Blessed Tomorrow leader, Dan Misleh, director of the Catholic Climate Covenant, joined an interfaith panel at Ohio State University last week to discuss the role of Pope Francis' Encyclical, Laudato Si, in interfaith climate solutions. Encouraging the crowd of Catholic, Islamic, Jewish, Protestant, monastic, atheist and agnostic attendees to explore the papal document, Misleh explained the importance it plays in interfaith (and secular) climate outreach.
Light-heartedly expressing his inability to match pace with the 78-year old Pope, Misleh explained, “I think the biggest surprise has been how incredibly energetic the conversation in the United States has been as the encyclical approached and as it was released.” Misleh was joined by fellow panelists, Jared Boyd, spiritual director of the Order of Sustainable Faith at Central Vineyard Church; Taymour El-Hosseiny, vice president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Columbus chapter; Donald Hubin, emeritus professor of philosophy and representative for atheists; and Jessica Shimberg, associate director for programs at the Alliance for Jewish Renewal.
For ways to expand your interfaith climate outreach, check out this how-to guide from Blessed Tomorrow.
Faith panel talks climate change
Ris Twigg | The Lantern
Ohio State students, faculty and Columbus community representatives joined Tuesday morning to discuss how different faiths are responding to environmental challenges.
The discussion was sparked by Laudato Si,’ the papal letter, in which the pope addressed climate change, was released.
The Environmental Professionals Network, serviced through OSU’s School of Environment and Natural Resources, hosted a panel with Catholic, Islamic, Jewish, Protestant, monastic, atheist and agnostic perspectives being represented.
“We want to explore not just the encyclical but open up a conversation about this range, this wider landscape of what different moral perspectives have to say about the environment,” said Greg Hitzhusen, SENR assistant professor and moderator of the panel.
Panelists included Dan Misleh, director of the Catholic Climate Covenant; Jared Boyd, spiritual director of the Order of Sustainable Faith at Central Vineyard Church; Taymour El-Hosseiny, vice president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Columbus chapter; Donald Hubin, emeritus professor of philosophy and representative for atheists; and Jessica Shimberg, associate director for programs at the Alliance for Jewish Renewal.
