Friday, November 22, 1:45 PM–5:00 PM

The Religion and Ecology Group invites you to take part in a pre-AAR colloquium to survey and map the theoretical and methodological diversities within the field of religion and ecology. This research area is now robust with multiple avenues of research and activities, including many traditions, voices, theories, approaches, discourses, methodologies, and emphases. It is our goal to collectively discuss and assess where we have come from, where we are, and where we are going. This colloquium is envisioned as a participatory event designed both for those who have long-contributed to this groundbreaking work as well as those who are new to such scholarly conversations.

The goals of this session are as follows:

• To map the intellectual terrain covered by scholars and activists, including those who initiated such scholarly conversations and those who are active in the present and diverse shaping of the field.
• To analyze and identify the common theories and methodologies employed by scholars across the interdisciplinary and multireligious landscape of the field of religion and ecology to date.
• To articulate and explore pertinent questions, theories, methodologies, lacuna, and trajectories that may guide the development of the field in the twenty-first century.

It is our intent that in mapping the terrain, hearing from those who have contributed to the maturation of the field, and suggesting signposts that will point the way forward, we can foster a more timely, focused, and fruitful scholarly conversation for future studies in the field. We hope that you will join this conversation and bring your own expertise and energy.

Panelists:

• Lucas Johnston, Wake Forest University
• Barbara A. B. Patterson, Emory University
• Matthew Riley, Drew University
• Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Seattle University