Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Intentional Communities in Our Common Home: Building Interfaith Cultures of Encounter in a New Appalachia
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Pope Francis’ eco-encyclical Laudato Si’ has attracted much discussion and has helped to galvanize movements for climate action both within the Roman Catholic tradition and beyond, serving as a symbolic focal point for the convergence and cooperation of religious and secular activist movements. Yet Francis’ theology beyond that encyclical has focused on the building of a “culture of encounter” at the level of small communities and the encouragement of grassroots popular movements as the key to a global future of hope. Religious intentional communities of the Appalachian region of the 1960s and ‘70s provide historical precedent for the humble caring of localities as part of a global strategy for eco-political change. This paper examines the emergence of faith-based intentional communities in West Virginia during the “Back to the Land” movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s, such as the Catholic Worker movement the New Vrindaban Hare Krishna community. It argues that their descendants today can play an important role in the transformation of the region toward a “New Appalachia” and can be politically relevant expressions of the “care for our common home” that Francis envisions, provided they find ways to connect across and beyond religious difference.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Michael Iafrate is a doctoral candidate in theology at the University of St. Michael's College, University of Toronto, and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Catholic Committee of Appalachia. His doctoral dissertation (in process) examines liberationist theology and grassroots activism in Appalachia. He has written book chapters, essays in theological journals, and articles for popular publications such as the National Catholic Reporter. He is also a singer-songwriter and lives in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Intentional Communities in Our Common Home: Building Interfaith Cultures of Encounter in a New Appalachia
Pope Francis’ eco-encyclical Laudato Si’ has attracted much discussion and has helped to galvanize movements for climate action both within the Roman Catholic tradition and beyond, serving as a symbolic focal point for the convergence and cooperation of religious and secular activist movements. Yet Francis’ theology beyond that encyclical has focused on the building of a “culture of encounter” at the level of small communities and the encouragement of grassroots popular movements as the key to a global future of hope. Religious intentional communities of the Appalachian region of the 1960s and ‘70s provide historical precedent for the humble caring of localities as part of a global strategy for eco-political change. This paper examines the emergence of faith-based intentional communities in West Virginia during the “Back to the Land” movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s, such as the Catholic Worker movement the New Vrindaban Hare Krishna community. It argues that their descendants today can play an important role in the transformation of the region toward a “New Appalachia” and can be politically relevant expressions of the “care for our common home” that Francis envisions, provided they find ways to connect across and beyond religious difference.
