Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Ecotheology

Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Ecotheology of John Wesley Theological College

(formerly Multidisciplinary Ecotheological Research Group)

Nowadays the biosphere of our planet and humanity experience a growing global ecological crisis. To overcome this a sustainable society should be established. Global public will, involving international cooperation, and also sustainable lifestyle and new operation of companies, institutions, families, and individuals, is essential for this process. Currently less than 14% of humans consider themselves particularly atheist or agnostic, thus, the majority has a certain degree of religious affiliation. Guidance of religious leaders, and views in a religious community have key role in the establishment of global public will and in strengthening appropriate motivations and attitudes. Ecotheology as a theoretical background and creation protection as a practical activity have considerable social significance and international relevance.

Both ecology and theology are now transdisciplinary sciences because they must use and interpret the results of all other sciences in terms of their own field of study. Ecology (including human ecology) is the science of the direct living conditions of the biosphere (including human society). Theology, on the other hand, is the science of the ultimate conditions of existence of the universe (including the biosphere and human society). The causes of the phenomena of the Universe (including life) are studied by science (including ecology). Theology seeks the purpose (future potential, mission, destiny) of the phenomena of the Universe (including life). To get to know and understand requires a set of studies of the past and the future, causes and goals. This gives ecotheology a special significance.

Our research institute unites researchers of various fields (not just theology and ecology) to reveal the reasons and roots of the current global ecological crises (e.g.: climate change, biodiversity crisis, environmental pollution, social crisis, information explosion, overpopulation, epidemics) involving also spiritual, motivational, attitudinal, cultural causes besides natural and economic-political causes. Ecotheology examines historical, social, and cultural relations of religious systems, worldviews, and religious practice (or their lack), and global crisis phenomena. This is the theoretical field.  However, we have an applied research field, which is in a wider sense creation protection that we interpret as the preservation of the values of the created world by seeking a practical way leading out of the crisis and developing the basic principles of operation of a global sustainable society (such as its educational, social, societal, administrative, and technological solutions and coordination system).

The aim of the research institute is to initiate the recovery of humanity from the current global ecological crisis and establish a sustainable society by scientific research.

The research institute (formerly group) is an active participant of the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) established by the World Council of Churches, in which conference of 2021 the college and its maintainer were represented by the leader of the research group.

The international scientific journal “Applied Ecology and Environmental Research” has been published with the official professional support of JWTC since 2020 and it is edited by the members of the research group (http://aloki.hu/). During the period of operation marked by our college (2020-2021) 624 scientific articles, referred by WoS, JCR, and SCOPUS as well, were published so far with a total of 10975 pages, written by authors of 61 countries of 4 continents, out of which 613 presented first kind scientific results, 11 were scientific reviews, and all these were cited by other works in 142 WoS registered cases.

3 international scientific books edited (or co-edited) by the leader of the research group were published in 2020 by IntechOpen publishing company, London:

Hufnagel, Levente (ed., 2020): Changing Ecosystems and Their Services – https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82940 , ISBN: 9781838801175

Haouas, Dalila and Hufnagel, Levente (ed., 2020): Pests Control and Acarology – https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.76737 , ISBN: 9781838806033

José Bastante-Ceca, María ; Luis Fuentes-Bargues, Jose; Hufnagel, Levente; Mihai, Florin-Constantin ; Latu, Corneliu  (ed., 2020): Sustainability Assessment at the 21st century – https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.78105  ISBN: 9781789849776

Hufnagel, Levente (ed., 2021): Natural History and Ecology of Mexico and Central America – https://www.intechopen.com/books/8058, ISBN: 978-1-83968-486-9

Three more books are being drafted, the expected publication year is 2021, and the first half of 2022.

Other publications in 2020 in foreign impact factor journals of science:

Pápay, Gergely ; Kiss, Orsolya ; Fehér, Ádám ; Szabó, Gábor ; Zimmermann, Zita ; Hufnagel, Levente ; S.-Falusi, Eszter ; Járdi, Ildikó ; Saláta, Dénes ; Szemethy, László et al. (2020): Impact of shrub cover and wild ungulate browsing on the vegetation of restored mountain hay meadows – TUEXENIA : 40 pp. 445-457. , 13 p.

Rawat, Monika ; Arunachalam, Kusum ; Arunachalam, Ayyandar ; Alatalo, Juha M. ; Kumar, Ujjwal ; Simon, Barbara ; Hufnagel, Levente ; Micheli, Erika ; Pandey, Rajiv (2020): Relative contribution of plant traits and soil properties to the functioning of a temperate forest ecosystem in the Indian Himalayas – CATENA 194 p. 104671 Paper: 104671

Publications of 2021:

Hufnagel, Levente (ed., 2021): Natural History and Ecology of Mexico and Central America – https://www.intechopen.com/books/8058, ISBN: 978-1-83968-486-9

Pálinkás, Melinda; Hufnagel, Levente (2021): Distinctive patterns and signals at major environmental events and collapse zone boundaries- Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (2021) 193:676 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09463-7; https://rdcu.be/cyF0x

Programmatic lectures of the leader of the research group that are available online:

Green Workshop lecture (1 hour, in Hungarian):

https://ro-ro.facebook.com/zoldmuhely/videos/226551362473405/

Wesley palette lecture (4 hours, in Hungarian):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtaJtqvBsk0

Synthesis reports

Date of the first planned synthesis report: 1^st January 2023.

Leader of the research institute (formerly research group): Levente Hufnagel, PhD associate professor: hufnagellevente@wjlf.hu