Back10 Years of Laudato Si’: from Hope to Action
To celebrate, Garratt Publishing has been hosting a series of four Ecology Webinars.
The third webinar focused on Jesus and the Natural World by Denis Edwards.
JESUS AND THE NATURAL WORLD
Thursday 28 August 2025
This webinar focused on Denis Edwards’s book, Jesus and the Natural World: Exploring a Christian Approach to Ecology. Denis gives us a unique insight into Jesus’ life on earth.
In addition to exploring the themes Denis delves into in the book, the webinar reflected on his life, his impact, and his enduring legacy.
Joining Alice Carwardine in conversation was Dr Ann-Maree O’Beirne RSM, a scholar of the late Denis Edwards.
The webinar was recorded and can be viewed below.
SPEAKERS
Alice Carwardine
Alice works in the Mission and Formation team at Edmund Rice Christian Brothers Oceania Province. She holds a master’s degree in theology with a focus in eco-theology, reflecting her passion for the intersection between faith and care for the planet. In 2018, after successfully transitioning to a zero-waste lifestyle, Alice began sharing her knowledge and experience by running professional development workshops for schools. She is also a trained teacher in Physics and Study of Religion. Previously, Alice was the national coordinator for Caritas Australia’s Catholic Earthcare program and was a member of the Laudato Si’ action platform working group, collaborating with the Dicastery for Promoting Human Integral Development to implement Pope Francis’s environmental encyclical. She was also a member of the Synod writing team for the Brisbane Archdiocese.
Dr Ann-Maree O’Beirne RSM
Ann-Maree coordinates the Faith Formation Programs and lectures in Ecological Theology at BBI-TAITE. She is a member of the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea (ISMAPNG). Ann-Maree has a PhD in Theology, which explores an Ignatian motif in the theology of Karl Rahner, Denis Edwards, and Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’. After fifteen years of teaching in secondary schools in Melbourne, Sydney and Dubbo, Ann-Maree joined the Sisters of Mercy in 2000. Since then, she has worked as a pastoral assistant and music coordinator in the Cathedral Parish, has been involved in adult education, spiritual direction, and retreats throughout the diocese. Ann-Maree was a founding member of Rahamim Ecology Centre in Bathurst, holding several roles in the ministry, and served on the inaugural coordinating committee and first board. She has also been a casual academic at ACU and CIS in recent years, tutoring and lecturing in Theology and Spirituality.
