The Intersection of Theology and Food Justice: Truett Seminary’s Theology, Ecology, and Food Justice Program Travels to Italy to Meet with World Leaders
Waco, Texas (July 26, 2023) – In 2020, Baylor’s Truett Seminary launched the Master of Arts in Theology, Ecology, and Food Justice (TEFJ) in response to the growing need within theological education to equip further churches, nonprofits, and the public sector with the tools to tend to communities in holistic, restorative, and sustainable ways. Through this 45-hour degree program, students examine the complex and interrelated challenges posed by poverty, ecological degradation, and food insecurity through theological, biblical, and interdisciplinary studies.
At the beginning of the summer, the TEFJ program hosted a trip to Italy, which included students, faculty, and staff from Truett, the Baylor School of Social Work, the World Hunger Relief, Inc. (WHRI), and the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty (the Baylor Collaborative).
“As a theology course for those within the program, 'Truett in Italy' provides students with the opportunity to meet with world leaders who are on the forefront of the challenges that we are facing globally in terms of hunger, poverty, and the climate crisis," said Jenny Howell, PhD, Director of the TEFJ Program. “These meetings both expose and connect students to those who are working to provide solutions to the complexity of the moment we in which we are currently living.”
The trip started with a personal invitation from Pope Francis to attend a Papal Audience where the group had the opportunity to meet with the Pope. This came after Pope Francis had learned about the TEFJ program and how it was addressing some of the very concerns he outlined in his Encyclical Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home.
The group then attended meetings with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) where they engaged in an already-established collaboration between the Baylor Collaborative, TEFJ, and WFP. There, students received an in-depth overview of the WFP’s operations, learned about career opportunities, and discussed the multi-faceted nature of this work with WFP personnel.
Next, students toured the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and met with the leadership team of the Agroecology Department. Students learned about the FAO's current research and initiatives to support holistic community food production.
Following these meetings, the group traveled to Assisi to be immersed in the witness and impact of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Claire of Assisi. There, students reflected theologically on what a Christian response to the interlocking crises of land degradation, poverty, and food might look like. Through studying the lives of Francis and Claire in their homeland, students embraced the Christian calling to minister to those affected by hunger and poverty while also caring for the context in which they live.
“There is something incredibly powerful about walking in a landscape that was home to some of the greatest witnesses within the Christian tradition regarding our call to both love the poor and love creation and to see its impact on a community, even centuries later,” said Howell. “It is the sort of experience that will, I suspect, take time to unpack once the students return home.”
The TEFJ program's curriculum combines theological, biblical, and interdisciplinary courses with immersion experiences like "Truett in Italy" to teach students a holistic view of how they might address current issues in theology, ecology, and food justice. This approach helps students imagine and discern their vocational callings in congregational ministry, nonprofits, government agencies, and the public sector.
In reflecting on the time spent in Italy for this course, Britt Duke, a student in the MA in Theology, Ecology, and Food Justice Program said, “The chance to travel to Italy was a dream come true. It deepened my understanding of the relationship between theology, ecology, and creation care. The urgency and need to address both the environmental and global food crises can seem overwhelming at times; however, I find a great deal of hope as I learn more about the people and organizations that are imagining new and alternative ways of engaging the global food system that prioritize the care of people, animals, and land over short-term profits. In my future work, I hope to join with others who are imagining a more peaceable global food system that seeks the flourishment of all of creation.”
To learn more about the Master of Arts in Theology, Ecology, and Food Justice, click here.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.
ABOUT GEORGE W. TRUETT THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary is an orthodox, evangelical, multi-denominational school in the historic Baptist tradition that equips God-called people for gospel ministry in and alongside Christ’s Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. Accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, Truett Seminary provides theological education leading to the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Christian Ministry, Master of Arts in Contextual Witness and Innovation, Master of Arts in Theology, Ecology and Food Justice, Master of Arts in Theology and Sports Studies (online), Master of Theological Studies, Doctor of Ministry, and Ph.D. in Preaching. Truett Seminary also offers joint degrees through Baylor University school/college partnerships in social work, business, law, music, and education. In addition to the flagship Baugh-Reynolds Campus in Waco, the Seminary also has additional instructional sites in Houston and San Antonio. Visit the Truett Seminary website to learn more.