“We do not learn from experience; we learn from reflection upon experience.” —Trevor Hudson
In his encyclical letter, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home (2015), Pope Francis calls for an “ecological conversion”—an ongoing journey of being turned from the default settings or our contemporary “throwaway culture” and turned towards the biblical vocation to care for the earth as our common home.
Given our context of climate emergency (and multiple sustainability crises), this cohort invites us to reconsider this call to conversion by creating a space for reflection on our own experiences, following Catholic intellectual Ivan Illich (and his call to recovery conviviality, or freedom-in-interdependence) as our guide.
We will explore how ecological conversion doesn’t just mean embracing environmental causes or making green-friendly lifestyle choices. Fundamentally, it means having our imaginations delinked (from the lure of techniques) and transformed (Romans 12:1-2) as we trust and “follow the naked Christ.”
In this way, ecological conversion becomes an integral aspect of Christian discipleship as the adventure of becoming fully human and sharing the promise of a life together.
About our Guide: Sam Ewell is a U.S. national and permanent resident of Brazil, where he served as a missionary from 2003-2010 with his wife (Rosalee) and three children (James, Isabella, and Katharine). Since 2010, the Ewells have resided in Birmingham, UK. Currently, Sam is a co-director of EAT MAKE PLAY, a neighborhood-based community co-op focused on regenerating a circular economy. He also works with Companions for Hope, a Christian community-based in Summerfield parish, where he combines prison and community engagement, urban permaculture, and theological facilitation as a way of cultivating abundant community at the edges of inner-city Birmingham (UK). He is the author Faith Seeking Conviviality: Reflections on Ivan Illich, Christian Mission, and the Promise of Life Together.
Prerequisite: Read & be familiar with Faith Seeking Conviviality: Reflections on Ivan Illich, Christian Mission, and the Promise of Life Together.
Schedule: Thursday, April 30, May 7, 14, and 21 starting at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT for 75 minutes.