NCKU 2010 Religion and Ecology International Conference Held on June 25th
Tainan, Taiwan, June 25th, 2010
The 2010 Religion and Ecology International Conference of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Taiwan, hosted by NCKU Research Center for Buddhist Studies and “Religious Studies: Confrontations and Dialogues” Project and sponsored by Chang Jung Christian University, Philosophy Association in Taiwan, Taiwan Ecological Stewardship Association and Taiwan Association for Religious Studies, was held on June 25th in the Second Conference Room of the International Conference Hall, Kuang-Fu Campus, NCKU, Taiwan.
In recent years, religious dialogues pay more attention to the ecological and environmental issues, which have become the foci of religious pluralism and common responsibility.
Facing global climate changes and the rise of the sense of environmental protection, the 2010 Religion and Ecology International Conference sought to develop the discourse from the ecological-philosophy, ecological-religious perspective and deep ecology and hoped to develop understandings and evaluations on the attitudes, values and practices of ecological conservation in various religious traditions, narratives and analyses of the common ground of ecological conservation in the religious traditions and in their dialogues with other religions.
On behalf of National Cheng Kung University, President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai first expressed his sincere gratitude towards international and national scholars who have come to attend the symposium.
NCKU President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai said, “Taiwan is a highly industrialized society. We focus very much on the promotion, development and improvement of our industries. However, the larger the size of our industries the more the danger they bring. When we focus our eye on the prosperity, we overlook the related damages. The environmental damage, thus, becomes the price we pay for our industrial and economic development.”
President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai also mentioned, “Because fossil energy will be completely exhausted someday, alternative energy should be developed. Because the climate catastrophe caused by extreme weather conditions is increasing, how to reduce carbon emissions for slowing the global warming may be the key to the continuous survival of the human species. Therefore, research on the development of alternative energy and green energy is the future focus of this university, which is highly regarded in the world.”
President Lai revealed, “From the understanding that ecological conservation and environmental protection are our mission and responsibility, we see the ecological-environmental issues not only from the scientific aspect. These issues are indeed closely related to deeper concerns. It is about values, ethics and our ethical choice. The Religion and Ecology International Conference is an excellent opportunity of learning and I hope students may step across the lines of various fields to absorb new knowledge which will enable you to face challenges and to become a good global citizen of the twentieth century - to be concerned about others, to protect the environment, and to cherish the living planet we belong to.”
The international conference has invited Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether, a prominent ecofeminist scholar, and Dr. Hong Handing, a notable philosopher especially on Hermeneutics, to be the keynote speakers, as well as scholars to participate in presentation, roundtable discussion, and book launch to give this conference an abundant and diverse feature.
Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether said, “The world’s energy system, dependent on petroleum, was facing a crisis of availability of fossil fuels which had already or were about to reach their peak level and enter into a decline. Global food giants, such as Monsanto, sought to own and control the genetic basis of the world’s food supply, making farmers impoverished and dependent. World population was soaring exponentially, growing from 1 billion in 1850 to 2 billion in 1930 and over 6 billion by the end of the century. Humanity looked to an increasingly densely populated planet of 10 to 12 billion by the mid 21st century. At the same time, the use of fossil fuel for the system of industrial production, transportation and daily life was shown to cause rising temperatures threatening the disruption of the whole basis of human survival on the planet. The concept of the ‘ecological crisis’ was coined to refer to these multi-dimensional threats to human and natural life.”
Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether mentioned, “Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, and United Nationals Commissioner for Human Rights, was one important spokesperson for an ecojustice perspective. She has spoken for the rights of the poorest members of world society that are most adversely affected by climate change and impoverishment of society and nature.”
Dr. Ruether pointed out, “The Multiple Services Cooperative of Masaya, Nicaragua, founded in 1995, receives grants through international NGOs and makes small loans to farmers and craftswomen to raise chickens, pigs, sheep and cattle, basic grains and medicinal plants, as well as crafts, such as embroidery, and cultural programs, such as popular theatre. Women gain land titles through their work and learn organic methods of farming to avoid toxic fertilizers and pesticides, and to harvest water. This group is linked to the National Federation of Cooperatives and to the international peasant organic farmers’ network, Campesino a Campesino.”
Dr. Ruether illustrated another example, “Hundreds of thousands of families have taken over unused land and won titles for it in Brazil, creating their own schools and running their communities democratically and with ecological sustainable farming methods. In the U.S., Canada, England and Japan, there is the Community Supported Agriculture movement where small farms of 20-200 acres run by male and female farmers raise a great variety of crops, using organic methods. Such farms are supported by local subscribers who buy a share in the farm and receive boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables weekly or monthly on a seasonal basis.”
Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether emphasized, “The struggle for a more just, ecologically sustainable society is the key issue for the 21st century and the challenge of the future.”
The main themes of the international conference included Ecological Discourse in an Age of Global Religious Pluralism, Religious-ecological Perspective and Hermeneutics, Dialogue between Religious-ecological Perspective and Technology and Ecological Concerns and Environmental Practice.
The keynote lectures and speeches of the morning session included “Ecofeminism and Global Justice” by Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether, “You Shall Have no Other Gods” by Dr. M. P. Joseph, “The Postcolonial-Ecological Perspective for Historical Studies in an Age of Globalization” by Dr. Jane Weijen Liang, “How are Things themselves (Sache selbst) Fathomed in Phenomenology-On the Differences among Husserl, Heidegger and Gadamer” by Dr. Hong Handing, “The Opposition and Harmony between Nature and Humanity-A Taoist Proposal for the Solution of Bioethical Problems” by Dr. Hai-Yen Yeh, “Ecofeminism and the Environmental Concerns of Engaged Buddhism” by Dr. Chao-Chen Lin and “Ecological Ethic Ideas and Attitudes in Hindu Cosmology” by Dr. Huang-Chou Lin.
The keynote lectures and speeches of the afternoon session included “From Green to Orange Technology: Advancing Technology for Humanity” by Dr. Jhing-Fa Wang, “Religion in the Secular World: Disenchantment or Re-enchantment” by Dr. Chon-Giau Wang, “Multiple Perspectives of Twentieth Century’s Scientific Ecology” by Dr. Heng-An Chen, “The Logos Incarnate as the Intrinsic Value of Creative Process: A Constructive Correlation of Whiteheadian Process Christology and H. Rolston’s Environmental Philosophy” by Dr. Andrew Yenru Lin and “Indigenous Beliefs and Christianity’s Ecological View: From the Perspective of Rolston’s Wilderness Philosophy” by Dr. Yih-Ren Lin.
The 2010 Religion and Ecology International Conference has invited scholars who are interested in religious studies and ecological-environmental issues to participate, aiming to deepen religious studies at National Cheng Kung University and on the other hand hoping that the researches of ecological-environmental and religious issues can be upgraded to the more important concerns of this university, more people will be inspired to reflect on deep influence of religion on global civilization and the discussions of the notable power of religion can shape people’s worldviews and actions, especially from the ecological-environmental perspective.
The 2010 Religion and Ecology International Conference of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Taiwan, hosted by NCKU Research Center for Buddhist Studies and “Religious Studies: Confrontations and Dialogues” Project and sponsored by Chang Jung Christian University, Philosophy Association in Taiwan, Taiwan Ecological Stewardship Association and Taiwan Association for Religious Studies, was held on June 25th in the Second Conference Room of the International Conference Hall, Kuang-Fu Campus, NCKU, Taiwan.
In recent years, religious dialogues pay more attention to the ecological and environmental issues, which have become the foci of religious pluralism and common responsibility.
Facing global climate changes and the rise of the sense of environmental protection, the 2010 Religion and Ecology International Conference sought to develop the discourse from the ecological-philosophy, ecological-religious perspective and deep ecology and hoped to develop understandings and evaluations on the attitudes, values and practices of ecological conservation in various religious traditions, narratives and analyses of the common ground of ecological conservation in the religious traditions and in their dialogues with other religions.
On behalf of National Cheng Kung University, President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai first expressed his sincere gratitude towards international and national scholars who have come to attend the symposium.
NCKU President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai said, “Taiwan is a highly industrialized society. We focus very much on the promotion, development and improvement of our industries. However, the larger the size of our industries the more the danger they bring. When we focus our eye on the prosperity, we overlook the related damages. The environmental damage, thus, becomes the price we pay for our industrial and economic development.”
President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai also mentioned, “Because fossil energy will be completely exhausted someday, alternative energy should be developed. Because the climate catastrophe caused by extreme weather conditions is increasing, how to reduce carbon emissions for slowing the global warming may be the key to the continuous survival of the human species. Therefore, research on the development of alternative energy and green energy is the future focus of this university, which is highly regarded in the world.”
President Lai revealed, “From the understanding that ecological conservation and environmental protection are our mission and responsibility, we see the ecological-environmental issues not only from the scientific aspect. These issues are indeed closely related to deeper concerns. It is about values, ethics and our ethical choice. The Religion and Ecology International Conference is an excellent opportunity of learning and I hope students may step across the lines of various fields to absorb new knowledge which will enable you to face challenges and to become a good global citizen of the twentieth century - to be concerned about others, to protect the environment, and to cherish the living planet we belong to.”
The international conference has invited Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether, a prominent ecofeminist scholar, and Dr. Hong Handing, a notable philosopher especially on Hermeneutics, to be the keynote speakers, as well as scholars to participate in presentation, roundtable discussion, and book launch to give this conference an abundant and diverse feature.
Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether said, “The world’s energy system, dependent on petroleum, was facing a crisis of availability of fossil fuels which had already or were about to reach their peak level and enter into a decline. Global food giants, such as Monsanto, sought to own and control the genetic basis of the world’s food supply, making farmers impoverished and dependent. World population was soaring exponentially, growing from 1 billion in 1850 to 2 billion in 1930 and over 6 billion by the end of the century. Humanity looked to an increasingly densely populated planet of 10 to 12 billion by the mid 21st century. At the same time, the use of fossil fuel for the system of industrial production, transportation and daily life was shown to cause rising temperatures threatening the disruption of the whole basis of human survival on the planet. The concept of the ‘ecological crisis’ was coined to refer to these multi-dimensional threats to human and natural life.”
Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether mentioned, “Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, and United Nationals Commissioner for Human Rights, was one important spokesperson for an ecojustice perspective. She has spoken for the rights of the poorest members of world society that are most adversely affected by climate change and impoverishment of society and nature.”
Dr. Ruether pointed out, “The Multiple Services Cooperative of Masaya, Nicaragua, founded in 1995, receives grants through international NGOs and makes small loans to farmers and craftswomen to raise chickens, pigs, sheep and cattle, basic grains and medicinal plants, as well as crafts, such as embroidery, and cultural programs, such as popular theatre. Women gain land titles through their work and learn organic methods of farming to avoid toxic fertilizers and pesticides, and to harvest water. This group is linked to the National Federation of Cooperatives and to the international peasant organic farmers’ network, Campesino a Campesino.”
Dr. Ruether illustrated another example, “Hundreds of thousands of families have taken over unused land and won titles for it in Brazil, creating their own schools and running their communities democratically and with ecological sustainable farming methods. In the U.S., Canada, England and Japan, there is the Community Supported Agriculture movement where small farms of 20-200 acres run by male and female farmers raise a great variety of crops, using organic methods. Such farms are supported by local subscribers who buy a share in the farm and receive boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables weekly or monthly on a seasonal basis.”
Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether emphasized, “The struggle for a more just, ecologically sustainable society is the key issue for the 21st century and the challenge of the future.”
The main themes of the international conference included Ecological Discourse in an Age of Global Religious Pluralism, Religious-ecological Perspective and Hermeneutics, Dialogue between Religious-ecological Perspective and Technology and Ecological Concerns and Environmental Practice.
The keynote lectures and speeches of the morning session included “Ecofeminism and Global Justice” by Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether, “You Shall Have no Other Gods” by Dr. M. P. Joseph, “The Postcolonial-Ecological Perspective for Historical Studies in an Age of Globalization” by Dr. Jane Weijen Liang, “How are Things themselves (Sache selbst) Fathomed in Phenomenology-On the Differences among Husserl, Heidegger and Gadamer” by Dr. Hong Handing, “The Opposition and Harmony between Nature and Humanity-A Taoist Proposal for the Solution of Bioethical Problems” by Dr. Hai-Yen Yeh, “Ecofeminism and the Environmental Concerns of Engaged Buddhism” by Dr. Chao-Chen Lin and “Ecological Ethic Ideas and Attitudes in Hindu Cosmology” by Dr. Huang-Chou Lin.
The keynote lectures and speeches of the afternoon session included “From Green to Orange Technology: Advancing Technology for Humanity” by Dr. Jhing-Fa Wang, “Religion in the Secular World: Disenchantment or Re-enchantment” by Dr. Chon-Giau Wang, “Multiple Perspectives of Twentieth Century’s Scientific Ecology” by Dr. Heng-An Chen, “The Logos Incarnate as the Intrinsic Value of Creative Process: A Constructive Correlation of Whiteheadian Process Christology and H. Rolston’s Environmental Philosophy” by Dr. Andrew Yenru Lin and “Indigenous Beliefs and Christianity’s Ecological View: From the Perspective of Rolston’s Wilderness Philosophy” by Dr. Yih-Ren Lin.
The 2010 Religion and Ecology International Conference has invited scholars who are interested in religious studies and ecological-environmental issues to participate, aiming to deepen religious studies at National Cheng Kung University and on the other hand hoping that the researches of ecological-environmental and religious issues can be upgraded to the more important concerns of this university, more people will be inspired to reflect on deep influence of religion on global civilization and the discussions of the notable power of religion can shape people’s worldviews and actions, especially from the ecological-environmental perspective.
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