TODAY'S THEMES

The second day of the conference drew on a variety of disciplines to find synergies and foster a more holistic understanding of our contemporary crisis, enriching the theological debate with grounded experiences and ideas and encompassing diverse wisdoms and forms of knowledge.

KEYNOTE LECTURES

Dr Hilda Koster opened the day by reflecting on settler colonialism and Indigenous sacralities, focusing on the ecological dimension of colonialism and the ways in which integral ecology might enter in "a paramount sustained dialogue with Indigenous theologians."

Prof Luke Bretherton explored the ancient social practice of the commons ("a form of integral ecology in itself, with its elements of collaboration, nonhuman ecosystems, and material and social processes") and how we might recover these practices as a response to the enclosure and assimilation that we are subject to in the age of AI. Questions from the audience included, among others, the role of emotions, anger, lament and resistance - and even how the Lord of the Rings might offer a theological interpretation of these themes.

PANEL: INTEGRAL ECOLOGY IN TRANSDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES

Moderated by Dr Timothy Howles, this panel included Prof Nathalie Seddon, the Rev Prof Emmanuel Katongole, Prof Mark Harris, Dr Richard Boyle, and Prof Carmody Grey. Together, they reflected on how integral ecology might truly transcend disciplinary boundaries, and whether academia has yet created the spaces for such integration. Questions focused on the balance between theory and practice, the relationship with practitioners, and the problem of scale.