The Sacred and the Spiritual
Sustainability in the Religious Sources of Western Culture
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Bina Nir
Discussions about sustainability or actually non-sustainability primarily focus on the relationship between human beings and nature. The complexity of the issue derives from the idea that humans are the masters and owners of nature. The cultural approach popular in Western civilization maintains that humans are separate from nature and dominate it; this approach shapes humanity’s attitude towards the planet, and the plants and animals that inhabit it. In this paper, I will present the cultural and religious roots of this concept in Judeo-Christian monotheism – based on the biblical text, particularly the myth of Creation in the book of Genesis. Humanity’s alienation from nature forms an axis that passes throughout the history of Western culture. It is firmly established on deep religious foundations that develop into secular modes.The separation of humanity from nature in the Judeo-Christian Creation myth is expressed in two respects. The first is the separation of the divine from nature. The second is to separate humanity from nature, place him atop a hierarchy of living creatures, and stress his ability to act as a partner in creating natural reality. This separation means the reduction of nature to an object of human will. The concept completely transformed the religious world of the ancient Near East, in which the gods were subject to nature and fate. This religious revolution, although it has undergone many transformations, is still present in our culture, and has far-reaching implications to this day.
Loving without Limits: Conscientization as a Spiritual Praxis
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Christopher Tirres
This paper explores the spiritual dimensions of Paulo Freire's idea of conscientization. Freire, who is widely recognized as one of the most influential educators of the twentieth century, understands conscientization as the process of developing a critical awareness of one's social reality through reflection and action. While it is clear that Freire understands conscientization is an authentic form of praxis, what is less obvious is how this concept accords with his spiritual vision. In this paper, I unpack Freire's "implicit spirituality" by focusing on his ideas of humanization, communion, and conversion. This study helps to establish Freire as an important bridge figure between liberation philosophy and liberation theology, and it underscores the unmistakable centrality of a critical pedagogy for any philosophy or theology that aspires to be a tool for social criticism.
