After Graduation

Environmental Ethics: Career Options in Religions Environmentalism

Academic Disciplines Relevant to the Christian Environmentalist
Career Opportunities in Religion and The Environment

Academic Disciplines Relevant to the Career Christian Environmentalist

Ecology and Theology: Study the applications of the Biblical and Christian tradition to understanding human interactions with the natural world. Develops a Christian or Jewish response to the "Ecological Crisis".

Science and Faith: Study the relationship and epistemological differences between seeing the universe scientifically and seeing the universe spiritually or theologically. Study the promotion of discourse between science and theology. Finds ways to integrate God into a modern understanding of the universe. Deals in-depth with the spiritual and physical nature of the universe.

Earth Literacy: Applies fundamental questions of existence i.e. what it means to be human, problem of evil, purpose of work etc to the study of environmental issues. A discipline without epistemological boundaries, it studies planetary issues by using knowledge from all disciplines including natural science, social science, humanities, the arts, spirituality, religion, theology and personal experience.

Environmental Ethics: Explores the ethical and moral implications of human's treatment of the Earth. It can explore issues on a global prospective by critically examining frameworks like deep ecology, social ecology, eco-feminism, Christian environmentalism, animal rights etc. Or it can mean making critical evaluations of particular practices like meat-eating, strip-mining, bio-engineered food, clear-cutting, etc. Environmental ethicists use critical thinking, presenting of arguments, and cultural critique in their field.

Theology and Public Policy: Study of the appropriate roles religious organizations and spiritual individuals can make in a worldly government and a secular society. Social problems like the environment, nuclear proliferation, world hunger, prison overcrowding, and break down of families is looked at in light of the Biblical and Christian worldview using knowledge from the Bible, spiritual classics and Christian doctrines. Teaches skills in development of Christian responses to social issues and social problems. Examination of church politics, church history and church government are also properly explored, but mostly a theology and public policy program will explore the role the church plays in society. This provides a good background for people going into the religious environmental field.

Animals and Public Policy: Study of animal issues from an interdisciplinary prospective using knowledge from ethics, philosophy, law, political science, sociology, anthropology, and the humanities. Tufts University has a program in Animal and Public Policy. Best bet, if as a Christian you are interested in animal rights, animal welfare, animal protection, or animal theology issues as well as status of animals in society, and human-animal relationship issues. Design program to encompass animals and theology issues.

Environmental Studies: Study of environmental issues from an intellectual interdisciplinary prospective. Environmental studies programs require you to take courses like Environmental Law, Environmental Science, Sociology of the Environment, Environmental Ethics, Nature Writing, or Literature and the Environment. Most environmental studies programs have you take courses in Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences, sometimes in Business schools. Some Christian colleges have a minor or a major in Environmental Studies. Environmental Studies takes you out of the science-policy-economics paradigm, which is essential for being an effective Christian environmentalist.

Career Opportunities in Religion and The Environment

• Work for a non-profit organization with a Christian-environmental emphasis.
• Work for a non-profit organization with a Jewish-environmental emphasis.
• Work for a non-profit organization with an ecumenical emphasis.
• Work with church leadership on a particular initiative or commission with a specific church domination
  
• Work for an ecological mission like Target Earth or A Rocha.
  
• Become a professional theologian.
  
• Become a professor at Christian university-teaching environmentally related subjects.
  
• Work for an eco-justice or social-justice center working on issues of environmental racism.
  
• Write books on Christian environmental related areas.
  
• Develop and implement an environmental related ministry.
  
• Work at a Christian outdoor-related summer camp as an
• Interpretive Naturalist.
  
• Develop environmental education curriculums with Christian environmental themes.
  
• Work for a Secular environmental organization, which is sensitive to religious and spiritual issues.
  
• Organize conferences with religious environmental themes.
  
• Start your own Christian environmental organization.
  
• Work at an outdoor retreat center.
  
• Edit a Christian environmental publication like a newsletter.
  
• Join the Franciscan Order (First, Second, Secular or Ecumenical).

Please email us with any other links that would be appropriate: webmaster@ausable.org

*These options were assembled and described by Daniel Salomon, an Au Sable alumnus, for a Green Box Collection in the Au Sable Library.

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