The Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology has launched six Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in Religions and Ecology in collaboration with Yale University and Coursera.

“Religions and Ecology: Restoring the Earth Community”

Introduction to Religions and Ecology

Indigenous Religions and Ecology (representatives from each continent)

South Asian Religions and Ecology (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism)

East Asian Religions and Ecology (Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, Shinto)

Western Religions and Ecology (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)

Christianity and Ecology

Religious communities and leaders are contributing the moral force needed for creating a future that is not only sustainable but flourishing:

• they have large numbers of people – 85% of the world’s population belong to religious communities;
• they have schools, educational institutions, and seminaries around the world that can prepare people for the environmental transition that is needed; these MOOCs will assist in this educational mission;
• they have buildings and properties, which they are “greening”; and
• they have financial assets that can be used for transformative change, for example, religious communities have provided significant divestment and reinvestment funds.

Key facts for taking the courses:

• Accessible to a general audience
• Start anytime and work at your own pace
• Audit any course for free
• Take courses separately or together as a specialization
• Engage with community mentors to support and deepen your learning

The courses have been many years in the making, and are supported by the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology website, the most comprehensive source on the world’s religions and their ecological dimensions.

They will be an important addition to the field of Religion and Ecology and help galvanize the moral force needed for transformative change.

More information can be found here and a Fact Sheet of frequently asked questions is available here.  See images for social media here.

Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, who created the courses and founded the Yale Forum in 1998, are available for interviews.

CONTACT: Don Lehr / dblehr@cs.com