Theologian Says Religion Can Save Environment

Religion may be the savior of the environmental movement.

J. Ronald Engel, a theologian and environmentalist, argues that the world’s religions may be the best hope to save the Earth.

“The environmental movement has been torn apart to some degree,” said Engel, a professor of social ethics at the Meadville-Lombard Theological School in Chicago.

“Each of the world’s religions has a different way of thinking about our relationship with nature,” he said.

Engel will be the keynote speaker during a nature and spirituality conference in Spokane this weekend called From Crossed Roads to Convergence.

He said he will discuss how various religions address nature and argue that all of them have some merit and a theological basis. Likewise, each of the world religions has its sins against nature. “They each have some real demons inside,” Engel said.

“All of them put together have an alternative direction for the world,” he said. “The dominant paradigm is to exploit the Earth and solve social problems through growth. Each of the traditions I will talk about has some wisdom that attacks that paradigm.”

This is the first time in the history of religion that so many faiths have taken an interest in nature, he said.

Engel plans to highlight five major premises on which most religious traditions agree. If he has extra time during his talks, he will discuss the idea of “sustainable cities.”

Engel will be joined at the conference by several local presenters:

The Rev. Linda Hart, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church.

Eva Boyd, a Native American educator and granddaughter of Jim Boyd, chief of the Spokane Tribe. She is a storyteller and teaches native crafts and Salish.

Lama Inge, leader of Padma Ling, Buddhist Meditation Center in Spokane.

Brother Franklin Fong, Gonzaga University ecology instructor.

Susan Berlin-Bechio, who works at the Center for Human Development in Coeur d’Alene.

Dances of Universal Peace, a local group of dancers who draw their movements from sacred sayings of world religions.

Henry York Steiner, Eastern Washington University English professor who teaches a class entitled “The Human Prospect.” , DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CONFERENCE From Crossed Roads to Convergence, a conference on nature and spirituality, starts at 7 p.m. today at the Unitarian Church, 4340 W. Fort Wright Drive. The conference continues at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Keynote speaker J. Ronald Engel also will deliver a sermon at the church’s Sunday services and present a slide show at 12:30 p.m. All events are open to the public. Call 325-6382 for more information.