Michiana Adventist Forum: Oystein LaBianca
The Michiana Adventist Forum presents "Welcome to the Anthropocene: A
Brief History of How We, Humans, Have Managed to Overwhelm the Earth's
Natural Processes," presented by Dr. Oystein LaBianca, Professor of
Anthropology, Andrews University, Saturday Afternoon at 3:30 pm,
November 12, 2016, Chan Shun Hall, Andrews University, Springs, MI.
About the Speaker:
Dr. LaBianca is professor of anthropology at Andrews University. He
joined the faculty in 1980 and has served as chairman of the Behavioral
Sciences Department and as Graduate Programs Coordinator for the
department.
He also serves as the associate director of the Institute of Archaeology
at Andrews University; as co-director of the Madaba Plains Project (MPP)
in Jordan and as senior director of the Jordan Field School at Tall
Hisban, also in Jordan. He is a trustee and member of the boards of the
American Schools of Oriental Research in Boston and of the American
Center for Oriental Research in Amman.
He helped develop an archaeological field school in Jordan where there
are digs done annually under his guidance. He was instrumental in
beginning the Andrews Service Learning Program and the master’s program
in community and international development.
He was born in Norway and has studied at Adventist colleges and
universities in the Middle East, France, and the US. He holds a PhD
from Brandeis University.
About the Topic:
“Welcome to the Anthropocene: The Earth in Human Hands.” According to
geologists, the impact of humans on the shape of our planet has reached
the point where a new geological era is discernable, namely the Human
Era or the Anthropocene. What is new about this new era is the extent to
which human activity has become not only dominant, but is overwhelming
the earth’s natural systems, impacting in historically unprecedented
ways the climate, the environment and the oceans. The presentation will
orient to the current discourse regarding the Anthropocene among
scientists and humanities scholars—including consideration of the
politics of denial--and will explore the implications of this widening
conversation for a Christian environmental ethic.
Adventist Forum is open to the public. All are welcome. For
information, contact Art Robertson at robertsa2@earthlink.net or call
471-7150.
Art Robertson
robertsa2@earthlink.net
269-471-7150