Prominent Theologian to Discuss Role of Jesus in Ecology

WORCESTER, Mass. – Elizabeth Johnson, C.S.J., Distinguished Professor of Theology at Fordham University, will give a lecture titled “An Ecological Inquiry: Jesus and the Cosmos” on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross. The lecture, one in a series on sustainability called “In Our Lifetimes: Environmental Change and Stewardship,” is sponsored by the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture and is free and open to the public.

Johnson, a religious sister in the Congregation of St. Joseph, Brentwood, N.Y., serves on the Vatican-sponsored dialogue on ecology. She is a former president of both the Catholic Theological Society of America, the oldest and largest association of theologians in the world, and the ecumenical American Theological Society.

In her talk, Johnson will explore the tradition of Jesus Christ as Savior for the human race. At this time of both awesome scientific discoveries and massive degradation of the planet, Johnson wonders, “Can this anthropocentric focus shift to a more bio-centric or cosmos-centric one? Is there an intrinsic connection between Jesus Christ and the earth waiting to be discovered?”

She is the author of several books including Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God (Continuum Publishers International, 2007), Truly Our Sister: A Theology of Mary in the Communion of Saints (Continuum, 2003), and She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse (Crossroad, 1992). She serves on the editorial boards of the journals Theological Studies, Horizons: Journal of the College Theology Society, and Theoforum.

Johnson’s talk is supported by the Deitchman Family Lectures on Religion and Modernity.

To learn more about this program and other events in the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture and to listen to lectures online, visit www.holycross.edu/crec. About The Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture provides resources for faculty and course development, sponsors conferences and college-wide teaching events, hosts visiting fellows, and coordinates a number of campus lecture series. Rooted in the College's commitment to invite conversation about basic human questions, the Center welcomes persons of all faiths and seeks to foster dialogue that acknowledges and respects differences, providing a forum for intellectual exchange that is interreligious, interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international in scope.  The Center also brings members of the Holy Cross community into conversation with the Greater Worcester community, the academic community, and the wider world to examine the role of faith and inquiry in higher education and in the larger culture.