Our Philosophy:

• The Green Seminary Initiative is premised on two convictions: The first is that the religious community has a unique and significant calling to turn back human-caused environmental destruction and to participate in bringing all of creation into health and wholeness. The second conviction is that theological schools should provide clergy and religious leaders with the tools necessary for them to lead their congregations, communities and organizations in meeting their unique call to protect and restore creation.
• The Green Seminary Initiative fosters efforts by theological schools and seminaries to incorporate care for creation into the identity and mission of the institution, such that it becomes a foundational part of the academic program and an integral part of the ethos of the whole institution. 

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What We Do:

• The Green Seminary Initiative encourages schools of theology to be participants in, and keepers of, God’s creation in all its human, biological, geological, and ecological manifestations. To that end, the Green Seminary Initiative is dedicated to building a nationwide coalition of theological schools that infuse care of the earth into all aspects of theological education. This effort will require the collective energies of faculty, staff and students working in all aspects of community life. Specifically, the initiative encourages the education of seminarians and the “greening” of seminaries in five broad areas:

·Education

·Worship

·Buildings and Grounds

·Community Life 

·Public Ministry

To further this effort, the Green Seminary Initiative: 

• Provides strategies and guidance for theological school faculty, staff, and students who wish to “green” their schools.

• Shares educational materials, course syllabi, and pedagogical approaches that prepare future religious leaders for eco-justice leadership in the congregations and communities that they will serve.

• Gathers and houses comprehensive "Seminary Green Profiles," where theological schools report on greening activities within their communities, so that other schools might be inspired and educated. 

• Provides specific resources on incorporating earth care into five key areas: education, worship, buildings and grounds, community life and public ministry.

• Connects theological schools, faculty, and seminarians who are interested in greening their institutions so they can share ideas and strategies.

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Who We Are:

• The Green Seminary Initiative was officially launched in November, 2007, at the annual American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature meeting. Six major figures in eco-theology gave a rallying cry for theological schools to take seriously their obligation to prepare religious leaders to meet the looming ecological crisis. John Cobb, Cal Dewitt, Norman Habel, Sallie McFague, Larry Rasmussen and Rosemary Reuther challenged seminaries and schools of divinity to infuse theological education with an earth ethic and to create physical and spiritual communities to support that ethic. 

• The Green Seminary Initiative was originally housed at Lutheran School of Theology Chicago (LSTC) as part of its website, www.webofcreation.org. The Green Seminary Initiative owes a debt of gratitude to LSTC for its institutional support of the Initiative.

• The Green Seminary Initiative builds on the work of TEMEC, (Theological Education to Meet the Ecological Challenge), and its co-directors Rick Clugston and Dieter Hessel.

• We are very grateful for the support of the Kalliopeia Foundation and for the ongoing assistance of FORE, (the Forum on Religion and Ecology). 

• The Green Seminary Initiative is currently housed at Drew Theological School, which also provides institutional support, and is guided by a diverse set of scholars and seminarians dedicated to faith-based earth care.

The Green Seminary Initiative Steering Committee

*Executive Steering Committee

The webmaster of the Green Seminary Initiative is Elizabeth Freese, Drew Theological School. Questions, suggestions and ideas can be sent to Elizabeth at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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