Religion and Ecology

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OB2_W09

OB2_W12

OB2_U01

OB2_U09

Over the last three decades, an ever-increasing commitment to conservation by all the major religious traditions has been noted. This commitment has resulted in a significant increase in the number of pronouncements by religious leaders on the conservation of nature, accompanied by the growing number of religion-based environmental organizations and their active participation in specific environmental actions. This has led to a greater awareness among politicians, scientists and representatives of various international organizations of the role that religions can play in overcoming the ecological crisis. The State of the World Report of 2003 points :

1) capacity to shape cosmologies (worldviews),

2) moral authority,

3) a large base of adherents,

4) significant material resources,

5) community-building capacity.

The main goal of the course is to show connection between religious traditions and environment.

1. General introduction to the course (6 hours)

2. Judaism and ecology (6 hours)

3. Christianity and ecology (6 hours)

4. Islam and ecology (6 hours)

5. Religion-based environmental organizations (2 hours)

6. Religious initiatives towards environment conservation (4 hours)

ALLISON, Elizabeth. 2007. Religious Organizations Taking Action on Climate Change. Garrison, NY: Garrison Institute.

BAUMAN Whitney A., Richard R. BOHANNON and Kevin J. O'BRIEN. 2011. Grounding Religion: A Field Guide to the Study of Religion and Ecology. London - New York: Routledge.

GOTTLIEB, Roger S. (ed.). 2006. The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Ecology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

GRIM, John and Mary E. TUCKER. 2014. Ecology and Religion. Washington, DC : Island Press.

SADOWSKI, Ryszard F. 2009. „Religion and Ecology” – nowy paradygmat poznawczy. Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae, 7(1), 213-220.

SADOWSKI, Ryszard F. 2012. Religious motivations for the protection of forest ecosystems. Folia oecologica, 39(2), 139-146.

SADOWSKI, Ryszard F. 2017. Resources within Spiritual and Mystical Christian Traditions for the Care of Earth—our Common Home. In: Alliance for the Care of Our Common Home: Taking Forward Laudato si’, edited by Joshtrom I. Kureethadam, 176-189. Rome: LAS.

TUCKER, Mary E. 2003. Worldly Wonder. Religions Enter Their Ecological Phase. Chicago - La Salle: Open Court.

KNOWLEDGE

Student defines and identifies the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

SKILLS

Student, on the basis of logical premises, elaborates the right hypotheses concerning the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

COMPETENCE

Student is aware of the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

ECTS [1 ECTS = 30(25) hours]:

Attendance at lectures: 30 hours.

Reading of the literature: 30 hours

E-learning exercises: 16 hours

Preparation of the paper (2000 words): 22 hours

Consultation with the lecturer: 2 hours

Sum of hours: 100 [100/25=4]

Number of ECTS: 4

KNOWLEDGE:

Grade 2: Student doesn't define and identify the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

Grade 3: Student to a limited extent defines and identifies the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

Grade 4: Student defines and identifies the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

Grade 5: Student fluently defines and identifies the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

SKILLS:

Grade 2: Student, on the basis of logical premises, is not able to elaborate the right hypotheses concerning the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

Grade 3: Student to a limited extent, on the basis of logical premises, is able to elaborate the right hypotheses concerning the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

Grade 4: Student, on the basis of logical premises, is able to elaborate the right hypotheses concerning the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

Grade 5: Student, on the basis of logical premises, is perfectly able to elaborate the right hypotheses concerning the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

COMPETENCE:

Grade 2: Student is not aware of the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

Grade 3: Student is barely aware of the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

Grade 4: Student is aware of the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

Grade 5: Student is perfectly aware of the importance of religion in overcoming the ecological crisis.

The final grade consists of:

1. Class participation and attendance = 25% of your grade

unjustified absence of 1 class - 5,0

unjustified absence of 2 classes - 4,5

unjustified absence of 3-4 classes - 4,0

unjustified absence of 5-6 classes - 3,5

unjustified absence of 7-8 classes - 3,0

unjustified absence of more than 8 classes - 2,0

2. E-learning exercises = 25% of your grade

3. Paper preparation (1500-2000 words) = 50% of your grade

The final grade is the average of the attendance rating (25%), e-larning exercises (25%) and the paper (50%).