The Tempest and the Tide: Ethics in the Climate Age

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course explores how we can remain faithful to our deepest commitments on a warming planet. To examine the moral and religious dilemmas caused by human involvement in the environment, we begin by surveying how humanity's views of nature have changed over time. We trace the path from mythic reverence to the Enlightenment's push for dominion, where the desire for control met a faith in endless growth. This historical shift laid the groundwork for the politics and economics we see today. We then explore how powerful actors outsource the burdens of environmental care, breaking faith with Indigenous communities and women in less developed nations. We confront the emotional labor of holding climate anxiety and ask what fidelity requires of us when the other party, such as a river or a forest, lacks a human voice. We also consider how corporations and other actors perform a counterfeit faithfulness by commodifying nature or "greenwashing" their actions. We conclude by exploring the climate crisis's symbolic and spiritual dimensions, considering narratives of technological salvation, representations of a vengeful Mother Nature, and alternative visions of fidelity rooted in ecological and Indigenous wisdom. No prior background in religious studies or environmental studies is necessary for this discussion-based seminar.