The Utah Humanities Council and Utah Valley State College's Center for the Study of Ethics and the Humanities-Philosophy Department will host the 9th annual Environmental Ethics Conference Nov. 20-21.
Organizers chose "Religion and Views of Nature" as the theme of this year's conference to create a forum where the community could explore how people view nature through the lens of religion. Several experts on Christianity, Confucianism, Taoism and many other religions will discuss the religious underpinnings that determine their concepts of nature and their relationship to nature."The essence of nature and humanity's role in nature is perhaps the most fundamental ingredient in a person's world view," said David Keller, the conference organizer and a UVSC professor. "The conference will be illuminating and instructive to make public the very different visions of nature that are intrinsic to various religions."
At the conclusion of each presentation, conference participants will entertain questions from the audience.
Presenters include Frederick Ferre, a professor from the University of Georgia; Carolyn Tanner Irish, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah; Yukio Kachi, professor from the University of Utah; David Rothenberg, professor from the New Jersey Institute of Technology; Bernard G. Weiss, professor from the University of Utah; and Terry Tempest Williams, the Shirley Sutton Thomas visiting professor from the University of Utah.
A roundtable discussion will conclude the conference.
Keller said he believes this conference is important because the environmental issues that will be discussed stand at the forefront of myriad social and political issues the world is facing.
The conference, held in the Ragan Theater on UVSC's Orem campus, is free and open to the public. Lectures will be held from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call Keller at 222-8503.