The course will consider issues, documents, and ethical methods that will help the student to develop an understanding of Earth’s ecological crisis as well as ethical and theological responses to it. The limitations of a human-centered ethics, the need for ecological justice that incorporates human justice, the implications of climate change and other ecological issues, and various Christian responses will be considered in the course. Method: lectures, informed discussions, practical integration in a pastoral setting. Evaluation: methodology paper, reflection paper, integration paper, practical integration contribution.
SMT3652/6652
Introduction to Eco-Theology
- Instructor: Dr. Hilda P. Koster
- Day: Monday
- Time: 17:00-19:00
- Location: Regis College Classroom B
Dr. Hilda P. Koster
Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto Associate Professor in Ecological Theology
Director of the Elliott Allen Institute for Theology and Ecology
- PhD Theology (University of Chicago Divinity School, Chicago IL)
- ThM Theology (Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ)
- MDiv Pastoral Theology (University of Groningen, The Netherlands)
- BA Psychology of Religion and Gender Studies (University of Groningen, The Netherlands)
Teaching and Research Interests
- Ecological Theology
- Environmental Ethics
- Intersectional (Eco)Feminist Theologies
- Theology, Cosmology and Science
- Theology and the Environmental Humanities (Petro-Culture Studies, New Materialism, Affect Theory)
- Catholic Social Thought
Hilda P. Koster is the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto Associate Professor of Ecological Theology and the Director of the Elliott Allen Institute for Theology and Ecology. A native of the Netherlands, she received a BA and M.Div. from the University of Groningen, a Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary and earned her doctorate from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. Prior to joining the Faculty of Theology at the University of St. Michael’s College, Dr. Koster was an Associate Professor at Concordia College, in Moorhead. MN (USA), a Liberal Arts College of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, where she held a joint tenured appointment in the Religion Department and the Environmental Studies Program.
Dr. Koster’s research and publications are in ecological theology, intersectional eco-feminist theology; theology and climate change; Indigenous theology and spirituality; resource extraction and environmental ethics; and theology and the environmental humanities (new materialism, affect theory, and energy humanities). Her publications have appeared in Theology Today, Modern Theology, The Journal of Religion, The Anglican Theological Review, and Scriptura. She co-edited/authored The Gift of Theology: The Contribution of Kathryn Tanner (Fortress Press, 2015) with Rosemary Carbine; Planetary Solidarity: Global Women’s Voices on Christian Doctrine and Climate Justice (Fortress Press, 2017) with Grace Ji-Sun Kim; The T&T Clark Handbook of Christian Theology and Climate Change (Bloomsbury, 2019) with Ernst M. Conradie; and Solidarity with Earth: A Multi-Disciplinary Theological Engagement with Gender and Resource Extraction (forthcoming with Bloomsbury 2022). Dr. Koster is also the co-editor of the T&T Clark book series Explorations in Theology, Gender and Ecology (Bloomsbury).
Dr. Koster is married to Jan H. Pranger, a scholar of World Christianity. When not teaching or doing research, she enjoys spending time with her family, sharing meals with friends, camping and hiking, cross country skiing and visiting her beloved native country, The Netherlands.
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SMT3652/6652
Introduction to Eco-Theology
Winter 2023- Instructor: Dr. Hilda P. Koster
- Day: Monday
- Time: 17:00-19:00
- Location: Regis College Classroom B
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SMT5604HS L0101
Eco-Feminism, New Materialism and Ecological Theology
Winter 2023- Instructor: Dr. Hilda P. Koster
- Day: Thursday
- Time: 09:00-11:00
- Location: AH 306
- "Climate Change, Covid-19, and Gender: Sin and Redemption in the Anthropocene," Concilium: International Journal for Theology, 2022/Vol 2
- "Questioning Eco-Theological Panentheisms: The Promise of Kathryn Tanner's Concept of Gd Radical Teanscedence for Ecological Theology," Scriptura: International Journal of Bible, Religion and Theology in Southern Africa, Vol. 111 (2012), 385-394.
- "'Greening the Imago Dei,' Contribution to the Book Forum on Kathryn Tanner's Christ the Key," Theology Today, 68/3 (2011), 317-323.
- Hilda P. Koster and Celia Deane-Drummond, In Solidarity with Earth: Multi-Disciplinary Theological Engagement with Gender, Mining and Toxic Contamination (London, UK, Bloomsbury Press, 2023).
- The T&T Clark Handbook on Theology and Climate Change, co-edited with Ernst M. Conradie (London, UK: Bloomsbury Press, December 2019)
- Planetary Solidarity: Global Women’s Voices on Christian Doctrine and Climate Justice co- edited with Grace Ji-Sun Kim (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2017)
- Theology as Gift: The Contribution of Kathryn Tanner to Contemporary Theology co-edited with Rosemary P. Carbine, (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015).
- “Ecological Theology as Public Theology,” T&T Clark Handbook on Public Theology (London, UK: Bloomsbury Press 2022), in press.
- “God’s Work of Salvation In and Through Us,” in The T&T Clark Handbook on Theology and Climate Change, ed. by Ernst M. Conradie and Hilda P. Koster (London, UK: Bloomsbury Press, December 2019), 417-431.
- "Trafficked Lands: Sexual Violence, Oil and Structural Evil in the Dakotas" in Planetary Solidarity: Global Woman's Voices on Christian Doctrine and Climate Justice," ed. by Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Hilda P. Koster (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2017), 115-178.
- "Ecological Evil, Evolution and the Wisdom of God: Reimaging Redemption for Eco-Feminist Religious Practice in an Age of Global Ecocide," in Christian Doctrine for Global Gender Justice ed. by Jenny Dagger and Grace Ji-Sun Kim (London, UK: Palgrave, 2015), 55-71.
- "Creation as Gift: Reading Kathryn Tanner's Theology of Creation as Ecological Theology," in Theology as Gift: The Contributions of Kathryn Tanner to Contemporary Theology ed. by Rosemary P. Carbine and Hilda P. Koster (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), 257-285.
- Rachel S. Baard Sexism and Sin-Talk: Feminist Conversations on the Human Condition (Westminster John Knox Press, 2019)
- Else Marie Pedersen ed, The Alternative Luther – Lutheran Theology from the Subaltern (Fortress Academic, 2019)
- Celia Deane-Drummond A Primer in Ecotheology: Theology for a Fragile Earth (Cascade Books, 2017)
- Celia Deane-Drummond Ecology in Jürgen Motmann’s Theology (Wipf and Stock, 2016) Richard A. Floyd Down to Earth (Wipf and Stock, 2015)
- Daniel P. Castillo, An Ecological Theology of Liberation: Salvation and Political Ecology in Modern Theology 37 (2):560-563 (2021)
- Kevin J. O'Brien The Violence of Climate Change: Lessons of Resistance from Nonviolent Activists in Lutheran Journal of Christian Ethics 18 (4) (July/August 2018)
- James B. Martin Schramm Climate Justice: Ethics, Energy and Public Policy in Journal of Religion Vol 93 (1) 108-110 (2012)
- Sallie McFague, A New Climate for Theology: God, the World and Global Warming in Anglican Theological Review, 91 (4) (Fall 2009)
- Catherine Keller, Face of the Deep: A Theology of Becoming in Anglican Theological Review 88 (4) (Fall 2006)
- T&T Clark Explorations in Theology, Gender and Ecology (Bloomsbury Press), Principal Editor.
- "Climate Privilege and Gendered Vulnerabilities: A Decolonial Eco-Feminist Theological Engagement," Keynote for 4th Biennial International Conference of the International Reformed Theological Institute, June 21-24, 2022
- ""Towards a Public Ecological Theology for a World Facing Climate Disasters: Lessons from Kairos Theology," Webinar organized by the International Reformed Theological Institute (IRTI), June 26, 2021
- "Climate Change, Covid-19 and the Lutheran Doctrine of Justification," Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, April 6 2020.
- "Eco-Feminist Theology as an Intersectional Theology," University of Groningen (The Netherlands), School of Theology (Theologische Faculteit), March 8, 2019.
- "Climate Justice, Fracking and Native Women: The Case of the Dakotas," Arctic Circle Conference, Iceland, October 2018.
- "The Promise of Jürgen Moltmann’s Kenotic Theology of Creation for Being Human in the Anthropocene," Lecture delivered at a conference in honor of the German theologian Jürgen Moltmann’s Ninetieth Birthday, Candler School of Theology/Emory University, October 19, 2016
- Een Diepe Solidariteit: Klimaatsverandering, Vrouwen en Gerechtigheid, (A Deep Solidarity: Climate Change, Justice and Women), The Ecumenical Women Synod, Delft, The Netherlands, March 25-26, 2016
- Planetary Solidarity: Gender and Climate Justice in a Global Perspective, St. Paul’s University, Ottawa, Canada, March 8, 2016.
- "Suffering and Redemption on the Great Plains: a Multi-Disciplinary Theological Engagement with Fracking and Gender-based Violence," Symposium on Women, Mining and Toxic Contamination, Laudato si' Research Institute, Campion Hall, Oxford University (Oxford, UK, March 10-11, 2021).
- "Climate Change, Sin and Justifying Grace: A Proposal," International Colloquium on Sin, Pre- Conference Annual Meeting of the American Academy Religion (San Diego, November 2019).
- "Sin-talk and the Violence against Native Women and The Earth: The Case of North Dakota." International Colloquium on Sin, Pre-Conference Annual Meeting American Academy of Religion, (Denver, November 2018).
- “Sextrafficking, Fracking and Ecological Evil in the Bakken Oil Fields,” Book Panel on Planetary Solidarity: Global Women’s Voices on Christian Doctrine and Climate Justice, Annual Meeting American Academy of Religion (Boston, 2017).
- "Creation as Gift: Thinking with Kathryn Tanner," Book Panel on The Gift of Theology: The Contribution of Kathryn Tanner, Annual Meeting American Academy of Religion (Atlanta, 2015)
- "Sin no More? Retrieving the Doctrine of Sin for the Anthropocene," International Colloquium on Sin, University of Stellenbosch (South Africa, August 2015)
- "Who is Afraid of Transcendence?: Retrieving Divine Transcendence for Ecological Theology," International Conference on "Christian Faith and the Earth," University of Stellenbosch, (South Africa, August, 2012)
- "Narure, Evil and the Wisdom of God: An Eco-Feminist and Theological Response to Holmes Rolston III and Lisa Sideris," Annual Meeting American Academy of Religion (Chicago, 2012)
- “Custodians of our Common Home: The Voices of Women Countering Climate Disaster”, United Nations' Panel on Women and Climate Change, March 22, 2022.
- "Climate Vulnerability, Racism and Privilege," Contribution to Virtual Forum, Toronto School of Theology (September 30, 2021)
- Respondent to "Vulnerability, Recognition and Conscience: Making the Connections," by James Keenan SJ (Boston College), Fraser Institute, Regis College (Toronto, April 28, 2021)
- "The Handbook on Christian Theology and Climate Change: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives," Faculty Wide Presentation, Concordia College (Moorhead, MN January 2019)
- "An Eco-Theological Response to Pope Francis' Laudato si'," Interfaith Panel on Laudato si', Concordia College (Moorhead, MN, February 14, 2016)
- "Why the Environment is a Religious Issue," Presentation to the Faculty at Large, Concordia College (Moorhead, MN, March 2015)
- "Larry Rasmussen on Lutherans and Ecology," Dovre Centre, Concordia College (Moorhead, MN, February 2014)