25 August 2025 Master’s Thesis Defense Waseem Raza

On 25 August 2025, Waseem Raza successfully defended his Master’s Thesis “A Comparison of Stewardship Theology in Laudato Si’ and Al-Mīzān: Creation Texts in Christian and Muslim Scriptures.” The defense was held online, with the presence of supervisors, committee members, and colleagues from the NWO research group Religion and Climate Change. He graduated from Tilburg University’s Master’s program Christianity and Society at the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology. The thesis was supervised by Prof. dr. Caroline Vander Stichele and dr. Ömer Gürlesin, and assessed by dr. Jan van Wiele. Dr. Deborah de Koning also participated in the defense as an external attendee.

In his defense, Raza presented a comparative analysis of two major eco-theological documents: Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’ and the Muslim declaration Al-Mīzān: A Covenant for the Earth. He highlighted how both texts root their ecological visions in sacred scripture – the Bible and the Qur’an – and how they articulate humanity’s responsibility as stewards of the Earth. By focusing on the theological and ethical foundations of stewardship, Raza examined themes such as creation, balance, justice, and human accountability to God.

His research showed that both documents converge on a shared vision of ecological responsibility, calling for a transformation of human attitudes toward creation, justice for the poor and vulnerable, and urgent action to restore balance to the environment. At the same time, he noted important differences: while Laudato Si’ emphasizes integral ecology and pastoral concern, Al-Mīzān draws on Qur’anic legal and ethical frameworks, stressing stewardship as a binding covenant with God.

The defense concluded with a lively discussion. The committee praised the thesis for its clarity, depth, and contribution to interfaith ecological dialogue.

We congratulate Waseem Raza on earning his Master’s degree and wish him success in his future scholarly and professional journey.