I just got a note from the incomparable Reverend Billy, the performance artist, activist, and post-theistic preacher, with news about his latest project, now running on Sunday nights at Theatre 80 in New York City:
Our experiment, “The Church of Earthalujah!”—is a playful but pretty basically new approach to environmentalism. Like our usual play—this iteration may be a political rally for the earth, or a post-theistic religion designed for hipsters, or a improvisational comedy show. And if it isn’t all three—we’re having a bad night…
We’re saying that we need a kind of faith to drive stronger analysis and direct action—for the crisis of the Earth’s physical systems. Prayers and rousing gospel, polemics like sermons and liturgy and the altar call—it’s a step beyond traditional environmentalism in 2011, which has fallen into a stupor since Copenhagen.
He’s definitely right about the stupor. And with the big climate meeting coming up this December in Durban, once again, there’s need to build a stronger, more creative, and more effective global movement than ever before to support real change. If you’re in town, you can start by catching Billy’s show!
