| Fora
Since 1980, Au Sable Forums have brought together scholars and practitioners
in the natural sciences, ethics, and theology. Participants prepare,
present and discuss contributions toward a better understanding of
Creation and of ways we can properly care for, keep, and restore it.
These conferences focus on critical areas at the interface of environment
and Christianity- oftentimes areas that previously have been overlooked
or inadequately addressed. Au Sable Forums are therefore at the cutting-edge
of our understanding of environmental stewardship.
A significant proportion of workers in this area, nationally and internationally,
have attended and have been influenced by Au Sable Forums. Their contributions
have been shared with the wider public through books such as: Tending
the Garden: Essays on the Gospel and the Earth (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1987); The Environment and the Christian (Grand Rapids, Baker
Book House, 1991); Missionary Earthkeeping (Atlanta: Mercer University
Press, 1992); and a special issue of the Evangelical Review of Theology (Carlisle
Cumbria, England: Paternoster Press, 1993).
Forum 2002: Global Climate Change
Forum 2002 on Global Climate Change was held on July 14-17, 2002 at St.
Anne's College in Oxford. This event brought together scientists, policymakers,
and religious leaders to address what is perhaps the major environmental
challenge of the 21st Century.
Policymakers
in the United States, the United Kingdom, and worldwide need a solid
grasp of the science of climate change and its consequences. They also
need to be cognizant of the ethical implications of possible responses
to climate change.
Christian individuals and organizations have an important role in
voicing the moral dimensions of this issue. To do so, they need to
be aware of current scientific knowledge as well as to reflect on how
care for the earth is integrally linked with the core doctrines of
creation, redemption, resurrection, and Christ's return.
Therefore,
the purpose of Forum 2002 was to enable top policymakers and religious
leaders to hear directly from scientists about climate change, and
to provide a forum for discussion of how churches, individuals, and
institutions in the wider society should respond.
The Forum gathered over 70 participants for three days of plenary
presentations, group discussions, and working sessions to develop a conference statement.
The Forum was sponsored by the John
Ray Initiative (U.K.) and the Au
Sable Institute of Environmental Studies (U.S.). Organizers are
Sir John Houghton, co-chair of Working Group I of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, and Dr. Calvin B. DeWitt, Professor of Environmental
Studies at the University of Wisconsin - Madison and Director of
the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies.
Previous Forums have been held on the following themes:
1980: Environmental Ethics
1981: Redeeming the Earth
1982: Earthkeeping
1984: Theology of Creation
1985: Missionary Earthkeeping
1986: Environmental Economics
1987: A Christian Land Ethic
1989: Contributions of the New Testament to Environmental Stewardship
1990: Living Your Life as Vocation
1992: Evangelicals and the Environment (with
the World Evangelical Fellowship)
1996: Widening the Stewardship Vision
1998: Love and Care of Creation in Mexico (with the Inter-Religious Council
of Mexico)
|