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Judaism

Explore the Faith for Earth Resource

In this section you will learn about the relationship between the Sabbath and the land, the importance of stewardship toward nature in the Jewish tradition, and read about “Elijah’s Covenant," a letter signed by Jewish leaders from around the world calling for action on climate change.

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Introduction: The Jewish Declaration on Nature

"The festivals of the Jewish religion do call upon us to stand before God, in awe at his majesty, trembling before His judgments, but that is not the dominant mood of the Jewish faith. The festivals celebrate, in joy..." Read More & Listen to Genevieve Kennebrae

Christianity

Explore the Faith for Earth Resource

In this section you will read sections from the New Testament that guide Christianity's environmental ethics, learn about Pope Francis' encyclical "Laudato Si," and encounter responses to climate change from the perspective of different Christian denominations.

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Introduction: The Christian Declaration on Nature

"God declared everything to be good, indeed, very good. He created nothing unnecessarily and has omitted nothing that is necessary…creatures have received their mode of existence by the will of the Creator, whose..." Read More & Listen to Kathy Sharp

Islam

Explore the Faith for Earth Resource

In this section you will explore parts of the Qur'an and Hadith that lay the foundation for Islam's relationship with, and conduct toward, creation and read (or listen to) the Statement on Fossil Fuel Divestment by the Fiqh Council of North America.

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Listen to the Statement on Fossil Fuel Divestment by the Fiqh Council of North America.

Introduction: The Muslim Declaration on Nature

"Unity, trusteeship, and accountability, that is tawheed, khalifa, and akhrah, the three central concepts of Islam, are also the pillars of the environmental ethics of Islam. They constitute the basic values taught by the..." Read More & Listen to Saffet Abid Catovic

Getting A Sounding: Voices from Around the World

Rabbi David Rosen: A Life Commitment To Bringing People Together Across Divisions

Fr. Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam: 1.5 Degrees And A Changing Climate -- This Is Happening Quickly

Questions for Classroom & Community

Could “the ONE Who is the Interbreathing Spirit of all life” be a common view of the divine in many religious traditions? What are some examples of how this view of the divine complements how other religious traditions understand the divine?
What are some ways we might, as the Jewish tradition directs, live in the tension between our “…power and the limits set by conscience” while simultaneously behaving toward “…creation with justice and compassion?”
To “…use the earth’s goods responsibly implies the recognition of and respect for all people and all living creatures” or “in symbiosis with all creatures?” How might a Christian use earth’s goods in this way? What are some examples of when you have used the earth’s goods responsibly? When do you tend to use them less responsibly?
How might you connect the “cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” in understanding environmental crises as social crises? How do environmental crises disproportionately impact low-income communities, which are often primarily people of color?
If the ultimate destiny for a Muslim’s human soul is to regard nature as an integral part of its religious universe, how would a person act with this relationship in mind?
Islam encourages its followers to practice an ethical life. What do these ethics look like if they are based on the conviction that all of God’s creations have rights, just as humans do?

Additional Resources

Interested in learning more? Explore the additional resources below:

Judaism, Christianity, Islam -- Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
Rain on a land where no one lives: The Hebrew Bible on the environment. Gene M Tucker
Nature in the Sources of Judaism Hava Tirosh-Samuelson
Jewish Women in Environmental Activism Jewish Women’s Archive
Earth's climate outlook grim but not hopeless, faith leaders say National Catholic Reporter
Climate Change and the Church’s Response Church & Society; The United Methodist Church
21 Ways Faith Groups Are Combating Global Warming Center for American Progress
How Islam can present a model for environmental stewardship UN Environment Programme
Islamic Declaration on Climate Change United Nations Climate Change: UNFCCC
Climate Change & Islam: A Call to Act Sarah Chebli; ISAIAH

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