Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat – Keynote Speaker

Dr. Sylvia C. Keesmaat is a biblical scholar, activist and  farmer. She teaches courses at the intersection of biblical faith and radical discipleship through Bible Remixed. Sylvia is the co-chair of the Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care for the Anglican Diocese of Toronto. She speaks frequently on topics related to the Bible and economic justice, climate catastrophe, gender justice, and Indigenous justice. Sylvia is the co-author, with Brian Walsh, of Romans Disarmed: Resisting Empire, Demanding Justice  (Brazos Press, 2019) and Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire (IVP, 2004), and the author-editor of The Advent of Justice. Sylvia lives at Russet House Farm (www.russethousefarm.ca) an off-grid permaculture farm in the Kawartha Lakes on the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg, with her husband, Brian Walsh, and a fluctuating number of people and animals.

Dr. Michael Gilmour – Keynote Speaker

Associate Professor of English Literature at Providence University College and a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. On a good day, Michael teaches Jane Austen in the morning and St. Paul in the afternoon – such are the perks for an instructor in both English literature and New Testament. He researches animal ethics and regularly teaches a course on Animals and the Bible. Whenever possible, he urges the Christian community to take creation care and animal wellbeing seriously as matters of moral responsibility. His books include Eden’s Other Residents: The Bible and Animals (2014), Animals in the Writings of C. S. Lewis (2017), and Creative Compassion, Literature and Animal Welfare (2020).

Keynote 1: Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat

Torn Between Grief and Hope: Biblical Wisdom and Climate Catastrophe

These are the days of grief and fear. These are the days for stories. When collapse threatened, our biblical ancestors told stories: stories shaped by possibility, stories nourished by faithful love, stories rooted in visionary hope. Together we will delve deeply into the stories of catastrophe and hope in the Bible with our ears open for the voice of lament and our hearts open to new life.

Keynote 2: Dr. Michael Gilmour

Jonah’s Ark: Reflections on Christianity and Animals

In 1885, the Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon suggested a person “was not a true Christian if his [or her] dog or cat were not the better off for it.” This may seem an odd remark since rarely if ever do we think of animals in relation to the spiritual life. But is Spurgeon on to something here, suggesting the church owes them moral consideration? During this presentation, we explore a range of biblical texts raising questions about the religious import of nonhuman animals for Christian thought and practice.

Panel Discussion: Who Owns the Earth?

With Dr. John Boopalan, Dr. Don Buckingham, Dr. Michael Gilmour, Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat,
Moderated by Dr. Ryan Turnbull

Ownership, in our society, is really a question about who is ultimately responsible for something. To ask “who owns the earth” is therefore to enquire into who holds ultimate responsibility for the state of the world. This is an urgent legal, moral, philosophical, and theological question in the face of a climate crisis that threatens to do significant damage to the conditions of our common life on earth. Panelists will speak from their perspective, thinking broadly with Christian scripture and tradition around both the question “who owns the earth” and potential critiques of this question as an exercise in communally discerning how Christians might take responsibility for the care of our common home.

Workshops

1: Lament and Liturgy: Shaping Worship to Hold our Grief with Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat

What if our worship services became a safe place not only to name our grief about creational loss, but also a place where that grief was honoured and held? We will explore liturgies, prayers and ritual action that provide room for sharing and holding grief.

2: Becoming Good Neighbours: Earthkeeping Churches Where All God’s Creatures Flourish with Rick Faw and Scott Gerbrandt

Caring for creation is a basic component of discipleship. But how does earthkeeping work out in practice in the midst of church ministry? This workshop will outline an approach to earthkeeping and will tell stories of real-world projects as a way to spark further imagination. Attendees will be prompted to explore what the Spirit is inviting them to do in their own settings.

3: Building Hope at Home: How to choose and implement impactful actions with Teresa Prokopanko

If you’ve ever felt frustrated with how hard it is to reduce your environmental footprint, you’re not alone. As Paul said, “I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15). Why can it be so hard to take action on environmental sustainability in our own lives? In this workshop we’ll explore some of the principles of the psychology of behaviour change and how to apply it to our own environmental action.

On Friday June 14, there will be an option to attend one of two immersive experiences during the day. (Open to all, even if you can’t make the rest of the conference)

1. Boreal Ecology Centre Discovery Day – Lead by Graham Peters, A Rocha Conservation Science Coordinator
   Explore the Boreal Ecology Centre’s trails and experience the beauty of the place where prairie turns into boreal forest.
   Bring a bag lunch. Carpooling option available (bring $10 cash for gas).
2. Food, Faith, Farming, and the Land – Lead by A Rocha Manitoba and Germinating Conversations Facilitators
   Come along with the Germinating Conversations committee for a day of farm encounter and dialogue with a diverse group of farmers. We will visit Martin Entz’s field study site in Glenlea, Artel Farms, Natural Collective CSA, and Metanoia Farm. We will meet at CMU and go together from there. Bring a bag lunch, $10 cash for gas.