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Islamic Scholar to Keynote Interfaith Environmental Conference
Local Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian Communities to gather on October 21 in Sarasota
To address the root causes of the global environmental crisis requires that we change fundamentally how we understand the world, ourselves and, ultimately, Reality itself, says Dr. Waleed El-Ansary, keynote speaker at an interfaith dialogue and conversation to be held in Sarasota on Sunday, October 21, 2:00 - 8:00 pm. The event, “Caring for the Earth”, will include panelists from local Jewish, Islamic, Christian and Buddhist communities. There will be youth and adult panelists, and all young people are welcome.
The event will be free and open to the public, but reservations are encouraged. It will be held at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1031 S Euclid Ave, Sarasota, FL. (Telephone: 941-953-7044). Dinner (attentive to halal, kashrut and vegetarian requirements) will be provided without charge, but donations will be welcomed.
Sponsors include The First Congregational United Church of Christ, The Environmental Studies Program of New College, The Islamic Society of Sarasota and Bradenton, The Church of the Redeemer (Episcopal), and The First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota.
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Dr. El-Ansary chairs Islamic Studies at Xavier University, Cincinnati, where he teaches comparative religion, Islamic studies, and religion and science. He argues that religion can provide a holistic framework for the social and natural sciences to motivate fundamental behavioral change. El-Ansary believes that because the “book of nature” corresponds to sacred scriptures, in the “pages” of both can be found “vestiges of God.”
Dr. El-Ansary works at the intersection of religion, science, and economics. His publications include “Islamic Environmental Economics and the Three Dimensions of Islam” in his co-edited Muslim and Christian Understanding: Theory and Application of a Common Word. In addition, the Aladdin Project, a UNESCO-based organization, recently commissioned him to develop a book to help theological students understand the major monotheist religions as described by prominent authorities within those traditions. He holds a Ph.D. from George Washington University and an M.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland.
