Laid Bare: Vulnerabilities & Vitalities at the Nexus of Religion, Science & Technology Discussion

The coronavirus pandemic is a crisis unlike any in recent memory. Yet even in this unprecedented time, Covid-19 has contributed to a somewhat ironic outcome: it has laid bare the cares, concerns, and contradictions that have long been present, re-establishing and re-framing everyday experiences and vulnerabilities intensified by the severity of our situation. Included in this reimagining is our relationship with the environment.

Although the pandemic did not cause our ecological crisis, it has brought it into sharper focus. Social ills already exasperated by the eco-crisis have become more unsteady—from food insecurities to racial disparities to fragile democracies. The novel coronavirus continues to proliferate, causing much suffering and devastation, and other natural phenomena, including droughts, floods, storms and fires continue to set records, altering lives and landscapes. As necessary precautions have disrupted the rhythms of daily life and social support systems, they have also significantly benefited the natural world.

This juxtaposition of environmental flourishing and human suffering raises questions about humanity’s relations with the natural world:

• Must environmental flourishing be tied to human suffering or human isolation?
• What is the role of religion or religious communities in constructing an environmental ethic?
• What does it mean to hold the Earth as "sacred"—and is that necessary for a sufficient response to our current eco-crisis?
• What are the limitations of religious environmentalism in responding to a pandemic or climate change?
• Is a religious framework inclusive enough and robust enough for a convincing and efficacious planetary ethic?

The second conversation in the "Laid Bare" series featured these and other questions with Mary Evelyn Tucker, the co-director of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University, and Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, Regents Professor of History; Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism; and director of the Center for Jewish Studies. The discussion was moderated by Craig Calhoun, University Professor of Social Sciences at the School of Sustainability, College of Global Futures.