bible and Ecology will expand the dialogue to include the aspect of sustainability in the next five years. For 2023, the research unit will have one session with invited speakers and an open call for paper on what it means for biblical scholarship to engage in ecological and sustainability hermeneutics, what these approaches entail for the development of knowledge and concrete responses inspired by the Bible and explore initial biblical texts that opens itself to the theme of ecology and sustainability.