Transforming a World in Triple Crisis – Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle

Pandemic, Climate, the Economy – what can people of faith do individually and collectively to transform a world in triple crisis? Pope Francis describes the present moment as a “propitious time” to be open to the Spirit that can “inspire us with a new imagination of what is possible.” He recalls that the Spirit does not allow itself “to be closed in or manipulated by fixed or outmoded methods or decadent structures” but rather moves us to “make new things.”

Transforming A World in Triple Crisis: Pandemic, Climate, and the Economy is a conversation with Dirk Philipsen, professor of economic history at Duke University and a long-time environmental activist. He is joined by a panel of thinkers responding from the perspectives of policy, science, and faith. The conversation occurred online on Tuesday, May 5, and is now available on YouTube.

The conversation is sponsored by Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle, Orange Chatham Interfaith Creation Care, and Campaign Nonviolence NC.

In the video, Dr. Philipsen leads an open-minded exploration of solutions focusing on the wellbeing of people and the planet. He is joined by a panel of thinkers from different perspectives: Rob Schofield, Director of NC Policy Watch; Kathy Kaufman, a retired scientist from the Environmental Protection Agency, and Dr. Elizabeth Gandolfo of the Wake Forest Univ. School of Divinity.

Panelist Rob Schofield recorded this 1-minute commentary after listening to Dr. Philipsen and serving as a panelist.

Dirk Philipsen, Ph.D., is professor of economic history at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and History, senior fellow at the Kenan Institute for Ethics, and a founding member of the international Wellbeing Economy Alliance. His most recent book, The Little Big Number: How GDP Came to Rule the World and What to Do about It, documents the failures of using high-level statistics to understand our economy, and explores paths toward sustainable prosperity and wellbeing. (Princeton University Press, 2015).