Experts gear up for ecology conference
MEGHANNE DOWNES
News Writer
Experts from a broad range of academic disciplines will be convening this weekend on campus for the "Ecology, Theology, and Judeo-Christian Environmental Ethics" conference. The conference, sponsored by the Lilly Fellows National Research Conference, will address how ecology, history, philosophy and theology are interrelated.
"I hope that by bringing these different disciplines approaches together a conversation will begin that will move from multi-disciplinarian to one that addresses the concerns from one to another," said David Lodge professor of biological sciences.
Specifically, the scholars will investigate how the separate disciplines possibly affect and shape environmental policy and ethics. Scholars are challenged to conduct an environmental discussion combining these disciplines while applying contemporary scientific attitudes.
The conference will highlight a range of topics that are related to the interruptions between humanities and ecology.
Scholars will examine how recently ecology has been evolving its view on species interaction and ecosystem function from a "balance of nature" to "flux of nature." Then the effects of these changes on social thought will be examined.
Within the framework of a Judeo-Christian discussion, scholars will examine how human action and nature is affected by contemporary ecology.
Lodge and Chris Hamlin, professor of history, are organizing the conference, which was initiated by a group of faculty members from the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Sciences.
The participants include ecologists, biologists, historians, philosophers, ethicists, and Christian and Jewish theologians from prominent universities. The conference will consist of a series of talks, responses, and breakout discussions.
The conference will take place in McKenna Hall beginning Thursday evening and ending Sunday afternoon.
All News Stories for Thursday, February 21, 2002
