REL2910 – Religion in the Environmental Crisis – Historical and Systematic Perspectives
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
Against the backdrop of the ongoing environmental crisis, the intersection of religion and ecology is complex and multifaceted. Traditional churches and religious groups are responding to the climate crisis by aiming to "green" their theologies, practices, and institutions. However, the crisis has also spurred a number of religious innovations outside the mainstream, including the creation of new rituals, a revived sense of the sacredness of nature, and a redefinition of the relationships between humans, animals, plants, and the earth itself. This course examines these multifaceted relationships from both historical and systematic perspectives.
The ongoing public and academic debate on the interdependence of religion and ecology has its root in the criticism of the Christian anthropocentrism, which would allow the exploitation of natural resources. This thesis emerged prominently in the late 1960s as countercultural ideas were spreading throughout the Western world, accompanied by a new ecological consciousness. In those years, a propensity for experimentation with new lifestyles, drugs, sexuality, and religion allowed for new ways of thinking about the interface between society and nature.
Against this backdrop, the course will examine various expressions of holistic religiosity that advocate for a deeper connection with a sacralized environment and call attention to their social ramifications, from new-agrarian movements to potentially violent eco-activism. At the same time, the criticism leveled at Christianity constituted a major challenge for the mainstream Churches which, arguably, have been slow to react to the environmental crisis. The course will discuss their response to this challenge, including Pope Francis’ recent encyclical letter, Laudato Si’. Finally, the course will analyze how religion and ecology intersects with other current issues and domains of life, such as literature, cinema, and art, gender relations, and indigenous rights. This complex web portrays religion as being reshaped and redefined through contestation and adaptation.
Learning outcome
At the end of the course, the participants will be able to:
- Summarize in their own words aspects of the relationship between religion and ecology since the 1960s
- Contextualize Western debates in a global perspective and within a broader intersectional network
- Analyze the treatment of religion and ecology in academic, religious, and fictional narratives
Admission to the course
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Teaching
Teaching will be given in the form of five lectures and two seminars throughout the semester. For one of the seminars, students will be expected to hand in a written assignment related to the term paper for feedback.
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Obligatory activities:
Obligatory hand-in of a written assignment.
Examination
Term paper. The term paper must be between 5-8 standard pages (2300 characters without spaces).
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English.You may submit your response in English, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.
Resit an examination
A term paper or equivalent that is passed may not be resubmitted in revised form.
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