Make Justice and Food a Priority this Fall

This fall, EcoTheo is going to be a part of something special: the Just Food conference at Princeton Theological Seminary. We partnered with PTS to put some of the best work and thinking around food and justice in front of church leaders. And I think we’ve managed just that in this year’s conference.

It’s going to be something special. How special you ask?

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Headlining the Event

First up is Wendell Berry acolyte Norman Wirzba. Norm is an ethicist and theologian par excellence in his own right–just check out his book Food and Faith for an intro to his rich theology and philosophy.

Joining Norm will be Will Allen. That’s right, the former NBA star turned urban farmer will be sharing how he built one of the most respected (and successful) not for profit urban farms, Growing Power. He’s spreading the gospel of sustainable, wholesome, and socially uplifting urban food economies from his non-profit’s home base in Milwaukee. (Oh, and Will’s author of The Good Food Revolution).

What about EcoTheo?

So nice of you to ask.

I’ll be joining Will Wellman, our Executive Director, to lead an exciting workshop we’re calling: Affective Ministry, Using Story and Art for Sustainable Change. We’ll explore how story and art can be used to spur and support sustainable ecological change. We’re convinced that innovative thinking that puts ecology at the center will not be spurred on by compelling science and abundant statistical data alone. Story, wonder, art, and mystery are vital to our efforts to seek justice in our food system and the broader ecological landscape.

There’s just too much!

Really, the list of rock star names is too long. There will be everything from biblical scholars to biblical farmers, college chaplains to academics. There will be leaders exploring best practices for how garden’s can build thriving communities, how a food truck based ministry might turn evangelism on its head, the moral responsibility we have to the farmworkers who are the (neglected) foundation of our food system, and the role of sacred music in praising (and transforming) creation–just to mention a few. You’ll hear how Princeton is reimagining the role of theological education through their Farminary initiative. And you’ll be able to take advantage of field trips to share a meal with partner organizations, each addressing food justice in a distinct way.

See you in Princeton

If you are seeking justice for our food system, and looking how to encourage and facilitate your community to join in, we hope to see you out in Princeton. It’s a chance to network with like-minded folk, to get practical advice (and creative ideas) you can implement in your community, and to discover the wealth of opportunity Whether you’ve been following EcoTheo over the last (nearly) two years, or just stumbled on us, we hope to see you out in Princeton this fall. Stop by and say hello to Will and I (even if our workshop isn’t your cup of tea).

Registration is open now, and space is limited–so jump on this opportunity and we’ll see you in Princeton this September 24th-26th. To find out all the details, including schedule, workshops, accommodations, and more, click here.

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