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The following post originated from Schumacher Center for a New Economics (4-20-16). ————- The Birth of the New Economics by David Boyle There is an argument that the emergence of a new economics based on human dignity and sustainability is a phenomenon that emerged from the environmental crisis and the modern corruption of bankers and financial markets. There…

The following post originated from GreenFaith (4-20-16) —– ‘We are people of faith. We are also people of hope.’ I heard those words Monday, as the names of over 270 high-level faith leaders – including the Dalai Lama and the President of the World Council of Churches – and thousands of people of faith were presented…

“Seizing an Alternative: Toward an Ecological Civilization” is an international conference that focused on the big ideas that matter for a thriving ecosphere, featuring some seven hundred presenters and more than eighty areas of specialty. Leading scholars and activists, including Bill McKibben, Vandana Shiva, Sheri Liao, John Cobb, Herman Daly, Wes Jackson, David Ray Griffin, Harvey Cox, Mary Elizabeth Moore, Catherine Keller, William Connolly, were joined by nearly 2000 participants to work together toward ecological civilization.

That this book, with some 60 contributors, exists only months after Pope Francis’ encyclical is quite impressive. That the content critically engages Pope Francis, including unique suggestions for moving forward, is astounding. In this book, Cobb and Castuera have brought together both leading voices (McKibben, Shiva, Tucker, Daly) and less familiar ones from around the world to respond to Pope Francis’ papal letter Laudato si’. Representing multiple faith perspectives (Catholic, Quaker Jewish, Islamic, Indigenous, Buddhist, etc.) and a variety of fields (religion, ecology, economics, agriculture, justice, politics, history, philosophy, education, etc.), this truly global 500 page volume is a fantastic resource for people interested in the significance of Pope Francis’ call for “integral ecology” and continuing a dialogue to save the world.