Under the Ginkgo Tree is a project of the Deignan Institute for Earth and Spirit. Rooted at Iona University, our aim is to cultivate conversations with eco-justice minded scholars and faith-based activists who are engaged in embodying integral ecology. In each episode, co-hosts Jim Robinson and Liam Myers facilitate reflection on our place in the wider web of life through conversations with guest speakers, embodied spiritual practices, and by identifying a particular plant on campus.
Jordan Jones reflects on how Harriet Tubman and Howard Thurman illuminate Black mysticism as a radical practice of inner freedom, ancestral memory, and ecological reverence.
In our first Under the Ginkgo Tree episode, Sam King shares his alarm at the eco-crisis and his commitment to justice. He explores the wisdom of the universe’s vast story while staying deeply attuned to the local and immediate, weaving cosmic perspective with grounded action.