In this time of Climate Change, where can we turn to find inspiration for living in harmony with our earth? Can St. Benedict’s spirituality and early medieval monastic tradition serve as a model of care for creation, sustainable development and environmental conservation in today’s world? Inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’ and Benedictine communities around the world whose shared monastic values inform ecological practice, this workshop on Monastic Ecological Wisdom will uncover the hidden story of early Christian and monastic care for the earth.

Drawing on his new book Monastic Ecological Wisdom, A Living Tradition Samuel Torvend will show us how it is possible that medieval monastic values and practices could assist in the careful conservation of what we claim is God’s first gift, God’s first gesture of grace: the earth and all that dwells within it. This workshop will reflect on an ecological reading of New Testament texts, the Rule of St. Benedict, and early monastic engagement with the natural world as seen in the life of St. Benedict. We will explore how such practices in our time can serve all those who care deeply about living in harmony with the earth and all who call it home.

Cost: $50, partial scholarships available