Faith-Ecological Integrity is Seminar Topic

Christian communities around the world have begun to respond to environmental problems, but often struggle to explain how ecological integrity matters for Christian faith.

Willis Jenkins
Willis Jenkins, assistant professor of social ethics at Yale Divinity School

Willis Jenkins, assistant professor of social ethics at Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Conn., will speak on “Environmental Ethics and Christian Theology,” 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21 in the Suter Science Center auditorium.

Dr. Shelly L. Thomas, assistant professor of biology at EMU, and Dr. Kenton K. Brubaker, professor emeritus of biology at EMU, will respond to Jenkins’ presentation.

Jenkins received a BA degree from Wheaton (Ill.) College and MA and PhD degrees from the University of Virginia. His research focuses on environmental ethics, religion and sustainable development, and moral theologies. He has taught at UVa. and at a rural campus of Uganda Christian University.

Jenkins has significant international experience in community development initiatives, was co-founder of the Episcopal Young Adult Service Corps, and served on the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on World Mission, 2000 to 2006.

He has published articles in the Journal of Religion, Environmental Ethics, Anglican Theological Review, Worldviews: Environment, Culture, Religion and the Journal of Lutheran Ethics.

“Our speaker will describe several major problems in environmental ethics, some of the ways that theological traditions approach those problems and how traditions may be changing in this contemporary encounter of faith and sustainability,” said Roman J. Miller, Suter Endowed Professor of Biology at EMU.

The seminar, co-sponsored by the Shenandoah Anabaptist Scientific Society, is open to the public free of charge. Refreshments will be served 15 minutes prior to the presentation.

For more information, contact Dr. Miller, 540-432-4412 or email millerrj@emu.edu.