Schedule of Events

This project seeks to understand the ways in which the environmental justice movement lines up with Christian teachings. The researcher chose this project due to various discourse and discussions she had in her own life with followers of the faith where people were not in support of the movement, and this lead her to examine why they felt this way and what arguments can be made theologically and scientifically in favor of the movement. Through research into demographics, statistics, and the lens of her own faith, the researcher presents the viewer with a framework of why Christians should support the movement, as well as how they can get involved. This project provides a brief overview of the environmental justice movement in order to give people the basic knowledge they need to participate in the critical thinking and discussion portions, but a large majority of the project is focused on what the Bible has to say about topics such as humanity, justice, and being your brother's keeper, while also combatting common misconceptions the researcher has heard about the movement in her own community. The methodologies used are research, as mentioned above, but an examination of the intersections between the movement and the faith, as well as using creativity to form scientific and reasonable arguments in support of the movement and Bible studies/discussions to appeal to those of the faith.

Protestant Christian Denominations in the United States and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) community have often had a relationship of mutual unease, if not flat-out intolerance and hatred. There is a history of violence against LGBTQIA+, or queer, persons. This violence has been perpetrated in subtle ways like derogatory words and statements; it has also manifested in full attacks on queer bodies and identities. However, some denominations have made more recent commitments of inclusivity, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a Protestant Christian denomination identifying as an affirming church, that has released public, churchwide statements claiming inclusivity as part of the church’s mission. Statements, however, do not always translate directly into real, visible action, but can effectively cloak continued unwelcome and exclusivity. To understand if and how these statements impact the experience of queer individuals, I interviewed five members and surveyed members of two churches about their specific experiences of church and queer people. Each participant was a confirmed adult member of the ELCA. I have found that, although the ELCA has taken considerable steps towards the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ persons, there remains an overall lack of true welcome for these individuals, seemingly fed by lingering misunderstanding or prejudice within congregants and clergy. Should the ELCA wish to live fully into the statements they have made and continue in the direction of becoming an affirming church, they have more work to do in affirming queer persons in their lives and church communities.

The murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020 sparked a wave of protests and calls for justice across the United States and the world. In Minneapolis, the site where Floyd was killed, at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, has become a powerful symbol of resistance and resilience, and has been renamed George Floyd Square. Using ritual theory, I will show the power of George Floyd Square, including explanations of why space is considered sacred by many and has been a site of ritual action where community members and activists gather for collective mourning, protest, and activism. Ritual theory is a framework used to understand how human societies create and maintain meaning through symbolic actions and practices. Through ritual, people can create a shared sense of meaning and purpose, build community, and express their values and beliefs, and mobilize for action.

The Amazon rainforest is home to the largest example of biodiversity with around 10,000 species of plant and animal life. As the world's largest carbon sink, the forest helps lower the carbon within the air. However, deforestation and wildfires are making this valuable resource shrink at a dramatic rate. If these destructive habits continue, the rainforest will meet a tipping point where it will no longer survive and decay into a dry savannah. This toolkit intends to educate and engage the younger generation on the issues within the Amazon rainforest. Additionally, it aims to make the difficult topics of deforestation and environmental justice issues more digestible for the younger generation and to encourage them to become more active in environmental justice.
 

California Lutheran University resides on unceded Chumash land. While steps have and are being taken to recognize this fact, action must be taken to build relationships between local Indigenous knowledge keepers and CLU students. To that end, this research first explores four aspects of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS): storytelling, responsibility, community, and land understanding. Second, this research applies these four aspects to the CLU SEEd Garden as a case study through interviews with SEEd Garden Student Managers, founders, and volunteers. Further research must be done, but these four aspects reveal foundational patterns of community building that prepare CLU students to engage with local Indigenous knowledge.