Unit information: Mission, the Environment and World Development in 2011/12

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Unit name Mission, the Environment and World Development
Unit code THRSM0088
Credit points 20
Level of study M/7
Teaching block(s) Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director Dr. Bimson
Open unit status Not open
Pre-requisites

None
Co-requisites

None
School/department Department of Religion and Theology
Faculty Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This unit explores an integrated approach to Christian mission and the environment which seeks to balance creation care with the flourishing of human societies. It demonstrates how issues of creation care cannot be separated from world development, sustainability and population growth, and explores the relationship between environmentalism and integral Christian mission with its concern for justice. Its main focus is on the biblical and theological basis for environmental concern; mission and the environment; climate change and world development; development and mission. Other topics introduced are sustainability; population growth; environmentalism in other world faiths.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of the unit students should be able to:

  • offer a critique of integral Christian mission which fully embraces social compassion, justice and care for the environment;
  • show an appreciation of the complex inter-relatedness of creation care, sustainability, and development;
  • demonstrate awareness of the main causes and impacts of global environmental crises such as climate change, habitat loss, pollution and problems of food production;
  • demonstrate sensitivity to the often competing claims of environmentalism and human flourishing, developing balanced solutions which use biblical and theological resources creatively.

Teaching Information

The unit will be taught through preparatory reading, lectures and student-led seminars.

Assessment Information

Please state the methods used for formative and summative assessment, including essay word length, length and type of exams, projects, etc. The relative contributions of the different summative assessments to the overall unit mark should also be included, e.g. 3-hour written exam (60%), 2000 word essay (40%)

Reading and References

  • Berry, R. J. (ed.), When Enough is Enough: A Christian Framework for Environmental Sustainability (Leicester: IVP, 2007)
  • Cowie, J., Climate Change: Biological and Human Aspects (Cambridge: CUP, 2007)
  • Fretheim, T.E., God and World in the Old Testament: A Relational Theology of Creation, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005)
  • Horrell, D. G., Hunt, C., Southgate, C. and Stavrakopoulou, F. (eds.), Ecological Hermeneutics: Biblical, Historical and Theological Perspectives (London: T & T Clark, 2010)
  • Northcott, M.S., A Moral Climate; the Ethics of Global Warming (London: DLT, 2007)
  • Stiglitz, J., Globalization and its Discontents (New York: Norton & Co., 2002)

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