Turning Stones Into Bread: Developing Synergistic Science/Religion Approaches to the World Food Crisis

Abstract

The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS) has a long history of delivering conferences addressing topics of interest in the field of science and religion. The following papers from the 2013 summer conference on "The Scientific, Spiritual, and Moral Challenges in Solving the World Food Crisis" are, in keeping with the eclectic nature of these conferences, very different in content and approach. Such differences underline the challenges of synergistically combining scientific and religious insights to increase understanding of global problems and their possible solutions. This in turn reflects deeper questions about the purpose and nature of the science/religion dialogue. These papers suggest various ways in which the two perspectives can be combined in the pursuit of building better understandings of food-related issues, as well as highlighting difficulties and limitations which need to be addressed if the fruits of such dialogue are to make a wider impact. As such they serve as useful pointers for how this type of science/religion interaction might be further developed and deployed.

Meaning as Motivator to Address Distancing in the Food System

“…People are unlikely to be motivated to enact change unless they appreciate food, "because it's only when they really have a sense of oneness with the land, they will respect the land and the food" (IS3). Disconnection hides the real value of food in our lives, thus rebuilding those connections could encourage people to become aware of-and care more about-issues such as sustainability, equity, and health (Bennett, 2014;Finn, 2014). Governance approaches that foster recognition of food's intrinsic value and encourage connection to meaning through food can build awareness and motivate care-based actions and politics.…”

“…Industrialization has reduced our ability and desire to celebrate and appreciate food because many of the processes of industrialization, if known, would destroy any sense of pleasure in eating (Berry, 1992;Korthals, 2004). Empirical data point to many ideas about how to address problems in the food system, but meaning and spirituality might be the missing pieces needed to shift attitudes and behaviours (Bennett, 2014).…”

Living With the Wicked Problem of Climate Change

“…Over the past twenty‐five years IRAS has held several conferences related to our planet's environment, how humans are involved in its degradation, its rebound effects on humans, and what we might do to change our ways: 1993 on “Global Ecology and Human Destiny” (Ferré ; Rolston ); 2003 on “Ecomorality”; 2004 on “Earth's Waters in Crisis: a Scientific, Spiritual, and Moral Challenge”; 2010 on “The Energy Transition” (Christiansen ; Harper ; Irvine ; Laurendeau ; Perkins ; Rasmussen ; Rasmussen, Laurendeau, and Solomon ; Ravikrishna ); 2012 on “Saving the Future”; 2013 on “Scientific and Moral Challenges in Solving the World's Food Crisis” (Bennett ; Finn ; Raman ; Sanford ); and now in 2017 “The Wicked Problem of Climate Change: What Is It Doing to Us and for Us?”…”

“…Over the past twenty-five years IRAS has held several conferences related to our planet's environment, how humans are involved in its degradation, its rebound effects on humans, and what we might do to change our ways: 1993 on "Global Ecology and Human Destiny" (Ferré 1993;Rolston 2003); 2003 on "Ecomorality"; 2004 on "Earth's Waters in Crisis: a Scientific, Spiritual, and Moral Challenge"; 2010 on "The Energy Transition" (Christiansen 2011;Harper 2011;Irvine 2011;Laurendeau 2011;Perkins 2011;Rasmussen 2011;Rasmussen, Laurendeau, and Solomon 2011;Ravikrishna 2011); 2012 on "Saving the Future"; 2013 on "Scientific and Moral Challenges in Solving the World's Food Crisis" (Bennett 2014;Finn 2014;Raman 2014;Sanford 2014); and now in 2017 "The Wicked Problem of Climate Change: What Is It Doing to Us and for Us?" Such conferences, as well as other work published in Zygon (e.g., de Witt, 2015;Hulme 2015;Moo, 2015;Stenmark 2015;Tucker 2015) are consistent with the main mission of IRAS, which is to yoke together constructively the understandings of the natural and social sciences with thinking (ancient and modern) about guiding values, in order to enhance well-being.…”