Climate Change

The United Nations has declared we have less than 11 years to prevent catastrophic climate change. The American Psychological Association first defined eco-anxiety in 2017 as “a chronic fear of environmental doom.” Eco-anxiety has exploded across the world. Survey data collected in 2019 by the Australian mental health organisation ReachOut suggested four in five Australian students report being somewhat or very anxious about climate change, with close to half of those experiencing these emotions on a weekly basis. This course explores the theological question “should Christian communities respond to the threat of climate change?” The answer has significant implications for the students and staff in Anglican schools and their engagement and response to climate change. The course is developed for 14-18-year-old secondary school students attending Anglican schools in Australia. It is designed as a 10-week course that will sit as an option within each school’s existing religious studies curriculum. This course employs an approach to teaching and learning that seeks to encourage learning that is self-authoring whilst respecting the framing (and constraining) authority of theology and science.