Click on a tab above to proceed to a unit, or open the tabs below to read instructions for using the study guide. See you on the Path of Hope!
Video Study Episodes
The four video episodes consist of interviews with participants in the 2019 global climate conference (COP25) in Madrid, Spain. The interviews are interspersed with video and still images illustrating the speakers’ points. All four episodes contain clips of national delegates as well as faith leaders and other observers. Some of the clips are subtitled or have voiceover.
Meet a Climate Hero
Each unit of the study includes a special focus on one of the four “climate heroes” who appear throughout the series of videos. These climate heroes are American faith leaders who come from a variety of backgrounds and bring important perspectives to the conversation.
Extra Videos: Faith Leaders
The video library contains full-length interviews with several US faith leaders. These faith leader videos are grouped according to which episode of the study they are closely related to, but viewers can choose to watch them at any time, or to skip them completely.
Extra Videos: Decoders
At COP25, Texas Impact partnered with The Austin Chronicle to produce a series of short videos designed to explain certain climate issues. These videos are called “Decoders.” The decoders are arranged into groups that go well with each episode, but viewers can watch them at any point or skip them completely.
Extra Videos: Global Voices
Similar to the Faith Leaders interviews, Global Voices are full-length interviews with COP participants from developing countries. They are grouped according to episode, but viewers can watch them at any time or skip them completely. Some, but not all, of the individuals in the Global Voices interviews appear in episodes of the study.
Theme
Each unit’s theme reflects one or more issues of global climate policy that delegates from the nations of the world must move forward on to make progress on addressing the climate emergency. The themes also reflect shared understandings among the world’s faith traditions. The themes offer a way for people of faith to consider technical climate policy issues in the context of their religious commitments.
Meeting Plan
Each unit includes a suggested agenda for a group meeting. If you are using this study alone or in an online group, you will want to adapt the meeting plans to fit your circumstances.
However you use the study, you should refer to the Action Center for climate advocacy activities and projects.
Learning Objectives
Each unit is designed to teach core principles of climate policy that will help people of faith put their experiences and other knowledge in context.
Key Takeaways
Key takeaways from each unit are concepts or facts that users can bring forward into conversations or actions in their daily lives.
Discussion Questions
Each unit offers 5-10 discussion questions. Group leaders should choose questions from those presented; it is unlikely that a group could discuss all the questions for a unit within a one-hour timeframe. Of course groups also are welcome to create their own discussion questions. If your group generates questions you think other groups might like, feel free to post them in the Google discussion group.