Science, Truth, and Christian Faith in a Time of Eco-Crisis: Rick Lindroth to Deliver 2024 Rutlen Lecture
Join Luther Seminary on February 27, 2024, for an evening with ecologist and lay theologian Rick Lindroth. Professor Lindroth will deliver the 2024 Rutlen Lecture on Faith and Creation, “Science, Truth, and Christian Faith in a Time of Eco-Crisis.”
Details:
Rutlen Lecture on Faith and Creation with Rick Lindroth
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
7 p.m.
Location:
Chapel of the Incarnation, Olson Campus Center
1490 Fulham Street, St. Paul, MN 55108
About
The ecological polycrisis confronting the world today is unparalleled in human history and threatens to unravel, within decades, the very fabric of civilization. Long battered by the “dominion” theology of Christianity, the global environment has suffered further in recent decades because of entrapment in a vortex of science denialism, political polarization, and cultural tribalism. Nonetheless, as a faith system committed to truth, hope, and unity across cultural divides, Christianity also provides a path forward. Rick Lindroth argues for a re-wilding of the Christian ethic of creation care—one that promotes enchantment, connection, reciprocity, and justice—for the betterment of humanity and flourishing of the living world.
This event is free and open to the public, with no registration required. The lecture will be livestreamed at youtube.com/lutherseminary for those unable to attend in person.
About Rick Lindroth
Rick Lindroth is a Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Ecology Emeritus and former associate dean for research at the University of Wisconsin—Madison. His research focused on evolutionary ecology and global change ecology in forest ecosystems. He has been a Fulbright Fellow and is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Ecological Society of America, the Entomological Society of America, and the American Scientific Affiliation. Funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other agencies, he and his research group have published 250 journal articles and book chapters. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois—Urbana.
Rick currently serves as a distinguished research fellow with The Lumen Center, a community of scholars working at the intersection of Christianity and culture. He speaks to public and faith-based groups about creation care, climate change, biodiversity, and science denialism/communication. He serves on the board of directors for A Rocha USA and an advisory board for Science for the Church, and is a member of the BioLogos Voices speaker’s bureau. Rick and his wife have two daughters and three grandchildren. For recreation, they enjoy road cycling, fly fishing, hiking, and reading—though not necessarily in that order.
About the Rutlen Lecture
The Robert William Ruotsalainen Rutlen and Elizabeth Jane Runn Rutlen Lecture on Faith and Creation is a biannual lecture series designed to examine the intersection between faith and eco-justice. David Rutlen, a member of the seminary’s board of directors, established the series to honor his family’s passion for environmental justice and God’s creation. Previous Rutlen lecturers include Ellen Davis, Randy Woodley, and Larry Rasmussen ’65 M.Div. View past events in this series and other public lectures from Luther Seminary on YouTube.