Formation: Environmental Ethics with Kevin O’Brien

Formation: Environmental Ethics with Kevin O’Brien

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus instructs his followers to “proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” Amidst the degradation of God’s creation, we might wonder, what “good news” can today’s Christians proclaim? In this two week series, we will take environmental problems and the injustices intertwined with them seriously, listening honestly to the bad news about the state of our world. But we will also emphasize the good news that God’s world is good, that our tradition offers a path toward a more just and sustainable future.

About Kevin J. O’Brien

Kevin J. O’Brien is Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. His courses invite students to think critically about current events in conversation with Christian traditions. He reads and writes about environmental justice and climate change, including in the books An Introduction to Christian Environmentalism (2014, with Kate Blanchard), The Violence of Climate Change (2017), and Meeting the Enemy: The Fossil Fuel Industry and the Power of Christian Climate Resistance (2025). He has lived with his wife and cats in Tacoma for 20 years.

Adult Formation at Christ Church is a shared practice of learning, praying, and acting together. It includes Sunday morning educational forums (generally September-Pentecost on Sundays at 9am in Wells Hall), retreats, quiet mornings, seminars, and a monthly book reading group that invite participants to find meaning, deepen spiritual maturity, and practice justice and compassion in our daily lives.