Statement of Research Interests
The contemporary ecological crisis is one of the most important moral challenges of our generation. Humanity has never before confronted a problem that has so powerfully threatened the flourishing of our entire species as well as the functioning and vitality of the entire planetary life support systems upon which we depend. My research interests are directly aimed at engaging these challenges by nurturing a research agenda that is social justice-oriented in focus and interdisciplinary and translational in approach.
Social Justice Focus As a Christian ethicist, my concern for the shared flourishing of both people and planetary systems informs and drives my focus on the role of morality and worldviews in responding to the ecological and social justice issues associated with climate change and environmental degradation. While asserting the interconnectedness and dependency of all life upon mutual flourishing, my aspiration is for responsible decision-making that expands the range of felt moral concern to include the pursuit of ecological health in tandem with human well-being and social equity, so that all are able to survive and thrive.
Interdisciplinary Methods My research resides at the nexus of structural poverty, gender disparity, ecological degradation, and climate-induced displacement. As such, I rely on my training and experience in environmental science, sustainability studies, and political advocacy in order to engage materials from a breadth of disciplines and to critically correlate traditionally humanitarian issues within the context of the ecological crisis. I rely on narrative ethics and an expanded understanding of a preferential option for the poor and oppressed to guide my theological framework.
Translational Approach My research endeavors to apply a practical vision of social justice rooted in sound moral theory and accompanied by concrete actions that seriously address the systemic plight of those carrying the heaviest burden of the ecological and climate crisis. My work makes an appeal to those open to critical engagement with the moral and intellectual heritages of religious thought, while also calling for an attentive response to the needs of the planet's most vulnerable communities.
“Climate-induced environmental displacement is a multifaceted problem requiring a holistic social justice response”
"The Role of Christian Ethics, Religious Leaders, and People of Faith at a time of Ecological and Climate Crisis"
"A Case Study on Climate Change and its Effects on the Global Poor"