Ecomissiology sees the mission of the church in terms of reconciliation at all levels, i.e. environmental care is fundamental to disciple making and discipleship. In this course, students will critique different ideas of ecomission and design environmental mission methods and ministries.

This course focuses on the intersections between contemporary environmental issues, communication dynamics, media and social change. We will explore the unique contribution that communication theory can bring to the study of “the environment” and “the natural world”. We will also consider how these perspectives can inform actionable practices that aim to bolster long-term global environmental sustainability. Case studies will cover a diverse set of environmental topics, including climate change, environmental justice, the global industrial food system, public understandings of scientific risk, human-animal relations, and environmental media and journalism. Course materials will include interdisciplinary readings – drawn not only from communication and media studies, but also political science, geography, the natural sciences and other fields – as well as relevant films, television shows, popular press articles and other multimedia materials. You will be asked to read challenging texts, engage in class discussions and exercises, reflect on a variety of media clips, and think critically about the perspectives brought into conversations by your peers. Taken together, the course will provide theoretical, methodological and practical insights into the theory and practice of environmental communication.

This course offers an in-depth understanding of how countries and governments all over the world balance the need for development and proper stewardship of the environment. There will be a detailed case studies and discussions on the role of environmental agencies such as the environmental protection agency (EPA) and the signing of international agreements between countries geared towards environmental control.

This is an advanced course that is designed to give students an in-depth look and more hands-on approach to dealing with the complexity of environmental leadership and community involvement. The course will prepare the students with sophisticated analytical skills and proficiency in reductive and conceptual thinking, that will enable them come up with relevant solutions to a radically changing world.