About the event:
University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources and the Environment
18th Annual Symposium
Religion, Faith, and the Environment
April 12th & 13th, 2013
The Stegner Center’s eighteenth annual symposium will focus on the intersection of Religion, Faith, and the Environment. It has been nearly half a century since UCLA historian Lynn White named the Judeo-Christian tradition one of the “root” causes of “our ecological crisis.” Much has changed since then. Across the world, people of faith are stepping forward to explain why our spiritual connections to the earth demand environmental protection. At the same time, religion remains intertwined with some of the most vexing environmental problems. Our symposium aims to examine, and help untangle, these fascinating issues. What is the relationship between religion and environmental degradation and protection? What can people of faith add to the environmental movement? Can religion help bridge the political divide on environmental issues? Can it change how we regulate pollution, energy consumption, and resource use? Should it?
Our approach is multidisciplinary in both format and substance. Speakers include religious and secular leaders and scholars from a multitude of areas, including law, policy, science, economics, and the humanities. Topics include the varying perspectives of different faith traditions on the environment, land use, biodiversity and resiliency, the pragmatics and ethics of religious and environmental activism, and the relationship between law, religion, and the environment.
Friday, April 12
8:00 Welcome
8:15 Ecological Protection, Environmental Degradation—Perspectives of Faith
Moderator:
Lincoln Davies, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
8:15 Christianity
Tri Robinson, Vineyard Boise Church
8:45 Buddhism
Carmella Javellana-Hirano, Salt Lake Buddhist Temple
9:15 Hinduism
Vasudha Narayanan, Department of Religion, University of Florida
9:45 Break
10:15 Islam
Muhammed Shoayb Mehtar, Khadeeja Islamic Center
10:45 Mormonism
Marcus Nash, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
11:15 Common Q&A
11:45 Native American Blessing
Lacee Harris, Ute Spiritual Leader
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Spirits of the Land—Religion, Stewardship, and Resource Use
Moderator:
Robert Keiter, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
Panelists:
Matthew Seddon, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
Jamie Korngold, Adventure Rabbi
James Rasband, Brigham Young University Law School
2:30 Break
3:00 Noah’s Heirs?—Biodiversity, Endangered Species, and Resiliency
Moderator:
Robin Craig, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
Panelists:
Mark Brunson, Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University
Elizabeth Kronk, School of Law, University of Kansas
Nalini Nadkarni, Department of Biology, University of Utah
4:30-5:30 Keynote
Sally Bingham, Interfaith Power & Light
Saturday, April 13
8:30 Eco-faith, Eco-ethics—Religious Advocacy on Climate Change and the Environment
Moderator:
Michele Straube, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
Panelists:
Robert H. Nelson, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland
Irma Russell, School of Law, University of Montana
George Handley, Department of Humanities, Classics, and Comparative Literature, Brigham Young University
10:00 Break
10:25 Religious Roots, New Futures?—The Promise and Peril of Faith in Environmental Law
Moderator:
Amy Wildermuth, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
Panelists:
Jedediah Purdy, Duke Law
Sarah Krakoff, Law School, University of Colorado
Jonathan Cannon, Law School, University of Virginia
11:55 Calvary Baptist Choir
12:15-1:00 Keynote
John Nagle, Law School University of Notre Dame
Price List:
Early Registration Price - if submitted by March 22
* General Public - $150
* Seniors, Univ. Faculty/Staff, NP Org. - $125
* Students - $75
Registration Price - if submitted after March 22
* General Public - $175
* Seniors, Univ. Faculty/Staff, NP Org.- $150
* Students - $100
CLE Credit (Utah State Bar) - $15.00
Cancellation Policy:
For a full refund, cancellations must be received at least 72 hours in advance of the event.
Registration is required. The Symposium will be held at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. 10 CLE credits (includes 1 ethics credit). For questions, call 801-585-3440.
Limited meter parking available in the College of Law parking lot. Free parking available at Rice-Eccles Stadium or take TRAX University Line to the Stadium stop and walk a half block to the north.