The Ecological Consciousness of St. Francis of Assisi:
4 sessions of audio lectures plus written materials/exercises/readings
In a famous essay in 1967 Lynn White Jr. identified St. Francis as a possible model for Western Civilization to use to rethink its attitudes toward the natural world. The environmental radicalism of St. Francis is the focus of this course, which draws parallels between his thought and the beliefs of Native Americans and Chinese Taoists, toward the formulation of a global ecological ethic that all people might support. Readings include White’s essay, and essays by other scholars in response to White’s seminal essay, in particular by process theologians like John Cobb Jr and Henlee Barnette.
