This 5-session online course explores some ways we can expand creation care beyond committee actions, material stewardship, and personal life adjustments, onto a more integrated expression of whole church life. How might faith communities more fully embody an inclusion of all creation in their lives of faith, worship, and witness?
Students will be expected to come prepared for each live session on Monday evenings having completed assigned readings and exercises. Class time online will be spent in discussion and exploration.
OVERVIEW OF THE SESSIONS
- Session One: Seeking a Deeper Green Faith (Deep Green Faith Described). Comparing deep green and shallow green practices and expressions.
- Session Two: Uncovering the Deep Green Gospel (Bible and Theology). Naming and claiming the biblical witness to God’s dream for all creation.
- Session Three: Dancing a Deep Green Faith (Prayer and Worship). Identifying places and opportunities for expressing and celebrating good news to all creation in prayer and liturgy.
- Session Four: Being the Deep Green Body of Christ (Community and Hospitality). Seeking habits and practices of shared church life and their qualities of incarnation as the body of Christ in God’s New Creation.
- Session Five: Being Deeply Green in the World (Witness and Service). Finding ways faith communities can be faithful ambassadors of Christ to all creation and witnesses to the reconciliation of all things.
Together we will explore ways to move toward a deeper green faith practice.
- 5-week blended (synchronous and asynchronous) course
- Approximately 3 hours a week engagement
- Involves independent study (reading, watching, listening, and/or writing)
- Online text-based discussion (asynchronous)
- Five live online sessions for group learning (synchronous via Zoom) with instructor and peers
REQUIRED TEXTS
- Ragan Sutterfield, Climate change is a symptom of deeper planetary dysfunction (The Christian Century, September 22, 2021)
- Jerry Cappel, A Call for Deeper Green Leadership
- Norman Wirzba, All Creatures (The Christian Century, July 22, 2015)
- NT Wright, Resurrection and the Renewal of Creation (Free Ebook with sign up – ntwrightonline.org)
About the Author
Jerry Cappel
The Rev. Jerry Cappel is an ordained Episcopal priest currently serving as the Director of the Center for Deep Green Faith. He also serves as the Environmental Network Coordinator for Province IV of The Episcopal Church. Rev. Cappel has a Ph.D. in religious education and over twenty years of experience in corporate training and development. He has worked as an author and editor of youth and adult education materials for Smyth & Helwys Publishing in Macon, GA and Church Publishing in New York.