معرفی
Stephen Scharper is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and cross-appointed to the School of the Environment at the University of Toronto. He is also a Fellow of Trinity College and serves as Director of the Trinity Sustainability Initiative.
Education: Dr. Scharper earned a BA in English from the University of Toronto (1982), an MA in Theology from the Toronto School of Theology (1986), and a PhD in Religious Studies from McGill University (1997).
Research Interests: His scholarship spans environmental ethics, religion and ecology, liberation theology, and social justice in ecological contexts. He explores how religious traditions—especially Christianity—respond to ecological crises, and how concepts like the preferential option for the poor intersect with environmental justice. Recent work investigates poverty, social justice, and ecological degradation as mutually reinforcing challenges.
Publications & Trends: Scharper’s recent op-eds in The Toronto Star address pressing socio-political and ecological issues, while his books—For Earth’s Sake: Toward a Compassionate Ecology (2013), The Natural City (2012), and Redeeming the Time: A Political Theology of the Environment (1997/1998)—anchor his theoretical contributions. His output reflects a consistent engagement with public theology, environmental policy, and interfaith ecological ethics.
Awards & Fellowships:
- Fellow, Lonergan Research Institute, Regis College (2013)
- Senior Fellow, Massey College (2011)
- Member, Canadian Pugwash Group (2010)
- Associate Fellow, Trinity College (2010)
- Faculty Associate, Centre for Ethics, University of Toronto (2007)
- John A. O’Brien Visiting Chair in Ethics, University of Notre Dame (1998–1999)
- Fellow, Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, Notre Dame (1996–1999)
- Multiple inclusions in Who’s Who in Canada, Who’s Who in the 21st Century, and Who’s Who in Religion.
Leadership & Service: As Director of the Trinity Sustainability Initiative, Scharper spearheads interdisciplinary projects integrating environmental ethics with urban sustainability. He is a frequent public commentator and contributes to policy debates on ecological justice, migration, and democratic resilience.
