Re-Imagining a Christian Response to a Changing Climate

Exploring Religion & Environment Series

Join us for a series of lunchtime conversations this Fall and Winter focused on exploring religion and the environment. We will be joined by experts, theologians, activists, and thinkers for deep dives into different religious traditions. By blending informative education with ground-breaking discourse, we hope that wherever you are on your own journey exploring faith and our changing world, you will find value in this foray.

Session 1: Re-Imagining a Christian Response to a Changing Climate

What might a faithful Christian response look like in a rapidly changing world? In our launch conversation for our new series, Dr. Julia O’Brien will share her expertise as a scholar of the Hebrew Bible and what implications reading the text differently can have on our theology. Dr. Bradley Johnson will share about his research in faith communities responding to the water crisis in South Africa. Katie Ruth will then moderate a panel discussion further discussing themes that arise in both presentations, and there will be a time for audience Q&A.

Bring your lunch and your questions – we can’t wait to see you there!

This event has been sponsored by Lancaster Theological Seminary.

Your Speakers

Dr Julia O’Brien: Dr. Julia M. O’Brien has held the Paul H. and Grace L. Stern Chair of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible at Lancaster Theological Seminary since 1997. From 1989-1997, she served on the faculty of Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Julia received a BA in Religion from Wake Forest University in 1981, a MDiv from Duke Divinity School in 1984, and a PhD in Hebrew Bible and Semitic Studies from Duke University in 1988, where her areas of study included the history and archaeology of the Old Testament as well as Judaism and literary criticism. Her academic specialties include the prophetic literature of the Hebrew Bible (especially the Minor Prophets); the intersection of gender studies and biblical studies; theological, feminist, and ideological approaches to prophetic books; ethical issues in biblical interpretation; the theology of the Hebrew Bible; violence; and metaphor. Her publications include Micah (Wisdom Commentary Series. Liturgical Press, 2015); Nahum (Sheffield Academic Press, 2001); Nahum through Malachi (Abingdon Old Testament Commentary series, 2004); and Challenging Prophetic Metaphor (Westminster John Knox, 2008). She edited the Oxford Handbook of the Minor Prophets (2020) and the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Gender Studies (2014). With Chris Franke, she co-edited Aesthetics of Violence in the Prophets (T & T Clark, 2010). Publications in progress include a volume on the Prophets for Westminster John Knox Press; a commentary on Second Isaiah for the New Interpretation Commentary series; and the sixth edition of the New Oxford Annotated Bible for which she is an Associate Editor. Julia lectures on various topics related to the Bible and contemporary culture, including (homo)sexuality and the Bible; the family in ancient and modern perspectives; and reading the Bible in the context of the climate crisis. An avid vegetable gardener, she lives in Lancaster County with her husband, David Mull.

Dr. Bradley Johnson: Bradley Johnson is a researcher, writer, and teacher who specializes in global Christianity and the climate crisis. Having worked in government, non-profits, and education, Bradley earned his PhD in Religious Studies from Rice University in 2022, where he focused on various Christian responses to the Cape Town water crisis between 2015 and 2018. His time is largely spent reading, wandering around Philly, and finding ways to work and think toward a better future.

Your Moderator

Katie Ruth: Katie connects humans to the planet, each other, and themselves. As Executive Director at Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light, they are responsible for supporting a volunteer board and small team of staff in cultivating a moral response to climate change that is interfaith, inclusive, and intentional. They hold an MA in Public Leadership, and a BA in Christian theology. Katie is focused on facilitating partnerships between individuals and institutions to promote social change and build community. They are passionate about peacemaking and justice, rooted in their deep connection to the environment. Their career spans a variety of experience in nonprofit administration, grassroots organizing and outreach, and faith-based community services. Katie is involved in several community resilience projects including environmental organizing, safe shelter, and the arts. They are an avid reader, enjoy exploring new places, and are almost always found with a cup of tea in hand.

About our Sponsor

Since 1825, Lancaster Theological Seminary has educated and nurtured leaders to join in God’s redemptive and liberating work so that all creation may flourish. An ecumenical graduate school affiliated with the United Church of Christ, Lancaster Seminary is known for academic excellence, celebration of differences across Christian traditions, and creative engagement with issues important to our world. Learn more at www.lancasterseminary.edu