Teaching Faculty

Grace Pennings Guenthner

Grace began her Master of Arts in Eco-Justice at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in the fall of 2023. Her decision to pursue this degree had been heavily influenced by her experience growing up on an organic vegetable Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm in Western Wisconsin and her geology degree from Macalester College. Her spiritual connection to Earth deepened in June 2021, when she joined the Holden community first as a seasonal and then long-term volunteer. Grace’s Lutheran roots and her relationship with the living Earth have been consistent threads throughout her life, shaping her understanding of liberation theology and eco-theology. As Grace considers the complex and unfolding Climate Crisis, she hopes to better understand how people of faith relate to Earth, their global community, and each other. Grace believes spiritual relationships are essential for both fostering hope and motivating collective action for climate solutions.

SESSION DESCRIPTION

This four-part series, Coming Home to the Garden, creates space to explore the deep connections between liberation theology and eco-theology in the context of the climate crisis. The ongoing exploitation of our planetary home and her inhabitants is not only an environmental crisis—it is a spiritual one. In a climate-changed world, our collective salvation rests in our love for Creation and in the actions we take to liberate marginalized communities of both human and nonhuman kin. Through practices of grounding, storytelling, and reflection, participants are invited to cultivate deeper relationships with the Earth, their communities, and themselves—ultimately shaping a sacred, holistic approach to environmental justice.

SESSION DATES
  • July 14 - July 17
    TOPICS
    • Climate Justice
    • Spirituality
    • Theology and Bible Study

      Education

      Holden Village is a community where your questions are valued and encouraged. Most programs led by visiting teaching faculty occur during the summer months. However, Holden also invites faculty to teach sessions for special events and retreats throughout the rest of the year.
      View upcoming summer faculty.