Creation at the Crossroads 2023 Program
Our program takes place over four days, beginning with dinner on Tuesday September 26, and ending after lunch on Friday September 29. (We are flexible on Friday knowing that some may need to catch flights earlier than this.) While we have top-notch speakers and resource people, the emphasis throughout the program will be on interaction between participants.
Each day begins with a time of worship and singing, along with a brief devotional led by one of the participants.
Tuesday, 26 September
5 pm – Welcome Dinner including greetings from Dean Paul Robbins, Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin and a program overview from Dekila Chungyalpa, Director of the Loka Initiative, and Ed Brown, Executive Director of Care of Creation.
Wednesday, 27 September
Morning: Creation Care Theology with presentations by Ed Brown and Rei Crizaldo (by Zoom from the Philippines).
Afternoon: The latest developments in Environmental Science with presentations by University of Wisconsin faculty Rick Lindroth, Jonathan Patz, and Steve Vavrus.
Also on Wednesday, a guided walk through the grounds of Holy Wisdom Monastery, an outstanding example of faith-led restoration ecology in action (see venue description below).
Thursday, 28 September
Morning: Politics and Policy with Kyle Meyaard-Schaap; and Science Denial and Science Communication with Rick Lindroth and Janel Curry.
Afternoon: Project design and planning essentials with Dekila Chungyalpa.
Personal and Group Integration Sessions – largely unstructured time with opportunities to ask more questions of the resource people and to work with each other on concrete action plans for our home contexts.
Also on Thursday evening, a visit to the University of Wisconsin campus, where many modern environmental and creation care topics got their start.
Friday, 29 September
More integration time.
Program close with sharing and prayer for each other.
Venue
Holy Wisdom Monastery is located across Lake Mendota from the city of Madison and the University of Wisconsin. It is an ecumenical community with Benedictine roots whose members have made creation care and the restoration of God’s creation on their campus one of their highest priorities. The monastery grounds consist of more than 130 acres of land, including Lost Lake, the restored prairie and savanna areas, woodlands, buildings, gardens, orchards and nature trails, as well as the highest-rated LEED building in the entire United States.