Seeing Nature as a Visionary with Philip Clayton

How important is community in facing the climate crisis? What kinds of communities are helping you to live differently and find hope?

In this episode, we’re learning to see nature through the eyes of a visionary. For this conversation, Brian McLaren is joined by Philip Clayton to discuss the urgent need for a shift in mindset, the transformative power of community, and the vital role of faith in building an ecological civilization.

About the guest: 

Philip Clayton is a renowned scholar whose work spans philosophy, theology, and science, with a particular focus on ecotheology, exploring the intersection of climate science, ethics, religion, and social philosophy. Holding the Ingraham Chair at Claremont School of Theology and directing the PhD program in comparative theologies and philosophies, he has also taught at prestigious institutions like Yale, Williams College, and Harvard, publishing extensively with over two dozen books and 350 articles. Beyond academia, Clayton is the President of the Institute for Ecological Civilization (EcoCiv.org), working internationally to promote sustainable solutions, and also heads the Institute for the Postmodern Development of China, advocating for ecological civilization through various initiatives. When not immersed in scholarly pursuits, he enjoys cycling, refereeing soccer, and spending time outdoors with his family and dog.

Resources: 

• The transcript for this episode can be found here. 
• Two of Brian's books have been referenced heavily this season. You can check them out at the following links, Life After Doom and The Galapagos Islands.
• To learn more about Philip, check out his website here.
• Find out more about musician April Stace here.  

Books mentioned during the interview:

• What is Ecological Civilization? by Philip Clayton and Andrew Schwartz
• The New Possible: Visions of Our World Beyond Crisis (Edited by Philip Clayton)
• Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
• Eaarth by Bill McKibben

Connect with us: 

Have a response to Brian's call to action at the end of this episode, or a question in general? 

• Email us: podcasts@cac.org 
• Send us a voicemail: cac.org/voicemail 

We'll be accepting questions for our Listener Questions episode until November 20th, 2024.