On October 19, 2023, Fr. John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Executive Director of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross, will speak on the connection between Ecology and Theology as well as the church’s role and responsibility in addressing the climate crisis.
The University of Athens, UCLA, Simon Fraser University, and Sacramento State University will be the host organizations of an international and interdisciplinary conference that will take place at the Great Auditorium of the University of Athens, Greece, on “Envisioning the Greek Landscape.”
The topic of Fr. John’s presentation is: “A Sacred Duty: Church and Environment.” The conference is an opportunity for academics and policymakers to come together and explore ways that individuals and institutions who oversee the Greek landscape have succeeded in overcoming natural climatic challenges.
“The growing toll from rising global temperatures will eclipse the number of deaths from all infectious diseases combined if climate change is not constrained. Just as we cannot play politics with science (to determine the health of people), we cannot play politics with climate change (to determine the health of the planet),” said Fr. John.
About the Conference:
This event is a lesson for contemporary societies dealing with climatic and environmental catastrophes. Currently, Greece is on the forefront of climate initiatives in Europe. Greece was the first European country to recognize Key Biodiversity Areas in its laws and policies.
This conference complements these initiatives by providing a fresh approach to the investigation of the environment and climate change. By exploring the past in terms of climatic challenges and society’s responses to them, new perspectives and possible solutions can be developed. Using the lessons of the past will help shape the policy of today and the future. As climate change and environmental challenges dominate the headlines worldwide, looking to the past for sources of inspiration will generate ideas for policymakers. “Envisioning the Greek Landscape” hopes to begin this conversation.
About the HEI:
The Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross seeks to facilitate and advance dialogue with other churches and faiths, particularly around theological and ethical, as well as pastoral and practical dimensions of contemporary issues and social challenges of our time. It strives to explore and express the fundamental ethos of the Orthodox Church in open encounters and honest engagement with other confessions and communities.
For further information on the Huffington Ecumenical Institute, contact Elena Kontogli at ekontogli@hchc.edu.