In this episode, hosts Ben Yosua-Davis and Nicole Diroff examine the evolving role of chaplains in a climate-changed world. They are joined by author, chaplain, and grief circle facilitator Terry LePage, as well as Rev. Alison Cornish, coordinator of The BTS Center's Climate Conscious Chaplaincy Initiative. Together, they explore how chaplains offer spiritual and emotional support amidst environmental crises, foster resilience, and address ecological grief.

Grounding:

Rev. Alison Cornish begins with a grounding reflection centered on a personal story about a tree near her home that was cut down. Alison explains how this ritual of acknowledgment and grief mirrors chaplaincy practices of care, presence, and connection to the more-than-human world.

Main Conversation:

Ben and Nicole engage Terry LePage and Alison Cornish in a conversation about chaplaincy in a climate-changed world.

Terry LePage:

Terry shares insights from her book Eye of the Storm: Facing Climate and Social Chaos with Calm and Courage. She introduces concepts such as the "Collapse-Aware" framework and "Islands of Compassion," which she attributes to Margaret Wheatley's "Islands of Sanity." Terry also highlights her work with the Deep Adaptation Forum, which fosters spaces for resilience and grief processing in the face of climate uncertainty.

Alison Cornish:

Alison outlines key skills chaplains bring to a climate-conscious world, including trauma-informed care, meaning-making, and support for communities navigating ecological grief and displacement. She underscores the importance of chaplains as spiritual guides during times of environmental upheaval.

Next Steps:

Here are some ways listeners can engage further:

• Join a Grief Circle: Learn how to host or join a grief circle using tools from Terry’s book, Eye of the Storm.
• Explore Deep Adaptation: Visit the Deep Adaptation Forum for resources on resilience and climate-related challenges.
• Learn About Collapse Readiness: Read Professor Jem Bendell's reflections on societal collapse and recovery.
• Engage with The BTS Center: Explore the Lament with Earth Series for reflections on ecological grief and faith-based responses.

Additional Resources:

• Beyond Climate War: Writings on Deep Adaptation to Societal Collapse
• Margaret Wheatley: Islands of Sanity
• Lament with Earth series at The BTS Center
• Professor Jim Bendell: Thoughts on Collapse Readiness and Recovery: I was wrong to conclude that collapse was inevitable.
• Beyond Climate War: Writings on Deep Adaptation to societal collapse.

Meet Guest(s):

Guest bio with social media links + headshot

Terry LePage Terry LePage is the author of Eye of the Storm: Facing Climate and Social Chaos with Calm and Courage. She facilitates grief circles and teaches nonviolent communication practices through the Deep Adaptation Forum.

Rev. Alison Cornish Rev. Alison Cornish is the coordinator of the Climate Conscious Chaplaincy Initiative at the BTS Center. She is a seasoned faith leader with a background in environmental advocacy and interfaith work.

In this episode, Nicole Diroff and guest co-host Dr. Keisha McKenzie discuss Jewish perspectives on climate change with Joelle Novey, director of Interfaith Power & Light (DC, MD, and Northern VA), and poet Jessica Jacobs. Joelle shares insights into how her Jewish faith informs her climate work and reads from her latest poetry collection, Unalone.

For full show notes, including links and transcript, visit www.climatechangedpodcast.org

The episode begins with a grounding moment from Jessica Jacobs, who reads her poem “Collective Nouns” from her poetry collection Unalone. The poem proposes an alternative view of Noah and the Ark story. Jessica’s evocative language offers a moment of reflection as listeners prepare to engage with the conversation.

Joelle Novey shares how her Jewish faith guides her commitment to climate action, drawing from centuries of Jewish wisdom on justice and community. She highlights the importance of religious values in confronting the climate crisis, such as the Jewish principle of "pikuach nefesh" (saving a life), and how it drives her work. Joelle also discusses practical climate solutions through grassroots organizing, offering inspiring stories about her work with faith communities and environmental advocacy.

Dr. Keisha McKenzie and Nicole reflect on the stories of Noah’s Ark, addressing "small boat theology" and how climate action should include everyone, not just a select few. Together, they challenge listeners to consider how they can contribute to building a future of solidarity and collective action in response to climate change.

• Join a Movement: Joelle encourages listeners to join or create a movement within their community that promotes systemic climate action. To connect with others, check out Interfaith Power & Light’s national network.
• Community Organizing: Think about ways you can partner with local organizations or faith communities to amplify your climate advocacy. Collective action is powerful!
• Start a Conversation: Initiate discussions about climate change within your congregation or community, asking how they can respond with integrity and compassion.

• (Add BTS Center resources and other resources)
• All We Can Save Project

Dr. Keisha E. McKenzie, our guest co-host, s a strategist and thought leader who blends communication, religion, spirituality, and politics as tools for social change. With over sixteen years of experience in nonprofit and educational leadership across the US, Keisha’s work spans leadership facilitation, faith organizing, and development strategy. She holds a PhD in technical communication and rhetoric from Texas Tech University, where her research focused on British governmental communication about weapons of mass destruction. Dr. McKenzie is a co-host of the PRX podcast Moral Repair: A Black Exploration of Tech and is deeply committed to advancing faith-rooted justice and human dignity.

• Keisha’s website
• Glitch
• LinkedIn
• Mastodon
• Spotify

Joelle Novey is the director of Interfaith Power & Light (DC, MD, and Northern VA), where she mobilizes faith communities to engage in climate action. Joelle has a background in social studies and religion from Harvard and previously worked at Green America. Her work focuses on empowering religious communities to act on their moral obligation to protect the planet.

• Interfaith Power & Light

Jessica Jacobs is an award-winning poet and author of Unalone, a collection of poems that engage deeply with the Hebrew Bible. Her work reflects on themes of climate change, spirituality, and justice, using poetic language to draw connections between ancient stories and contemporary crises.

• Jessica’s Website
• Instagram