COUNTER-OPPRESSIVE AGRARIAN THEOLOGIES – LOCAL LAND-BASED LEARNING
How does a perspective of the divine grounded in the soil, in the humus that makes us human, shape our relationship to each other, to the planet, and to God? This online yet experiential and embodied course will help religious leaders gain first-hand experience in the spiritual and structural nuances of our food systems and in how our lives and ministries fit within them. We will explore how systems of oppression intersect with our own bodies through how we produce and interact with the food we eat, and create space for creative imagining and exploration of solutions to food systems problems.
This course builds upon the foundation laid in the required Agrarian Theologies Part 1 intensive. Students will spend time each week volunteering at a local garden or farm (instructor can offer assistance with placements), using that experience as a primary text to bring into dialogue with selected readings. Students will be evaluated based on their engaged reflections and online dialogue with each other, in addition to a final paper or project.
The course is intended for all students.
This course may help meet the Starr King thresholds for Prophetic Witness and Work, Spiritual Practice and Care for the Soul, Educating for Wholeness and Liberation, and Embodied Wisdom and Beauty. It may also help meet the MFC competencies of Spiritual Development for Self and Others, Social Justice in the Public Square, and Leads the Faith into the Future.
Students are required to also register for Agrarian Theologies Introductory Intensive.