11:27 am Dr. Laura M. Hartman speaker at St. John’s Episcopal Church
What sorts of consumption are good, virtuous and consistent with Christian teaching?
Dr. Laura M. Hartman will share insights from the Christian tradition to elucidate faithful perspectives on ethical consumption at a meeting of the Green Interfaith Network from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 500 N. Roan St., Johnson City.
Dr. Hartman is assistant professor of religion at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. Her book, The Christian Consumer: Living Faithfully in a Fragile World, was published by Oxford University Press in 2011.
Faith, society and environment are completely intertwined for Dr. Hartman, and she argues that is has been so in Christianity’s tradition: “Religious teachings can help guide good environmental choices, in what we consume and in other choices we make. John Woolman didn’t eat sugar because it was made by slaves. Dorothy Day rode the bus because that’s where the poor people are. These are all consumption choices that form important parts of the Christian witness.”
Though Dr. Hartman’s sources are Christian, she believes the need for ethical reflection on consumption is universal. And it doesn’t have to be grim. “As a child, my family practiced what I think of as a festive frugality — we pinched our pennies, but we celebrated a lot. The more we consume with eyes wide open, savoring and aware, the more we can truly taste creation’s sweetness.”
The talk is free and open to the public. Green Interfaith Network’s mission is to be a model for green faith communities in the Southern Appalachians.
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