The Languishing Project
Rooting
“Balms for Climate Languishing” was submitted as my final project for Eco-Theologies, which I took in the Fall of 2022 with Rev. Dr. Sheri Prud’homme. The project emerged from an in-class discussion about “climate nihilism” and my own difficulties connecting to a sense of hope in the face of climate change.
“Balms” was directed toward my peers in the climate justice movement and aimed to contextualize the sense of nihilism (languishing), better understand how our anxieties feed into this languishing, and leverage theological frameworks to empower individuals to work for climate justice.
Through this project, my approach to justice and leadership began to take Root in my theologies and work in the world. “Balms” helped to crystallize my perspective on praxis and provide a direction that I could use to guide others through my ministry. Though the project has since evolved beyond the scope of climate change, my early thinking has continued to influence the way I view social justice action and individual agency within our systems.
The Languishing Project
(Website)
Please click the image to be directed to the webpage, or visit https://thelanguishingproject.com
Blooming
“The Languishing Project” grew out of my work on “Balms for Climate Languishing.” The final product, a webpage, was submitted in combination with two courses taken in the Spring of 2023; the written content and website design were submitted as my final project for Advanced Topics in Religious Education and Faith Formation with Rev. Dr. Sheri Prud’homme, while the self-assessments and foundational evaluation theories were presented as my final project for Creating Media that Counters Oppression with Dr. Som Pourfarzaneh.
This project evolves the ideas I presented in Balms and expands the scope of my investigation of theological and personal empowerment to address all social justice movements through reflection on widely applicable mental health and spiritual resources.
Through my work on “The Languishing Project,” my theological voice has become essential to my ministry, wherein I can help others find their bearings in our world and discover new agency to live from their values. In this way, I have been privileged to watch my capacity as a theological leader Bloom in the world and to make a difference to others who may be similarly struggling to work for justice.