ES570: Practicing Ecotheology

I took this course in Autumn 2026 with Dr. Tim Van Meter. It is part of the “Values Core” of the M.Div Degree.

Through an immersive experience on the campus of MTSO students are invited to reflect on the relation of theology, ecology and their engagement with theological education. Students are encouraged to explore and construct new relationships with food, land, and community. This course serves as the foundational course for all masters degrees, introducing students to MTSO’s core values of justice, sustainability, and generativity.

WorldCat Reading List

The WorldCat list includes both the required reading, as well as the readings that came up in class as recommended things that are related to the course topics. The required reading bibliography below includes the selections when the whole book wasn’t required.

Required Reading

• Berry, Wendell. selected poems “For the Sake of the Objective” & “How to Be a Poet“
• Carter, Christopher. The Spirit of Soul Food: Race, Faith, and Food Justice.University of Illinois Press, 2021.
  • Preface, Introduction “Knowing, Eating, Believing”
• Clingerman, Forrest. “The Intimate Distance of Herons: Theological Travels through Nature, Place, and Migration” Ethic, Place, and Environment: A Journal of Philosophy and Geography. 11:3, 313-325, DOI: 10.1080/13668790802559718
• Harris, Melanie. EcoWomanism: African American Women and Earth-Honoring Faiths. Orbis Books, 2017.
  • Chapters 1 “Honoring Ecowomanist Experience” & 2 “Ecowomanism 101: Method and Approaches”
• Heinrichs, Steve, ed. Buffalo Shout, Salmon Cry: Conversations on Creation, Land Justice, and Life Together. Herald Press, 2013.
  • Heinrichs, Steve – “Introduction: An Indigenous Intrusion Troubles the House: A Call to Decolonization”
  • Woodley, Randy (Keetoowah) – “Chapter 5: Early Dialogue in the Community of Creation”
  • Myers, Ched – “Chapter 6: From Garden to Tower: Genesis 1-11 as a Critique of Civilization and an Invitation to Indigenous Re-Visioning” 
• Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. “The Honorable Harvest” Milkweed Editions, 2015.
• Kimmerer, Robin Wall. (2013, October 1). Returning the gift. Center for Humans & Nature. 
• MTSO Faculty, selected articles: “Ethical AI”, “Ethical AI Prompts for Writing”, “Mission Statement: Just, Sustainable, Generative”, “Writing Reflective Papers”
• Rattan Lal (2024) “Soil, soul, spirituality, and stewardship” Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 79:1, 10A-14A, DOI: 10.2489/jswc.2024.1129A

Additional Multimedia Suggestions

These arose during class discussions. I haven’t engaged with all of them.

• Arrien, A. (1991). Lessons from the geese. Tools for Change.
• Life Around the Table & Friends. (2021a). Eating Together Faithfully: A Framework for Conversation. 
• Dr. Carter’s podcast: The Progressive Christian Podcast
• John Michael Greer’s blog and other writings
• Harris, Joe. “Employers Should Prepare for Religious Objections to Workplace AI Use.” FordHarrison, 2026.
• Morris, Jackie, and Robert Macfarlane. “The Lost Words.” The Lost Words, 2017.
• “Ecopreacher Resource Hub.” Creation Justice Ministries.
• Thriving in Ministry Coordination Program – Creating communities to help prevent burnout in pastors.
  • The projects support pastors in congregational ministries facing transitions, such as beginning in a new congregation or preparing for retirement, as well as those who share common experiences, such as women of color in ministry, bi- or multi-vocational pastors or pastors in rural communities.
  • Lots of articles for specific intersections/minorities around how to think about or deal with specific issues. I’m still digging into it, but a lot of the articles on “female clergy” have been pretty great, and don’t require a lot of translation from christian pastor to pagan priest