Climate Justice & Faith Concentration

Empowering leaders to cultivate moral, spiritual, and practical power for the work of climate justice in communities of faith.

"La Lucha," mural in PLTS classroom by Cristian Muñoz and Pancho Pescador © 2019.

Description

The concentration is meant for students who have an interest in focusing more deeply on earth-honoring theology, ethics, spirituality, and practices that connect ecological well-being with racial, economic, and gender justice.

This concentration does not require students to take additional courses in their degree program.  Instead, elective coursework is strategically taken by the student to fulfill the course requirements of the concentration.

Learn more about the PLTS Center for Climate Justice and Faith at www.centerforclimatejusticeandfaith.org. 

Goals

PLTS students participate in the “Rise for Climate” march in
downtown San Francisco, September 8, 2018.

Students who complete the requirements for this concentration will be prepared to:

• Lead congregations in developing or deepening climate justice work in their context.
• Practice climate justice work as a spiritual practice, and lead others in doing so.
• Recognize and address intersections of climate change with racial, economic, and gender-based inequity, and intersections of ecological well-being with racial, economic, and gender justice.
• Articulate biblical, ethical, theological, and spiritual grounding for climate justice.
• Articulate and employ a practical theo-ethical framework for building a more ecologically sustainable and socially equitable society.
• Employ key resources of the scientific community related to climate change.
• Collaborate with interfaith and community partners on climate justice.
• Practice hope in the face of the climate crisis.
  
  

Concentration Requirements

1. Pro-Seminar: Pro-seminar or foundational course CERS-4450 Climate Justice: Theology and Action in Relation, to be taken Spring Semester of Year One.
2. Selectives: 2 additional elective courses focused on earth-honoring theology, ethics, spirituality, and practices. The following is a list of courses that is illustrative but not exhaustive of offerings at PLTS, the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), and UC Berkeley that may fulfill this requirement. Distributed Learning (DL) students may take courses in their own localities if approved by Concentration Faculty Director. 
   
   

   PLTS HMRS-3000 Preaching toward Social Transformation (with focused project) HSST-4450 Freedom Theology with Martin Luther (with focused project) ST-2225 Constructive Theology (with focused project) Other courses if a substantial project in them is focused on matters of climate justice.

   Graduate Theological Union RSCE-2300 Climate Change (at Jesuit School of Theology) LSST-4015 Ecology & Liturgy (at Jesuit School of Theology) SPST-2250 Spirituality of the Earth (at Jesuit School of Theology) Other courses as approved by the Faculty Director.

   UC Berkeley ESPM 253 001 - SEM 001 Advanced Readings in Political Ecology LDARCH 201 001 - LEC 001 Ecological Factors in Urban Landscape Design ENERES 276 001 - LEC 001 Climate Change Economics ARESEC 261 001 - LEC 001 Environmental and Resource Economics DEVP 222 001 - LEC 001 Economics of Sustainable Resource Development Other courses as approved by the Faculty Director.

   A major project related to climate justice or creation care in two courses that are not specifically focused on climate justice or creation care may count as one selective. The project must be approved ahead of time byu the Concentration Faculty Director. The two courses need not be in the same term or year. 

3. Reflection/Peer Mentoring: Participation in a cohort reflection/support group that meets at least twice a semester.
4. Contribute: Contribute to the development of PLTS as a Green-Justice Seminary.
5. Activism: Participation each term (not to include internship year) in in-person, on-site engagement with a local climate justice-oriented organization or group. 
6. Integration: Development and completion of an integrative project. Examples include: a project during FE-1147 Ministry in Context III, a project during FE-4450 Internship, the Eco-faith Recovery practicum as part of internship, a project in second half of Christian Faith Formation course, and a project in a FE-2260 Theology of Ministry Practicum.

Concentration Opportunities

• Participation in a selected national or international conference together with colleagues in the Concentration – currently the Bioneers conference.
• Presenting a climate justice related project (a paper, integrative project, MICIII project, etc.) at the annual symposium of student work.
• Peer mutual mentoring on climate justice projects and papers

Concentration Declaration Form

After you are admitted and enrolled at PLTS, you will need to submit this form to declare your concentration(s).

Concentration Declaration Form

For more information about this concentration, please contact:

• Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Faculty Director (Reflection Groups, Course Approval, Course Projects, Integrative Projects)