Seminar on Ecotheology: Wonder, Anger, Hope, and Faith

Charlotta Norrby, Secretary General of SMC, described her feeling toward the word ecotheology as something light, airy, and filled with the gentle warmth of summer. That image set a joyful tone for the seminar on ecotheology hosted by SMC on 27 May, at the height of Sweden’s delicate spring bloom.

The seminar content moved through a range of emotions: wonder at creation, anger over its destruction, hope for transformation, and ultimately faith in God’s love for all of creation.

Andreas Holmberg, Bishop of the Diocese of Stockholm in the Church of Sweden, presented his pastoral letter God Saw That It Was Good. He began with a reflection on the earthworm — a humble yet awe-inspiring part of creation — and reminded the audience that while humans are unique, they are loved by God together with all creatures and the whole of creation. His presentation was rooted in Scripture, showing that theology of creation is not something added later, but woven into the biblical story from the very beginning

Lena Bergström from the Uniting Church in Sweden shared a personal testimony of her involvement in Fridays for Future, and her frustration that the climate crisis has not gripped us more deeply. She described her approach to climate activism by saying, “I have to place my body where my theology is.”

Andreas Dagernäs, regional director for Africa with the Evangelical Free Church in Sweden (EFK), spoke about the process behind the book Creation and the Crisis. The book is based on conversations, interviews, and collaborative writing with local congregations and theologians in several African countries where EFK has partner churches.

Together, the three speakers painted a hopeful vision: that people of faith can contribute with knowledge, spirituality, holistic perspectives, love, and hope — in a world that seems unable to solve the climate crisis through technology or economics alone.