4.11 Music, Faith, and Ecological Crisis, with Mark Porter

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

52:22

Season 3 of the smash hit FX/Hulu show “The Bear” roared to life just days ago, but Will Poulter (the actor who plays fan-favorite Luca) and 2014 F&W Best New Chef Dave Beran had been prepping for weeks. Poulter — like his co-star Jeremy Allen White — staged with Beran at his Santa Monica restaurant Pasjoli to learn how to accurately portray a professional chef onscreen. The lessons went so well, Beran says he’d hire Poulter as a cook — even despite a messy mishap with a pastry bag. The two dished all about getting kitchen culture right on and offscreen, what it takes to be at the top of your craft, and the pure magic of a great restaurant service. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

about a year ago 57:31

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This episode features Mark Porter, PhD, research associate at the University of Erfurt, in Germany. With a background in ethnomusicology, his current work focuses on Christian musical innovation and changing ecological relationships, based at his university’s department for theology and religious studies. We discuss his work at the intersection of music, religion and ecology, particularly in light of his forthcoming book, For the Warming of the Earth: Music, Faith, and Ecological Crisis (due out in June 2024 with SCM Press). Some of the topics covered include climate albums, music and acts of protest, song festivals, ecological Requiems, and the future of ecomusicology. You can learn more about his work on his website: https://markporter.co.uk

162 episodes

#Religion #Sam Mickey

4.11 Music, Faith, and Ecological Crisis, with Mark Porter

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

162 episodes

#Religion #Sam Mickey

All episodes

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

1
5.17 Flourishing Kin, with Yuria Celidwen 1:09:04

24 days ago1:09:04

1:09:04

This episode features Yuria Celidwen, PhD , a native of Indigenous Nahua and Maya lineages from the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. We discuss her work as a scholar, researcher, and writer working at the intersection of Indigenous studies, cultural psychology, and contemplative sciences. We focus in particular on her book, Flourishing Kin: Indigenous Wisdom for Collective Well-Being (2024). We also discuss some of the complexities involved with psychedelic research, including an article she co-authored, " Ethical Principles of Traditional Indigenous Medicine to Guide Western Psychedelic Research and Practice ."…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.16 Mother, Creature, Kin, with Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder 54:53

5 weeks ago54:53

54:53

This episode features Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder , a writer at the confluence of relationship to place with experiences of the sacred. She has a masters of theological studies from Harvard Divinity School, and she's worked as a staff writer and editor for Emergence Magazine. Her writings have been published in numerous venues. We talk about her personal and professional journey into the intersection of religion and ecology, particularly with reference to her new book, Mother, Creature, Kin: What We Learn from Nature's Mothers in a Time of Unraveling (Broadleaf Books, 2025). From microbes to megafauna and everything in between, the natural world is full of lessons about care, kinship, and mothering, lessons that ca provide support during our transitional time.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.15 Trees for Earth Day, with Beth Nortcross, Leah Rampy, & Laura Pustarfi 58:12

7 weeks ago58:12

58:12

On this special Earth Day episode, we feature the work of three writers who focus on the wonderful world of trees: Beth Norcross , Leah Rampy , and Laura Pustarfi . Beth and Leah are the authors of the new book (released on Earth Day 2025), Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees . Laura is the editor of an anthology (co-edited with David Macauley), The Wisdom of Trees: Thinking Through Arboreality (forthcoming in June 2025). Enjoy this thought-provoking discussion about trees and the questions they raise about agency, value, intelligence, wisdom, and relationality.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.14 Cathy Coleman and the Life and Legacy of Ralph Metzner 54:02

9 weeks ago54:02

54:02

This episode features Cathy Coleman, Ph.D., a former dean of students at California Institute of Integral Studies, president of Kepler College, and director of IONS’ EarthRise Retreat Center. We discuss her new anthology, Ralph Metzner, Explorer of Consciousness: The Life and Legacy of a Psychedelic Pioneer . Cathy was Ralph Metzner’s wife of 31 years, and they worked closely together. We discuss the vast impact of Ralph Metzner’s healing therapies and wisdom on colleagues, students, clients, and the fields in which he worked. Renowned as a pioneering psychologist, psychedelic elder, alchemical explorer, and shamanic teacher, the late Ralph Metzner (1936–2019) contributed profoundly to consciousness research, transpersonal psychology, and contemporary psychedelic studies across his more than 50 year career. Metzner was also an influential teacher of our host (Sam Mickey), who contributed a chapter to this wonderful volume.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.13 Philosophy, Ecology, and Conversion with Russell Duvernoy 58:08

12 weeks ago58:08

58:08

This episode features Russell Duvernoy, PhD, Associate Professor of Philosophy at King's University College at Western University in London, Ontario. We discuss Russell’s engagement with process philosophies, environmental philosophy, contemporary Continental philosophy, and comparative philosophy (including classical Daoism, Mahayana Buddhist philosophy, and world Indigenous philosophies). We touch on topics like attention, affect, tensions between speculative and existential philosophies, and the idea of ecological conversion. Some of these topics are covered in his monograph, Affect and Attention after Deleuze and Whitehead: Ecological Attunement (Edinburgh University Press, 2020).…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.12 Rewilding Christianity with Rev. Dr. Lisa Dahill 57:04

14 weeks ago57:04

57:04

This episode of Spotlights features the Rev. Dr. Lisa Dahill, Miriam Therese Winter Chair for Transformative Leadership and Spirituality and Director of the Center for Transformative Spirituality at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. We talk about her personal and professional engagement with ecological theology, her study of the German Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the liturgical and ritual practices involved in rewilding Christianity, and much more.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.11 Getting to Know Our Host, Sam Mickey 1:00:51

16 weeks ago1:00:51

1:00:51

This episode turns the spotlights onto our host, Sam Mickey. Kimberly Carfore came back on the podcast to interview Sam and talk about the way that his experiences, personal life, and religious commitments relate to his work in the field of religion and ecology. This podcast has been running for five years, and one of the frequent request we receive is to hear more about Sam's perspective, so we finally decided to have an episode where the interviewer becomes the interviewee.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.10 Caring for Creation with the Rev. Dr. Nancy Wright 55:50

18 weeks ago55:50

55:50

This episode features the Rev. Dr. Nancy Wright, Pastor of Creation Care with the Evangelical Lutheran church in America. We discuss many facets of her life and work, from personal experiences with faith, interpretations of ancient scripture, the theology of Martin Luther, process theology, and much more, including attention to water stewardship, interreligious perspectives, and forest therapy. This episode is full of information and inspiration that provides a beacon of hope during our complicated times.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.9 Reviewing The Serviceberry, by Robin Wall Kimmerer 23:20

20 weeks ago23:20

23:20

This episode features our host reviewing the latest book by Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World , focusing specifically on the idea of a gift economy. The book invites us to transition from the extractive and exploitative market economy that is dominant around the globe to a gift economy oriented around abundance, reciprocity, and gratitude. It is an informative and inspiring book that works as a good introduction to Kimmerer's work for those unfamiliar with her while also adding more depth for those who have already read her previous works, like Braiding Sweetgrass .…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.8 Jimmy Carter at the American Academy of Religion 1:21:43

22 weeks ago1:21:43

1:21:43

This episode focuses on the enduring legacy of President Jimmy Carter (1924-2024). We feature a plenary address that Carter gave for the American Academy of Religion in San Diego on November 24, 2014. The Plenary Panel was called The Role of Religion in Mediating Conflicts and Imagining Futures: The Cases of Climate Change and Equality for Women. He led with comments on women’s issues as his book on women had just been published, A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence and Power. This was followed by an interview with Mary Evelyn Tucker and Steven Kepnes. He addressed many issues, including climate change, energy, China's approach to Ecological Civilization, nuclear issues, the Earth Charter, peace, and more.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.7 American Academy of Religion: Kim Carfore's Conference Review 48:37

26 weeks ago48:37

48:37

This episode features Kimberly Carfore, PhD, co-chair of the religion and ecology unit at the American Academy of Religion (AAR). We discuss the religion and ecology events at this year's annual meeting of the AAR, including some of the panel presentations, receptions, overarching themes, and future directions for this unique unit. Hope, happiness, Indigenous values, and feminist theology are among the topics we cover. Many previous podcast guests are mentioned in the process, underscoring how much the field of religion and ecology is a community built on shared concerns and solidarity.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.6 Biocultural Conservation with Ricardo Rozzi 1:05:11

29 weeks ago1:05:11

1:05:11

This episode features Ricardo Rozzi, PhD, a Chilean ecologist and philosopher who is a professor at the University of North Texas and the Universidad de Magallanes (UMAG). His research combines ecology and philosophy through the study of the interrelations between the ways of knowing and inhabiting the natural world, proposing a dynamic continuous reciprocal feedback between both domains. We discuss his work with biocultural conservation, field environmental philosophy, and liberation theology, with particular attention to the unique cultural, ecological, and political context of Chile and Latin America.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.5 Trees and Spirituality in Nature, with Beth Norcross 47:49

31 weeks ago47:49

47:49

This episode features Beth Norcross, founder and director of the Center for Spirituality in Nature , which provides numerous programs that offer spiritual guidance for developing deep, sustained, loving relationships with nature. She is also the co-author (with Leah Rampy) of a forthcoming book, Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees , which will be published with Broadleaf Books on Earth Day (April 22) 2025. We discuss her perspective on the intersection of spirituality and nature, and her deep appreciation for the wisdom of trees.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.4 Paul Waldau on Animals and Sentience in Religion, Science, and Ethics 1:02:04

33 weeks ago1:02:04

1:02:04

This episode features Paul Waldau, an educator, activist and scholar who works at the intersection of animal studies, law, ethics, religion, and cultural studies. Former professor at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, where he is the senior faculty for the Master of Science program in Anthrozoology, he is an author and editor of several books on animal studies, including The Specter of Speciesism: Buddhist and Christian Views of Animals (Oxford University Press, 2001), Animal Studies: An Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2013), and A Communion of Subjects: Animals in Religion, Science, and Ethics, edited with Kimberey Patton (Columbia University Press, 2006). We talk about animals, sentience, dialogue between science and religion, and much more.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.3 Spiritual Ecology with Les Sponsel 50:44

35 weeks ago50:44

50:44

This episode Les Sponsel, PhD, Professor Emeritus in the department of Anthropology at the University of Hawaii. We talk about his transdisciplinary research and teaching as one of the pioneers in developing the field of spiritual ecology—a complex. diverse, and dynamic arena at the interfaces of religions and spiritualities on the one hand and, on the other, environments, ecologies, and environmentalisms with intellectual, spiritual, and practical components. Along with numerous journal articles, book chapters, encyclopedia articles, monographs, and several edited and co-edited books, he is also the author of the highly acclaimed book, Spiritual Ecology: A Quiet Revolution (2012). You can learn more on his website, https://spiritualecology.info/…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.2 Philip Arnold and the Urgency of Indigenous Values 49:45

37 weeks ago49:45

49:45

This episode features Philip Arnold, PhD , Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Religion at Syracuse University, Director of the Skä·noñh—Great Law of Peace Center, and President of the Indigenous Values Initiative. He is interviewed by John Grim, PhD, co-founder and co-director of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology. They talk about many facets of Phil’s work, especially in light of his new book, The Urgency of Indigenous Values (Syracuse University Press, 2023).…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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5.1 Season 5 Opening 11:49

39 weeks ago11:49

11:49

Welcome to the beginning of the fifth year for the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology podcast. In this short episode, our host welcomes everyone to a new season, while also giving a brief refresher about what religion and ecology is all about. It is an academic field of study as well as a moral force for personal and social change, examining the problems and promise that religious traditions hold for facilitating the emergence of a sustainable and just Earth community.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.23 Peter Sloterdijk on Prometheus's Remorse 17:19

48 weeks ago17:19

17:19

This is the final episode of our fourth season. In this short episode, our host gives a quick summary of how the podcast has grown in the last four years. Then he gives a brief overview of a new book on climate change from the German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk, Prometheus’s Remorse: From the Gift of Fire to Global Arson . It's a good account of the cultural, ecological, and ethical implications of humanity's unique and complicated relationship with fire. The Forum on Religion and Ecology podcast will be back with a new season of episodes soon. Now is a good time to go through previous seasons to catch any episodes you might have missed, or enjoy some of your favorite episodes a second time.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.22 Kathryn Lawson on Simone Weil and Ecological Ethics 54:59

50 weeks ago54:59

54:59

This episode features Kathryn Lawson, PhD , lecturer in philosophy at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. We discuss her new book, Ecological Ethics and the Philosophy of Simone Weil: Decreation for the Anthropocene , which was just released in the Environmental Ethics series at Routledge. We discuss her unique juxtaposition of the 20th-century French philosopher Simone Weil and the challenges that the Anthropocene poses for ecological ethics. Some of the topics covered include Weil's concepts of decreation, grace, attention, and ethical action, as well as Weil's reading of Plato as a non-dual thinker who affirms life and embodiment. This episode will surely be of interest to anyone concerned with the importance of spiritual practice for ecological ethics as well as anyone concerned with the way that the Western philosophical traditions bears upon contemporary ecological issues.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.21 Bruno Latour, If We Lose The Earth, We Lose Our Souls 30:57

1 year ago30:57

30:57

This episode features our host, Sam Mickey, discussing the new posthumous publication from the French philosopher Bruno Latour, If We Lose The Earth, We Lose Our Souls , in which Latour calls upon Christians to join the struggle to avert a climate catastrophe. It's a short text that examines connections between cosmology, ecology, and Catholicism, including discussion of Pope Francis, incarnation, redemption, apocalypse, preaching, the problem of anthropocentrism, and more.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.20 Timothy Morton, Hell: In Search of a Christian Ecology 1:10:33

1 year ago1:10:33

1:10:33

This episode features Timothy Morton, PhD, Rita Shea Guffey Chair in English at Rice University and author of several books on ecological thought. We discuss their new book, Hell: In Search of a Christian Ecology (Columbia University Press, 2024). Escaping global warming hell, this revelatory book shows, requires a radical, mystical marriage of Christianity and biology — the biosphere and the body of Christ — that awakens a future beyond the master-slave binary underlying racism, sexism, classism, and speciesism. We discuss the personal, poetic, political, and spiritual dimensions of this passionate, erudite, and playful book.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.19 Saving the Elwha River's Legacy Forests with Missy Lahren 48:24

1 year ago48:24

48:24

This episode features Missy Lahren, PhD, Chair of Board of Directors at Earth Law Center. Along with her work as a public interest lawyer, she is also a producer and writer. We discuss the many facets of her work, focusing in particular on her recent film, Last Stand: Saving the Elwha River's Legacy Forests . It premiered publicly at EarthX in Dallas on April 24, 2024. We had a chance to talk on the day of the premiere. Here is a short summary of the film from the Earth Law Center. "When a large, ecologically sensitive legacy forest in the heart of the Elwha River Watershed in Washington state was identified for harvest, the Earth Law Center, Keystone Species Alliance, and Center for Whale Research began using all legal means possible against the Washington State Department of Natural Resources in an attempt to halt the impending clear-cut. Through breathtaking cinematography and intimate interviews, witness the profound beauty and ecological significance of the watershed, as well as the dire consequences of unchecked deforestation." You can watch the film on Earth Law Center's YouTube channel Visit their Elwha Legacy Forests page to read more about the critical ongoing campaign to save these irreplaceable forests.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.18 Sara Jolena Wolcott of Sequoia Samanvaya 55:47

1 year ago55:47

55:47

This episode features Sara Jolena Wolcott, an ecotheologian, minister, healer, ceremonialist, consultant, singer, and founder of Sequoia Samanvaya—an organization dedicated to harmonizing with ancient wisdom. She is also the host of The ReMembering And ReEnchanting Podcast . We discuss some of the many facets of her interdisciplinary but also cross-sector work. She addresses the crucial role that origin stories play in cosmovisions, and why it is so important for the climate leadership and religious leadership to take them seriously. She also focuses on decolonization as a critical and often-missing piece from ecospiritual discussions. She discusses her time at Union Theological Seminary, including her experience volunteering for a climate Justice conference hosted by the Center for Earth Ethics, led by Karenna Gore. She has ongoing courses and boutique offerings for academics, spiritual/religious leaders, environmentalists, investors, and others who are being called forth to live courageously in these times of interconnectivity. These include a ReMembering Course , an Origin Stories course , and Circular Calendar courses . Listeners might also enjoy reading Sara Jolena's published work, including articles about circular time - The Deer at the End of the World and the Goddess of the Dawn and Reckonings with Time(s) ; her M.Div. thesis ReMembering the Story of the Anthropocene Age; and the From the Darkness .…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.17 Bioneers 2024 in Review, with Kimberly Carfore 1:04:53

1 year ago1:04:53

1:04:53

In this episode, Kimberly Carfore returns to the podcast to talk about this year's Bioneers conference, which was held in Berkeley, California on March 28-30. Bioneers is a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization based in New Mexico and California. Founded in 1990 by Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons, Bioneers (a neologism for "biological pioneers") focuses on the value and wisdom of the natural world, emphasizing that responses to problems must be in harmony with the design of natural systems. The conference is broadly interdisciplinary and cross-sector, with academics, artists, activists, entrepreneurs, and social innovators meeting to address the pressing challenges facing life on Earth. Kim discusses her experience at the conference, focusing especially on some of the speakers who presented at the Indigenous Forum.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.16 Energy and Change, with Clayton Crockett 1:07:08

1 year ago1:07:08

1:07:08

This episode features Clayton Crockett, PhD , Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion and the Director of the interdisciplinary Religious Studies program at the University of Central Arkansas. He has authored or edited a number of books at the intersection of theology, philosophy, science, and politics, including Religion, Politics and the Earth (with Jeffrey Robbins); The Future of Continental Philosophy of Religion; Derrida After the End of Writing; and Radical Political Theology. We discuss his most recent book, Energy and Change: A New Materialist Cosmotheology (Columbia University Press, 2022), which develops a concept of energy as both physical and spiritual, integrating understandings of energy from a wide range of sources, such as thermodynamics, ecology, new materialist philosophy, political economy, Chinese traditions, Amerindian traditions, Vodou, process theology, and more.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.15 Climate Chaplaincy with Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner 58:24

1 year ago58:24

58:24

This episode features Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner, Reconstructionist rabbi and interdenominational climate change chaplain based in New Haven, Connecticut. As a rabbi, meditation teacher, climate change chaplain, and educator, she founded Exploring Apocalypse to extend her pastoral care work to help individuals and groups navigate the complexities of living in a time of climate emergency. We talk about her work, the emotional and spiritual impacts of climate change, intergenerational trauma, the intertwinement of climate change with social, cultural, and political issues, and paths toward hope.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.14 Integration and Synthesis with Craig Patterson 55:33

1 year ago55:33

55:33

This episodes features Craig Patterson, a long-time activist and advocate weaving together multiple perspectives to address contemporary environmental issues. We talk about his commitment to integration and synthesis, seeking alliances and unity amidst difference. Some points of integration we discuss include science and spirituality, East and West, and theory and practice. He shares his formative experience in Auroville, the experimental city grounded in the integral thinking of the Indian philosopher and yogi Sri Aurobindo. He also talks about his dedication to issues of forestry in Oregon, where environmental science, policy, and management converge.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.13 Chantal Forbes & Charlie Forbes on the Field & Force of Religion & Ecology 1:03:07

1 year ago1:03:07

1:03:07

This episode of the FORE podcast features Chantal Forbes, PhD, and her partner Charlie Forbes. Chantal is a transdisciplinary scholar, storyteller, and educator at the intersection of ecology, spirituality, and culture. She is a visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Randolph-Macon College and Adjunct Faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Charlie is a cultural ecologist who employs a mixed-media approach to the study of ecology, spirituality, and religion. He currently serves as the program coordinator for the Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. We had a wonderful and wide-ranging conversation about the field and force of religion and ecology, touching on topics like interfaith/interreligious perspectives, Indigenous lifeways, decolonization, ethnographic and community-based methods, nonprofit management, and more.…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.12 Degrowth, Faith, and the Future, with Chad Baron 56:02

1 year ago56:02

56:02

This episode features Chad Baron, co-founder of a new organization, Degrowth California. Degrowth is a hotly contested and frequently misunderstood movement among advocates of environmental sustainability and social justice. We discuss degrowth and its relationship to faith, particularly in light of Chad’s graduate work at the intersection of degrowth and Catholic Social Teaching. Some of the topics we touch on include the ways that degrowth differs from green growth and from austerity, differences between degrowth in different countries in the Global North and Global South, and connections between degrowth and Catholicism, from early Christianity to Catholic Social Teaching and Pope Francis. You can learn more about Degrowth California here: https://degrowthcalifornia.org/…

Forum on Religion and Ecology: Spotlights

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4.11 Music, Faith, and Ecological Crisis, with Mark Porter 57:31

1 year ago57:31