WCC launches online survey on theology schools to probe climate justice
16 October 2014
A new online survey supported by the World Council of
Churches (WCC) aims to promote the study of issues such as the
environment, climate change and food security as part of the training of
future pastors, priests and other Christian leaders.
"Activities organized by the WCC in various parts of the world in
regard to climate change, environment and ecological justice have
highlighted the need to have an assessment of what is being done, share
good practices and provide theological insights on climate, environment
and the wider creation," said Guillermo Kerber, WCC programme executive
for climate justice.
The "Global Survey on Ecotheology, Climate Justice and Food Security
in Theological Education and Christian Leadership Development" aims to
map the current situation of training, teaching and research on these
matters, as well as the resources and examples of good practice that are
available.
The survey is open until the end of February 2015 and may be accessed online at:
http://bit.ly/ecotheology.
The survey is aimed at teachers, lecturers and students in
theological education institutions of all kinds, such as university
theology faculties, church-linked theological colleges and seminaries,
Bible schools, lay academies and distance-learning courses.
It is also aimed at people in faith-based organizations, specialized
ministries and NGOs that have resources that could be used in programmes
of theological education, formation and leadership development.
Following earlier discussions this year at the meeting of the WCC
Working Group on Climate Change, the survey also will be presented
during the
Lima Climate Change Conference to be held in December. In
June 2015, at a WCC-sponsored conference at the Orthodox Academy of
Crete, findings of the survey will help to prepare a handbook on green
churches, based on a proposal coming from the Ecumenical Institute
seminar held in Bossey this year.
Issues such as ecology and climate justice are among the key elements
of the emphasis on “pilgrimage of justice and peace” coming from the
WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, Republic of Korea, 2013.
The results of the survey will contribute to an online collection of resources within the
Global Digital Library on Theology and Ecumenism (GlobeTheoLib) which is hosting the survey.
GlobeTheoLib is a joint project of the WCC and
Globethics.net, a
Geneva-based global ethics network. In September, under the title
Religions for Climate Justice, Globethics.net published a collection of international interfaith statements on climate change, in cooperation with the WCC.
Stephen Brown, programme executive for GlobeTheoLib at
Globethics.net, said: "We look to the results of this survey to promote
the genuine sharing of resources between North and South on one of the
most crucial issues for the future of humanity, and of creation itself."
In addition to the WCC, the survey is supported by Globethics.net,
the German development agency,
Bread for the World and the
United Evangelical Mission in association with the
Orthodox Academy of Crete
and
Volos Academy for Theological Studies.
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extermination for those considered excess. 
