This is an elective course for students who have successfully completed the course equivalent to Introduction to Homiletics. This is an online course with one videoconference session for the class on the first day, online lectures and discussion boards, as well as one videoconference between the student and instructor in the second half of the course. Students should expect to spend approximately 8 - 10 hours a week on the course, for a total of around 45 hours.
Preaching “good news” in the face of environmental devastation, the climate crisis, and extreme energy extraction can feel overwhelming to pastors and congregations alike. Preachers are tempted to either legalistically preach about “saving the earth” or to wait passively for an eschatological solution. This course will explore ways to preach through this double-bind in sermons that address environmental justice issues with a particular eye towards congregational context (geography, culture, political tensions, economics, etc.). The goal of this course is to help students develop an environmentally-literate approach to preaching that honestly and creatively names the reality of our ecologically-violated world, while emphasizing a hope-filled “eco-resurrection” through Christ’s redemption of Creation.
Preaching “good news” in the face of environmental devastation, the climate crisis, and extreme energy extraction can feel overwhelming to pastors and congregations alike. Preachers are tempted to either legalistically preach about “saving the earth” or to wait passively for an eschatological solution. This course will explore ways to preach through this double-bind in sermons that address environmental justice issues with a particular eye towards congregational context (geography, culture, political tensions, economics, etc.). The goal of this course is to help students develop an environmentally-literate approach to preaching that honestly and creatively names the reality of our ecologically-violated world, while emphasizing a hope-filled “eco-resurrection” through Christ’s redemption of Creation.
