Yale Researcher to Explore Religion, Ecology, and Planetary Responsibility at MCLA

April 6, 2026

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will welcome Sam King, Researcher with the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, as part of its Green Living Seminar Series on Wednesday, April 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, Room 121.

King will present "The Call of the Ecozoic: Religions Enter Their Planetary Phase." His talk explores how the world's religious traditions are entering a new phase of planetary responsibility and imagination amid ecological breakdown, drawing on the work of cultural historian Thomas Berry and his concept of the Ecozoic Era, a period of mutually enhancing human and Earth relations. The presentation examines the need for religions to integrate contemporary scientific understandings of Earth systems and evolutionary time, while recovering their ecological wisdom, and concludes with examples of engaged religious environmentalism across traditions, highlighting the work of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology.

King serves as Project Manager for the Emmy Award-winning Journey of the Universe project and is Advisor to the Ecological Leadership and Ministry certificate program at Yale Divinity School. He has been a Teaching Fellow at the Yale School of the Environment and worked with leading scholars to develop six online courses on the ecological dimensions of the world's religions, available through Yale/Coursera. As an educator, King has taught courses on Journey of the Universe and the worldview of Thomas Berry, and has led retreats and workshops in schools, universities, religious communities, and retreat centers around the world.

All presentations take place Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in MCLA's Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, Room 121 and will be recorded as podcasts available at mcla.edu/greenliving. The event is free and open to the public.

MCLA's Green Living Seminar Series brings environmental experts, scholars, and practitioners to campus throughout the academic year to engage students and community members in conversations about sustainability, ecology, and our relationship with the natural world.

For more information, contact Elena Traister at elena.traister@mcla.edu or 413-662-5303.

 
About MCLA

At MCLA, we're here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive on every level of their lives. In every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 130-year commitment to public education, we have fortified our dedication to equitable academic excellence. MCLA has appeared on U.S. News & World Report's list of Top Ten Public Colleges for 11 consecutive years, earning the No. 6 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts Schools in the nation for 2026. The College's focus on affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in additional 2026 U.S. News rankings: No. 6 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for liberal arts colleges in the state and No. 4 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for public liberal arts colleges in the country. These rankings measure how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants.