| There is an immediate need for the African American community to have its ecological consciousness raised and sustained to be able to have a voice in the environmental justice movement in the twenty-first century. Clergy must become enlightened through instructions in their seminary training in order to be able to engage their congregations in environmental issues and problems, locally and globally. Lay persons in congregations must be able to sustain practices related to environmental justices from generation to generation. This Project Demonstrating Excellence, or dissertation, explores religious, cultural materials that will enlighten African Americans about environmental justice issues. Research revealed that religious and cultural materials found in scriptures, poetry, prayers, songs, and essays can serve to sustain continuous actions of environmental justice. This dissertation consists of two parts: a contextual essay and a sourcebook The contextual essay locates the work for the scholarly audience, positioning it within the fields of environmental justice, ecology, ethics, liberation theology, and literature. The sourcebook is intended to be used by African American congregations and seminaries. Religious and cultural materials found in prayers, scriptures, worship liturgies, essays and songs make up this eco-theology sourcebook. Selection criteria for the religious and cultural materials are based on the materials' ability to disclose an earth faith or a belief in the interconnectedness of all of God's creation. The research encourages future research on sustainability, environmental justice issues and the need for continuous healing relations between humankind and Mother Earth.; Keywords: eco-theology, environmental justice, literature, sustainability, African American church. |
