Eight hundred thousand years of Earth's memory are stored in polar ice — and when scientists drill deep enough to read it, what they find is a warning written in carbon. The story of atmospheric CO₂ since the Industrial Revolution is unlike anything in that long record: a steep, dramatic departure from all that came before.

But data alone does not move us to action. Faith does.

This workshop invites people of faith to look honestly at what the science reveals — through graphs, ice cores, and atmospheric readings taken at Mauna Loa since 1958 — and then to ask: What does our tradition ask of us in response? Drawing on biblical teachings that speak to human responsibility for the living world, we will explore how the effects of climate change are not merely ecological facts but moral ones — and how our faith traditions have always known this.

We will also touch on the practice of deep ecumenism, also called spiritual permeability, the recognition that the great wisdom traditions, in their deepest streams, share a commitment to the sanctity of creation. In a time of planetary emergency, that shared ground may be among our most urgent resources.

Come with your questions, your concern, and the wisdom of your own tradition. Leave with a clearer sense of what faithful action might look like — together.

MEET THE PRESENTER

Stephen Jurovics, Ph.D. worked in five distinct areas during a lengthy corporate career, beginning as what we now laughingly call a “rocket scientist,” which included doing flight path analyses related to the Saturn rocket and the Apollo Moon vehicle, and concluding with a 16-year stint as an EPA contractor working on various aspects of the climate crisis.

In the late 1980s, Stephen began researching the environmental teachings in Torah; he later started giving talks at synagogues and churches and, finding those well received, began writing the book Hospitable Planet: Faith, Action, and Climate Change, in part to demonstrate that climate change is a biblical issue, as well as a scientific one.

He has given presentations on climate change and the Bible since the book’s publication in 2016. Hospitable Planet became one of the publisher’s best sellers in 2018 and 2020.

Stephen holds a B.S. and M.S. from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Southern California.

The Institute for Deep Ecumenism invites you to explore the transformative practice of genuine interspiritual dialogue and collaboration.

In this and other workshops, you'll discover how Deep Ecumenism shapes pastoral ministry, enriches spiritual communities, and creates spaces where people of different faiths can address shared concerns with wisdom drawn from multiple traditions. Whether you're a religious leader, lay practitioner, or simply someone seeking to build bridges in a fractured world, you'll find tools and inspiration for the vital work of finding common ground on the pressing issues facing our global community.

Our workshops are offered on a 'pay what you will' basis with an $18 minimum. Your contribution is split with the presenter and makes it possible for us to continue to offer transformative programming throughout the year.

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Climate Change, Science and the Bible

A Faith Response to Our Planetary Crisis