Category: News

Central Receives Grant to Address Climate Change Through Curriculum and Community Engagement

Central Seminary has been selected to participate in the Climate Science in Theological Education (CSTE) Grant Initiative of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) program.

This project will enable Central to build greater capacity to address climate change. Rev. Dr. Ruth Rosell, director of the Buttry Center for Peace and Nonviolence at Central, will direct the CSTE grant program. Programs and activities being explored through this grant include virtual and in-person events, conversations, and discussion aimed at equipping faith leaders and students for the emerging crisis of climate change.

“I’m grateful Central Seminary was chosen to receive this Climate Science in Theological Education grant,” said Rev. Rosell. “It will contribute toward fulfilling our mission of preparing leaders to seek God, shape church, and serve humanity and all creation. It will do this by providing opportunities for students, faculty, staff, alumni, pastors, and people of faith to better understand and respond to the challenges of doing faithful ministry in our changing climate. It also connects us to other seminaries and those in the scientific community who are engaged in addressing the climate crisis.”

The Climate Science in Theological Education initiative is a project of the AAAS DoSER program. The project provides grants to seminaries to engage climate science and climate change in the context of theological education and ministry. Integrating science into seminary education and events will encourage interest within seminaries and surrounding communities about the relevance of science to theological education and will produce a growing number of religious leaders equipped to help their congregants find answers to science-related questions.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals. The nonprofit is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement, and more. Building upon its mission, AAAS established the Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) program in 1995 to facilitate communication between scientific and religious communities. For the latest information and news about AAAS DoSER and the Climate Science in Theological Education project, visit AAAS.org/DoSER, ScienceReligionDialogue.org, and ScienceforSeminaries.org.

Watch for communications from Central about upcoming events and programs!

With questions, please contact Rev. Dr. Ruth Rosell at rrosell@cbts.edu