Saving the Planet: Science, Culture, and Theology in the Anthropocene

This presentation, Saving the Planet: Science, Culture, and Theology in the Anthropocene, will explore how Appreciative Inquiry (AI) can foster community-driven change amidst climate despair. Using Seventh-day Adventists as a case study, it will demonstrate how AI—focused on identifying and leveraging community strengths—helps faith-based groups rediscover their potential to address the climate crisis. The Adventist tradition offers rich cultural assets, including stewardship of our means and
bodies, Sabbath-keeping as a counter to consumerism, and the hedonistic treadmill, vegetarianism as an eco-friendly practice, and the NEWSTART health program, which emphasizes whole-person wellness. These deeply held values provide practical models of resilience and hope.AI shifts the focus from problems to possibilities, empowering communities to act as agents of positive change. This approach, adaptable to any faith-based group, emphasizes unique cultural strengths as a way forward in tackling the environmental challenges of the Anthropocene. By highlighting the Adventist example, the presentation will invite other communities of faith to discover their own assets for fostering environmental resilience and renewed purpose.