Creation, Humanity and Science in the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition

The retrieval of the Franciscan intellectual tradition opens up new horizons for reimagining the human relationship to nature. St. Francis is the premier example of Christian love for creation, but the Franciscan tradition has many more resources for helping us care for our environment today. Our intellectual tradition draws from a rich theology of creation, a vision for a just society, philosophy of science, and environmental ethics. Join these leading Franciscan scholars to learn how to draw from this intellectual tradition to enliven your ministry or organization, and personal religious journey.

 This residential summer school course is offered by the Franciscan School of Theology (FST), a member school of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. The school traces its roots back to Mission Santa Barbara. FST prepares candidates for professional ministry in the Roman Catholic Church, and hosts the premier center of Franciscan theological education in the English speaking world.

This course makes our internationally-recognized faculty available to those who cannot attend FST during the school year at our Berkeley campus. Old Mission Santa Barbara will host this course, with its historic buildings, ample facilities, landscaped gardens and walking paths. This world-famous location offers pleasant summer weather and easy access to the beach.

Your presenters:
 

Bill Short, O.F.M. is a Franciscan Friar and the Academic Dean of the Franciscan School in Berkeley. He completed S.T.L. and S.T.D. degrees at the Gregorian University in Rome. Brother Bill dedicated his scholarly work to a retrieval of the Franciscan tradition of spirituality and theology. He is co-editor of the three-volume series of English translations of all the medieval documents written by and about St. Francis of Assisi. He has published extensively on the history of the Franciscan movement and its spirituality.

Mary Beth Ingham C.S.J. (Orange, CA) is an international expert on the thought of John Duns Scotus, and is a popular presenter at Franciscan gatherings. She received her Ph. D. from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and has recently joined the faculty at FST after more than 20 years at Loyola Marymount University. Her publications include: Scotus for Dunces: An Introduction to the Subtle Doctor; The Harmony of Goodness: Mutuality and Moral Living according to John Duns Scotus; and Rejoicing in the Works of the Lord: Beauty in the Franciscan Tradition.




Keith Douglass Warner, O.F.M. is a leading scholar in efforts to retrieve a Franciscan care for creation. He received his M.A. from FST and a Ph.D. in environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz. He teaches about biodiversity ethics, spirituality and sustainability, and the relationship between science and social justice. He researches the role of ethics and values in environmental science and policy. He is the co-author of Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth.