In partnership with Southwark Cathedral, Durham University’s Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science project (ECLAS) has unveiled an online climate change exhibition for Advent, Climate Cathedral. Featuring 360-degree imagery of Southwark Cathedral set around Luke Jerram’s Gaia installation, the immersive experience explores the intersection of science and spirituality in the context of climate change.
Climate Cathedral is international in scope, with a particular focus on African voices and knowledge. Featuring scientists, theologians, activists and a poet from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and beyond, the exhibition invites visitors to engage with Gaia and the cathedral’s stunning architecture from all angles. Hotspots scattered throughout provide access to video interviews, articles and other resources facilitating contemplation on the intricate connections between the impact of climate change and theology.
Curator the Revd Prof Charlotte Sleigh, ECLAS researcher and UCL professor, said, ‘During the season of Advent, the church traditionally enters a period of spiritual waiting for the birth of the promised saviour. As each passing year brings more savage climate disasters in its wake, Christians are becoming increasingly aware that they are also waiting for the promised redemption of creation itself. ECLAS’s Climate Cathedral brings together voices from science and theology, action and reflection, that may yet bring about such a change.
Climate Cathedral is free to view online via the ECLAS website. The exhibition divides Southwark cathedral into three zones, exploring science, theology and different voices of climate change experience and activism. They can be explored individually or could be used as the basis for group study and exploration. In bringing these resources together, ECLAS hopes to reflect the power and potential of the Church to create a science and a theology that meets the needs of these challenging yet still hopeful times.
ECLAS, based at St John’s College, Durham University in partnership with the University of York and the Church of England, spearheads initiatives bridging science and faith. Led by astrophysicist and theologian the Revd Prof David Wilkinson, the team holds conferences for senior church leaders on topics such as genetics and artificial intelligence; funds grant programmes to equip local churches and theological colleges to engage with scientific dialogue; conducts original research and engages in public policy work. The project is generously supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation and Templeton Religion Trust.
