Seminal Books in Activist Theology: Perspectives on Earth Care

March 07, 2019

Reading and discussing books that help to galvanize faith-based consciousness in movement.

On March 14, we will continue our Seminal Books Salon Series in which we discuss books that have influenced movements. This month, we will be considering earth care through the lens of Christian and Muslim traditions. Each month we invite a roundtable of scholar/activists to share about books related to a particular theme that sparked their own personal spiritual/activist awakening, and then we reflect together.

This month, Will Summers and Amirah AbuLughod who are members of the Community of Living Traditions at Stony Point Center will be our speakers. They serve the farming project at the Center and do this work as a Christian and Muslim in partnership out of the richness of each of their traditions. They will be sharing with us about a book they are reading together: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer and also about individual “Seminal Books” that have formed their faith and practice. Their comments will be followed by a roundtable discussion.

Amirah AbuLughod first came to Stony Point Center as a Summer Institute participant in June 2013, returned as a farm apprentice and member of the Community of Living traditions in March of 2015 and was hired on as one of Stony Point Center’s Food Grower and Educators in April of 2018. Both sides of Amirah’s family have a rich history of farming tradition; a long line of dairy, beef, and crop farmers near the Mississippi in Wisconsin and orange growers beside the Mediterranean in Palestine. Even with this family background, the real seed of love for working with the earth sprouted when she was a little kid working in the backyard garden with her mom. That seed continues to grow and flourish as Amirah’s Muslim faith informs her farming experience at Stony Point Center. Amirah graduated with a degree in Environmental Geography and is a Master Gardener volunteer in her home state of Wisconsin.

Will Summers joined the Community of Living Traditions in 2015 and has been on Stony Point Center’s staff as a farmer since 2013. He enjoys growing food that’s shared in the dining room throughout the year, especially lettuce, kale, and tomatoes. Will has over a decade of experience as a farmer, including several years of farming in his home state of Texas. He particularly enjoys the NY growing season, especially winter’s gift of maple syrup production. Will is involved in CLT’s solidarity work with indigenous and immigrant communities including farmworkers. He is a practicing Christian who has been blessed to worship with Mennonite, Quaker, and Presbyterian congregations over the years.

The conversation will be held on at 7PM at the Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice on the campus of Stony Point Center, 5 Cricketown Road Stony Point, NY and offered over video-conference. If you would like to join the video conference, please visit https://zoom.us/j/7328959083 at that time.

The Seminal Books in Activist Theology Series is sponsored by the Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice and the Community of Living Traditions at Stony Point Center. Please mark your calendars for these upcoming 2019 Seminal Books Salons, all at 7PM at the Library and online:

● April 11, 2019 — African Liberation Theology

● May 9, 2019 — Palestinian Liberation Theology

● June 13, 2019 — Poverty and Poor People’s Organizing