Between Heaven and Earth: An Audio Documentary Series on Spirituality, Place, and Climate in America

FAIN: TR-285471-22

University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA 22903-4833)
Kurtis R. Schaeffer (Project Director: August 2021 to present)

Production of a podcast series of ten episodes on how religious groups and movements have understood human interaction with the natural world and addressed environmental issues.

Fully understanding the significance of the climate crisis requires the skills and methods of the humanities. Scientists have measured the grave effects of this crisis for decades, but the interpretive approaches afforded by the humanities are crucial for appreciating human responses to a rapidly evolving scientific reality. The climate crisis demands that humanity reckon and wrestle with its relationship to the environment, and as global citizens become ever more aware of the urgency of the climate crisis, the need for rigorous reporting on multifaceted responses to environmental change has never been more crucial. Recognizing that these responses are influenced by a complex constellation of religious, political, and socioeconomic factors, our project will offer a ten-episode podcast season exploring the rich stories of how various groups and movements have interpreted and re-imagined human modes of interaction with the natural world.