Ecojesuit shares some of the articles featured in this special issue of the Journal of Jesuit Studies that focuses on Jesuits and environmental justice. The Journal of Jesuit Studies is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal dedicated to the study of Jesuit history from the 16th to the 21st century. It welcomes articles on all aspects of the Jesuit past and present including, but not limited to, the Jesuit role in the arts and sciences, theology, philosophy, mission, literature, and interreligious/inter-cultural encounters.
General Introduction
Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu, SJ
This special issue of the Journal of Jesuit Studies offers a series of articles on the environmentalist activities of Jesuits, while reflecting upon the capability of the Society and its institutions to care for our common home. Though neither an exhaustive nor a comprehensive investigation of Jesuit activities throughout the world, it is by our design a sort of portrait of Jesuit works on the topic that aims for inclusivity, as well as a multiplicity of perspectives with the hope that it may present insights that a global conversation might provide. We are confident that the readers will enjoy reading these articles, which provide a panoramic view of the ways that Jesuits across every continent are approaching and incorporating ecology into their own missions. It is our hope that these accounts may be a source of motivation for others towards the goal of environmental justice. Indeed, reconciliation and living in harmony with creation could become a spiritual path that encompasses the fullness of life, “so that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).
The full introduction in pdf can be downloaded here.
Jesuits from Asia-Pacific in the Time of Laudato si’: Reconciliation with Creation
Pedro Walpole, SJ
Abstract: Jesuit Conference Asia-Pacific established a “Reconciliation with Creation,” a comprehensive program that aims to enable greater environmental awareness and participation in caring for all forms of life. As part of this program, Jesuit pastoral ministries with the poor and beyond are integrating social and ecological objectives. Meanwhile, Jesuit schools are embarking upon a new learning curve with many new social engagements and technologies that may enact greater ecological integration and accountability. Likewise, as part of this initiative, Jesuit communities themselves are learning to audit their consumption and waste. Climatic events, as those that have devastated many different communities that this conference represents, are currently the focus of many Jesuit institutions as they seek to develop protocol beyond relief to disaster risk reduction (DRR). Accordingly, in order to address this urgent challenge, sustainability science needs to adapt so that it becomes problem-focused, and a critical element in this endeavor is the capacity of Jesuit institutes to network and collaborate with others. Grounded in gratitude and engaging with hope, “Reconciliation with Creation” is essentially an invitation to act that concurrently seeks to gradually deepen the experience of the sacred.
Pedro Walpole’s full article in pdf can be downloaded here.