World Religions, Ethics, and the Earth Charter for a Sustainable Future - Earth Stewardship: Linking Ecology and Ethics in Theory and Practice - page 386

not be fully suffi cient. That is because while it emphasizes balancing environmental
and economic growth, it does not always take into account the full range and inter-
action of human-Earth fl ourishing. Such a broad context may be enhanced by the
contribution of the world's religions, both in theory and in practice regarding pov-
erty alleviation, environmental protection and climate mitigation. We may be able
to draw on shared values as well as diversifi ed practices of the religions. This can be
done in relation to the Earth Charter, a major international document drafted in
response to the needs for an integrated ethical framework for sustainable develop-
ment ( www.earthcharter.org ).
In terms of general principles and values that the world religions offer to sustain-
ability discussions, they can be described as broadening the category of sustainabil-
ity to include past, present, and future concerns. In short, large-scale and long-term
perspectives will be needed to envision sustainable ecosystems that have developed
over billions of years, sustainable living for humans at present, and a sustainable
future for all life. These correspond to the central concerns of the Earth Charter and
the growing commitments of the world's religions to ecology, justice, and peace.
They correspond to six key “values for human-Earth fl ourishing” shared by the
world religions as they are being challenged to envision a viable future for the Earth
community:

Reverence,
Respect,
Restraint,
Redistribution,
Responsibility, and
Renewal.

These values for human-Earth fl ourishing were fi rst identifi ed as the result of a
3-year conference series at Harvard on World Religions and Ecology from 1996 to
1998 (Tucker and Grim 2001 ).

26.4 Harvard Conferences on World Religions and Ecology

The conferences were intended to explore elements of the world's religions that
highlight human-Earth relations in scripture, in ritual, and in ethics. A major goal of
the series was to begin a process of retrieving, revaluating, and reconstructing the
ecological dimensions of the world's religions so as to contribute to a sustaining and
fl ourishing future for the Earth community. Over 800 international scholars and
theologians of world religions participated in the conferences that included the
western religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), the Asian religions (Jainism,
Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto), and Indigenous reli-
gions. Ten edited volumes were published by the Harvard Center for the Study of
World Religions as a result of these conferences.