Keynote Speaker

Dr. Copeland works in theology, ethics, and the intersection of religion and ecology, focusing primarily on Christian traditions. Her research and teaching interests revolve around the ways that classical Christian doctrines can be reconstructed in response to what we learn about the world through environmental studies, as well as how such doctrines can influence environmental activism. In other words, she seeks to read theology ecologically, and read the environment theologically. She has published several articles using ecomimetic interpretation to engage non-human characters in scripture and theology, and her first book, Created Being: Expanding Creedal Christology (Baylor University Press), resists the anthropocentric assumptions embedded in Christology in order to develop a more robust concept of Christ's person and work. She directs the Faith and Ecological Justice Program at Boston University and is active in Worcester Congregations for Climate Action and the United Methodist Church.