The 2015 environmental encyclical, Laudato Si - On the Care for Our Common Home, heralds an unprecedented engagement of faith and science, building bridges across past chasms by presenting “integral ecology” that includes the natural and social sciences, faith and justice. Scientists were involved from initial consultation to ensure sound science to responding as individuals and as members of scientific societies upon its release. Two Ohio universities represent private and public complementary approaches, the University of Dayton (UD), a Catholic, Marianist-sponsored institution and The Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus, have sponsored major events featuring encyclical insights and have created positions and institutes to further the practice of science interacting with other academic disciplines and with communities of faith. Pope Francis’ call to dialogue has been emulated in the planning at both institutions.
Results/Conclusions
The encyclical timing supported the launch of UD’s Hanley Sustainability Institute (HSI; https://udayton.edu/artssciences/ctr/hsi/) and discussion of fossil fuel divestment at a major divest/invest conference. A recent conference on “Teaching Laudato si” brought together natural scientists, social scientists and theologians to examine the connections between those fields and the world’s needs. OSU administrators in the School of Environment and Natural Resources and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences worked for several years to develop and approve a new position,Professor of Professional Practice, in a new field, Religion, Ecology, and Sustainability. Creation of both was fostered by a broad, interdisciplinary engagement developed around the planning for Cardinal Turkson’s visit to OSU to present Laudato Si in November 2015. Over 12 university units joined several more outside OSU and collaborated and committed to a series of year-long bi-weekly planning meetings focused on developing a multi-disciplinary student led project to link urban agriculture communities in Ghana and Ohio, presentations at Ohio faith community conferences, and creation of a Laudato Si implementation committee in the Columbus Catholic Diocese. The cultures of and dialogues at both UD and OSU are being transformed by engaging diverse perspectives, affirming religious perspectives as part of cultural contexts and developing new inter- and trans-disciplinary initiatives. Students, staff and faculty are working together to apply science and technical expertise at the service of and in partnership with local and global community concerns. The “Pope Francis” effect has heightened the important educational and service role of ecologists in sharing our science and our partnerships for justice within a broader definition of integral ecology.