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Event | 12 February-13 February 10:00-17:00

Formation course on Christian-Muslim Dialogues on Ecology

Key Details

Location:
Al-Mahdi Institute, Birmingham and Cambridge Muslim College

Working together as faith communities to witness to human fraternity through our beliefs and joint actions has never been so urgent in today’s context of rising national populism. This two-day formation course aims at equipping Muslim and Christian communities with the intellectual and theological resources to learn from each other and respond together to today’s ecological and political challenges. The course is organised by the LSRI in collaboration with the Al-Mahdi Institute and the Cambridge Muslim College. 

Birmingham

Dates: Thursday and Friday 12 & 13 February 2026

Location: Al-Mahdi Institute in Birmingham.

Time: The course will take place from 10am-5pm on both days, and include Friday prayers.

Course Fee: £75 (includes lunch and refreshment)

Please note that this is the registration page for the Birmingham course location only. The course will take place at the Cambridge Muslim College later in 2026. For more details and registration:

Registration for Birmingham

Faith leads a believer to see in the other a brother or sister to be supported and loved. Through faith in God, who has created the universe, creatures and all human beings (equal on account of his mercy), believers are called to express this human fraternity by safeguarding creation and the entire universe and supporting all persons, especially the poorest and those most in need.

-
Pope Francis and Grand Imam Al-Tayyeb in "Human Fraternity: For World Peace and Living Together"

  • Course Aims

    ·    To enable deep listening, hospitality and bridge-building between the Christian and Muslim traditions.

    ·    To form Christian community leaders in the theological underpinnings of ecological action from a Muslim perspective, and to form Muslim community leaders in the theological underpinnings of ecological action from a Christian perspective.

    ·    To explore ways of addressing our planetary ecological crisis together.

  • Who is this course for?

    ·      Those training for ministry in a church or mosque.

    ·      Those involved in ministry in a Christian or Muslim community

    ·      Those working in a Christian or Islamic civil society organisation

    ·      Christians and Muslims involved in ecological action or other community work.

    ·      Students enrolled in British higher education institutions.

  • Course Contents

    Part 1: Theological Foundations: brings together key insights from both theological traditions in order to understand and deepen their respective accounts of how the world was created. It lays the groundwork for the idea of a divinely-ordained responsibility for humans to care for the earth. 

     

    Part 2: Breaking and Reconciling: explores what repentance and turning away from ecologically harmful practices could look like given the fundamental acknowledgement of gifts and guidance from God to humankind. It examines the teachings and principles found in the Christian and Muslim traditions which serve as guidance for ecological action. 

     

    Part 3: Educating for Ecological Justice: examines the critical role of faith communities in education for shifting hearts and minds. It explores what can be done to further faith-based education on climate and ecological justice, and how to catalyse and nurture leadership. 

     

    Part 4: Witnessing in the Public Sphere: addresses how Christian and Muslim communities in the UK can join forces and offer prophetic insights on how to address the ecological crisis in a systemic way and reconcile humanity’s relationship with creation. 

     

    The course will be based on material from On the Care and Balance of Our Common Home: Christian-Muslim Dialogues, the Islamic Covenant for the Earth Al-Mizan (‘Balance’), Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home, An Introduction to Qur’anic Ecology and Resonances with Laudato Si’, and other resources on eco-theology from the Christian and Muslim traditions.  

     

    The course will follow a dialogical method. After some inputs from the course instructor, the course will be delivered through seminar-style discussions. It is expected that participants read some material in advance.  

The course will be led by LSRI Research Affiliate Farhana Mayer. Ms Mayer is a Qur’anic Hermeneutics scholar with a deep knowledge of the Christian tradition. She was previously a lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies and the Institute of Ismaili Studies. Academic staff from the Al-Mahdi Institute and the Cambridge Muslim College will co-lead some sessions. 

We are grateful for the support of the MB Reckitt Trust.

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