The Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies defines its mission as promoting “knowledge of the Creation with biblical principles for the purpose of bringing the Christian community and the general public to a better understanding of the Creator and the stewardship of God’s Creation.” It conducts programs to promote Christian environmental stewardship through academic and […]

April 8, 2013, National Catholic Reporter article about Pope Francis’ environmental beliefs.

June 5, 2013, Huffington Post article about Pope Francis’ speech on World Environment Day in which he cited scripture in calling for people to care for the environment and decried the influence of money in the world.

July 5, 2013, Religion Dispatches essay looking at research which investigates whether belief in a coming religious apocalypse causes believers to care less about protecting the environment.

June 17, 2013, Reuters “FaithWorld” blog post about the historically slow pace of religions to embrace environmentalism and the possible increase in that pace thanks to the impact of religious leaders including Pope Francis.

April 19, 2013, segment from PBS’ Religion & Ethics Newsweekly which discusses the relationship between faith and the environment.

The Rev. Patrick Howell is vice president for mission and ministry at the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University. He co-edited the book Empowering Authority: The Charisms of Episcopacy and Primacy in the Church Today. He has frequently written about Pope Benedict XVI for the Seattle Times.

Sandra Yocum is chair of religious studies at the University of Dayton who specializes in the history of theology, which is Benedict’s forte.

Mark D. Chapman teaches church history, Catholicism, ecclesiology and Anglicanism at the University of Oxford. Chapman researches Anglican theology and church history.