Eco-Justice & Spirituality

Course Leader:   The Very Reverend Peter Elliott

From its first verses scripture affirms that all creation is interconnected.  Awareness of the interconnectedness of life on this planet includes experiences of climate change through the scale and intensity of wildfires and tropical storms.  And in this interconnected world there is a growing consciousness of racial and economic injustice.  

Making theological sense of life in this pandemic time is the subject of this four-week exploration of Spirituality and Eco-Justice.   Theologian Sallie McFague described spirituality as, "an exploration into what is involved in becoming human," describing "becoming human" as "an attempt to grow in sensitivity to self, to others, to the non-human creation, and to God who is within and beyond this totality."  How does this description of spirituality link with eco-justice?   Building from the theological insight of Dr. Sallie McFague, this course will also consider Christopher Lind’s analysis of economics and ethics, the Catholic eco-justice perspective of Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si, and the work of Jesuit scientist and theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. 

The Very Reverend Peter Elliott served as Dean of Christ Church Cathedral Vancouver from 1994 to 2019.   Currently adjunct faculty at Vancouver School of Theology, Peter is a columnist for the Anglican Journal and a Leadership Coach in private practice.  

Artwork by Susanne Cruickshank from her series on the Lord’s Prayer—this work titled “God: You are the power, beauty, and grace of Creation, the unifying energy of the Universe from age to age.”  Used with artist’s permission. 

Dates:  October 21, 28, November 4 & 11    Time: 7:00-8:00 pm

Registration: $60