St Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Seminary - Science for Seminaries

St Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Seminary

https://stsuots.edu/

St. Sophia sits on a table within a yellow circle. She is surrounded by stars. Around this is a blue circle with the name of the school in English and Ukranian.

The project will integrate environmental science (emphasizing biology, ecosystems, conservation, and community ecology) into five existing required core courses:

  • Patristics: the Church Fathers’ and monastic tradition of love of nature, showing care for creation to be an ancient Orthodox concept
  • Introduction to Old Testament: dominion in the creation narratives and prophetic land ethics
  • Introduction to Liturgical Theology: the blessing of waters at Theophany and the September 1 Day of Prayer for Creation
  • Introduction to Pastoral Counseling: eco-anxiety, pastoral response to extreme-weather disasters, and the vast ecological damage inflicted on Ukraine by the ongoing war
  • Orthodox Christian Social Ethics: the environmental vision of Patriarch Bartholomew’s For the Life of the World and “green” approaches to parish life

This approach will institutionalize the integration of theology and environmental issues in the core curriculum rather than developing additional courses.

Contact information

Dr Gayle Woloschak, PhD DMin
Professor of Theology

gayle.woloschak@gmail.com
Archbishop Daniel Zelinsky, DMin
Archbishop Provost and Vice Rector

vladykadaniel@gmail.com
Learn about the other Participant Schools

In furtherance of the AAAS mission of advancing science in service to society, AAAS|DoSER’s role in the Science for Seminaries project is to support efforts to integrate science into seminary education. AAAS|DoSER does not advise on or endorse the theological content of the participating seminaries.