Witnessing a Wounded World: A Theology of Ecological Trauma (Book Launch)

Thursday, 4 June 2026, 12pm to 1.30pm

Dr Tim Middleton (Theology and Religion, Oxford) in conversation with Dr Stefan Skrimshire (Theology and Religious Studies, University of Leeds).

What kind of traumas are being precipitated by anthropogenic climate change and accelerating biodiversity loss? What would it mean to envisage the Earth itself as traumatized? And how might a Christian theologian respond? From large-scale deforestation and opencast mining to rampaging wildfires and fracturing ice sheets, the Earth itself is subject to intense devastation. Witnessing a Wounded World analyzes such phenomena in terms of three traumatic ruptures—to communication, to flesh, and to time. Drawing on practices of witnessing and the insights of deep incarnation Christologies, Middleton proceeds to offer a theological account of this ecological trauma.

 Dr Tim Middleton is a Tutorial Fellow in Theology at Regent’s Park College Oxford as well as Research Fellow at the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion, and Research Affiliate at the Laudato Si’ Research Institute. His work focuses on the intersections of theology and religion with science, nature, and the environment.

Speaker(s): Dr Tim Middleton (Theology and Religion, Regent's Park College Oxford), Dr Stefan Skrimshire (Theology and Religious Studies, University of Leeds)

Series: Environmental Humanities Research Hub Seminar

Venue: Schwarzman Centre - Room 00.063 - Room 00.063 Schwarzman Centre Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX2 6GG United Kingdom

Department: Humanities (Division)

Organiser: Environmental Humanities Programme

Host: Environmental Humanities TORCH