The grant from the American Association for the Advancement of Science will help the seminary further integrate science into theological education.
Columbia Theological Seminary | November 1, 1999 Featured on Presbyterian News Service
DECATUR, Ga. — Columbia Theological Seminary has been awarded a Climate Science in Theological Education (CSTE) grant from the American Association for the Advancement of Science through its Science, Ethics, and Religion Dialogues program.
The CSTE Project provides grants to seminaries that address climate science and climate change in the context of theological education and ministry. By incorporating science into seminary teaching and events, religious seminaries and their surrounding communities become more aware of the connections between theological education and science, and are equipped to help their members find answers to science-related questions. More and more leaders will be produced.
Columbia Theological Seminary Professor Mark Douglas, who co-leads the administration of the $15,000 grant with colleague Dr. Martha Moore Keish, said the success of initiatives such as last year's Creating Justice: Shalom for He said Columbia is the perfect place for such a program. Common Home Conference on Climate Justice. For more information about the conference, see here, here, here, and here.
“It felt like they designed it for us,” Douglas said. “Columbia Seminary not only has an established track record of incorporating scientific considerations into its curriculum (including through a grant it received from AAAS nearly a decade ago), but also a commitment to environmental sustainability. Not only do we have a strong commitment to environmental justice (as seen in our two LEED Gold-certified buildings), but our focus on environmental justice is increasingly focused on climate justice. Masu.
“We were lucky to receive this grant, as well as other grants,” he said. “However, it also feels like it was an act of providence to have it. As the modern climate crisis deepens and CTS seeks to follow God's will in response to those crises, It’s exactly what we want most and it moves us forward institutionally on the path we need to take.”
Over the next two years, Columbia University will engage stakeholders on and off campus in a variety of workshops and forums, ultimately focusing on the impacts of climate change and co-hosting with local partner organizations and working with local communities in 2025. We are planning to hold evening activities in the spring of 2020. The importance of pursuing local climate justice initiatives in your immediate area.
Four overlapping components guide your work.
- Conspiracy — Measure Columbia's current carbon footprint and invite scholars working at the intersection of science and environmental justice to speak on campus.
- Communications — Collaborate with campus stakeholders and alumni to promote and promote climate justice in churches and nonprofit organizations served by Columbia University alumni.
- Curriculum — Offering workshops for Columbia University faculty focused on climate justice and pedagogy, and inserting climate justice concerns into the syllabus.
- Communities — ensure these efforts work in partnership with Colombia’s local partners in climate justice.
“We are grateful to have received this generous grant from AAAS,” said Dr. Christine Roy Yoder, senior vice president and dean of Columbia University. “Under the incredible leadership of Dr. Douglas and Moore-Keish, this project is an important and timely next step in Columbia's commitment to becoming stewards and conservators of creation and educating.”
About the American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is the world's largest general science association and publisher of the Science family of journals. This nonprofit organization is open to all and has a mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives such as science policy, international programs, science education, and public engagement. Building on its mission, AAAS established the Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) program in 1995 to foster communication between the scientific and religious communities. For the latest information and news about AAAS DoSER and the Climate Science in Theological Education Project, visit here , here , and here .
About Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary exists to educate and develop faithful, imaginative, and effective leaders for the Church and the world. Columbia Theological Seminary, an educational institution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), is a community of theological exploration, leadership development, and ministry formation in the service of Jesus and His Christian Church. Columbia Theological Seminary is a resource for church professionals and laity through its Center for Lifelong Learning, offering six graduate degree programs and dozens of courses and events. See here for more information.