Theo-Ethics of Climate Change

St. Olaf students in dialogue with older adults in small group discussion. — A photo of St. Olaf students in dialogue with older adults in small group discussion at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran (Apple Valley, MN).

Kiara Jorgenson, Assistant Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies, developed a course at St. Olaf this spring that intersects environmental education, ethics and theological formation. A large component of the “Theo-Ethics of Climate Change” is an academic civic engagement (ACE) project wherein student teams partner with local Christian communities to create Dialogue and Discussion guides and resources for the congregations to use when learning about and acting upon climate-related topics (i.e. food choices, renewable energies, climate refugees, environmental racism, etc.). This dually-listed religion and environmental studies class promises to run every other spring.

“While they haven’t been able to facilitate conversations within their congregational contexts as planned [due to Covid-19], many student teams have created incredible resources for their partnering congregations and learned a great deal about theological questions and responses in the meanwhile,” says Jorgenson. Listed below are some student work created in correspondence to the course objectives and syllabus.

The Church, Climate Change, and Solar Energy
By Hannah Read, Cannon Stuckert, and Lauren Williams

Environmental Racism and Toxic Waste Disposal
By DeAnia Brown and Shanthi Chackalackal
Partner: Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Minneapolis, MN)

Dialogue and Deliberation Guide

Augustana Lutheran Church (west st. paul, MN)

Augustana Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). They are a friendly, caring, and generous faith community of more than 2,200 members in all stages of life.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Minneapolis, MN)

Founded in 1894, Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities is a congregation with a long history of showing up in remarkable ways to share the good news of God’s love made known in Jesus Christ. In 2016, it became one church with two campuses. Located in urban (Minneapolis) and suburban (Minnetonka) neighborhoods, you’ll find a faith community both unique to its context and united in its commitment to create space and time for God to form relationships that provide meaning as they share in the work of God’s vision for a healed world. Below is a video clip which introduces Bethlehem Lutheran Church in details.

Bethlehem is... — Play Video Bethlehem is…

Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church (apple valley, mn)

A Photo of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church

The Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church(SOTV) are a community of people in every age and every stage of life, where all are invited to grow in their faith through their core ministries of worship, learn, connect, and care.

*Members of Christian communities with interest in future partnership with St. Olaf students are invited to contact Professor Jorgenson directly.

*This story was written about Theo-Ethics of Climate Change taught by Kiara Jorgenson in Spring 2020.