Dear colleague and friends,I hope you are all doing well and that you have had a good start to the new year, despite a troubled world. There is little doubt that our efforts to promote knowledge and commitment to the environment and the climate issue are needed more than ever before.Here is some information at the start of the year.1. This year's ECErN conference. After discussing various alternatives, the board decided at the December meeting of our annual conference this time to be added as a session during EuAre 2026 30 June -3 July in Rome see here: https://www.europeanacademyofreligion.org/euare2026We will arrange two panels in collaboration with, among others, WCC with an emphasis on Ecotheology, where we hope that many of our members send in their contributions.The titles of the panels submitted are:1. Ecotheology in the World Religions: Towards More Equal and Sustainable2. Interreligious Approaches to Eco-Justice: Shared Responses to Environmental Challenges and inequalities.In other words, there are two very open titles that allow for many different types of contributions, so we hope many of you will participate with abstracts. During this conference, ECERN will also hold its annual meeting with the associated election of the board. More information will come later, but feel free to set the date and book transport. The registration of participation in the seminar will go via EuAre's website, while the annual meeting will have a separate registration. We have also reserved an issue of our newly started Journal and Ecotheology for contributions selected after this conference.2. The first issue of Journal and Ecotheology. The first three issues of our journal will be given ISBN numbers and will be published as scientific anthologies. After three publications, it will be converted into a journal. We have received about 10 articles after the conference and these will be reviewed by the editorial staff and sent to peers during February. The theme of this first issue will be Ecotheology as an academic subject. 3. Other invitationsSeveral of the network's members have sent us invitations that they want to be shared. I hope I haven't overlooked any of the things you want me to share, but here's what I've gathered.a. Call for Papers — Creative Eco-Theology: Responding to the Ecological Crisis of Creation
Aim:This Special Issue welcomes scholarly contributions that explore how Christian theology can respond creatively, biblically, and constructively to the ecological crisis. Submissions may develop new theological frameworks, engage biblical and historical resources, address ethical and technological challenges, or propose renewed practices for church and society. Interdisciplinary approaches—including environmental ethics, ecological hermeneutics, liturgical studies, and environmental humanities—are encouraged.
Topics May Include:
- Fresh theological responses to ecological crisis
- Scriptural and historical resources for eco-theology
- Ethical, social, or technological dimensions of creation care
- Eco-theological practice in church and community
How to Submit:Send a title and 200–300-word abstract to the Guest Editor (kodacsy.tamas@srhe.hu) or the Assistant Editor (violet.li@mdpi.com) for initial review.Full manuscripts undergo double-blind peer review and can be submitted online at MDPI before the deadline: 20 August 2026.Research articles, reviews, and short communications are welcome.
Publication:
Accepted papers will be published open access in Religions. APC is 1800 CHF.More information: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/Z30R479YX5 b. The European Forum for the Study of Religion and the Environment is pleased to announce its eigth international conference Thursday May 7 to Saturday May 9, 2026 University College Stockholm, Sweden Telling a Different Story: Religion, Extractivism and (Green) Colonialism in Europe For more information see our event page and the EHS website: https://www.religion-environment.com/The deadline for the conference has been extended. Paper abstracts are welcome until 31 January 2026.c. Victor Aldrin announce an open call for a special issue, themed ‘Climate Change Education in Religious Education: Agency and Collaboration. The deadline for submitting a proposal abstract is 28 February (toviktor.aldrin@hb.se), and the deadline for full articles is 31 August (submission via the journal’s website). d. 2026 Assembly ECEN will take place from Saturday 29 August to Wednesday 2 September 2026 in Brussels, and will be hosted by a Franciscan Training Centre the name of which literally sounds like a new birdsong. Actually, we tested the place for you, and think you too will like this quiet and spiritual place simply called « Chant d’Oiseau ». More information here: https://www.ecen.org/index.php/articles/towards-2026-assembly
