Ecological Spirituality
Richard Jefferies, Nature Mysticism and the Emotional Link to the Earth
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jeremy Carrette
Though often hidden by the earlier great expressions on the natural world by Wordsworth and Emerson, Richard Jefferies (1848-1887) - the English nature writer - brings a distinct emotional dimension to ecological spirituality. William James, in his 'The Varieties of Religious Experience', described Jefferies’s 1883 autobiographical work 'The Story of My Heart' as a “wonderful and splendid mystic rhapsody” and commentators from Salt (1906) to Rossabi (2017) have relished in the ambiguities of Jefferies’s wider works, but none have sought to examine Jefferies’s emotional link between consciousness and nature in detail or illuminated its value for contemporary environmental thinking. This paper takes William James’s categories for positioning the “naturalistic pantheists” (enlargement, union, and emancipation) to provide a new reading of Jefferies's works on consciousness and nature, not only in his autobiography but also in the earlier mystical expressions in his novels and essays. The paper develops the categories of enlargement, union, and emancipation as specific features of loving the earth in Jefferies and argues that contemporary attitudes to nature require recognition of the specific affective links with the environment that Jefferies articulated. While rationality and intellect remain key vehicles, the work of Jefferies shows the force of emotion and the affective ground of the pantheistic spirit. Recognizing that some of Jefferies’s intense emancipations of the soul can hold a problematic tension of escape, the conclusion shows how Jefferies can help us rethink our future emotional relationship to the earth and understand the emotional identifications at the core of ecological spirituality.
Irreverence of Our Blessed Planet
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Samuel E. Moskowitz
And the Creator said: “Behold, I give you every plant yielding seed, all over the Earth, and every tree bearing seed in its fruit, let that be your food. To every wild beast on the Earth and to every bird of the air, and to every living creature that creeps on the Earth, I give all the green growth for food.” And it was so. Genesis 1: 29, 30. Our planet receives energy from its star, the Sun, in the form of ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared radiation. Water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are principal greenhouse gases within the atmosphere. Approximately 19% of the energy is absorbed by these gases and emitted downward to Earth’s surface raising its temperature, and 26% is reflected into outer space. Almost all of the remainder is absorbed and partly reflected to total 30% at the Earth’s crust. Prior to the mid-20th century, atmosphere and clouds, and solid surface were cyclically warmed to equilibrium steady states. Present time, carbon dioxide is generated by fossil fuel burning and tropical deforestation. Current level already exceeds geological records. We shall discuss consequences of climate change: flooding, extreme droughts, wildfires, diminishing crop yields, and extinction of species. Kyoto Protocol with extension is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas concentrations to a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Moreover, it is extremely likely that carbon dioxide emissions have predominately caused global warming. There are two commitment periods ending in 2020. Ratification has been weak.
Volcanic Virtues or Technological Virtues?: Mary Daly's Ecofeminist Vision in a Technological Culture
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Dirk Von Der Horst
Mary Daly is known for her revolutionary work in feminist religious reflection. Her understanding of feminism entailed a strong commitment to ecological consciousness that has not been adequately recognized in ecofeminist discourse. Her formulation of "Elemental philosophy" sought to overcome the Western philosophical dualisms of matter and spirit that many ecological theorists have identified as a block to a robust ecological ethic. Her understanding of spirituality was rooted in a notion of participation in natural processes of "Be-ing" that contrasted to a scientific ethos of technological intervention into the natural world. Many of Daly's warnings about the dangers of technology have been echoed in the recent work of Brett Frischmann and Evan Seliger on the unintended consequences of reliance on technology. At the same time, recent ethical reflection on technology notes that it is productive to avoid thinking of technology as a unified phenomenon. This context guides my exploration of the relative strengths of Daly's notion of Volcanic Virtues and the philosopher Shannon Vallor's exposition of technological virtues. On the one hand, Daly reduces all technological activity to a necrophilic impulse that stifles spiritual engagement with the world. This move forecloses meaningful engagement with any technology, which is not feasible in a culture dependent on technological advances. On the other hand, Vallor's nuanced approach lacks the sense of urgency and respect for the inherent spiritual value of biological organisms that Daly's virtues exemplify. Combining these perspectives brings out paths forward for responsible use of technology in a spiritual framework.
Howard Thurman on Nature and Religious Experience
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Alice Wood
Howard Washington Thurman (1900-1981) is one of the greatest figures of American religion in the twentieth century, and is widely recognized as the leading African-American theologian of his time. Hailed as a mystic, preacher, and prophet, he started the first interfaith, interracial, and intercultural church in America in 1944, The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. At the heart of Thurman’s Christian faith was a deep spiritual connection with God, nourished by the natural world. It was in nature that Thurman first encountered the abiding sense of God’s presence and his own place in the immensity of creation. The night sky, the ocean, and the river “befriended,” him and the forceful Florida storms “held” him in their embrace. He talked aloud to the oak tree in the yard and found in that communion “the quiet places of my spirit.” These mystical experiences, which he enjoyed all his life, formed the basis for Thurman’s understanding of the unity of all creation, all life, in the presence of God. But unlike many mystics, Thurman’s religious experience did not isolate him from others. In fact, the opposite was true: these spiritual experiences were the source of his sense of community with all humanity. From that came a life dedicated to improving society and uplifting his fellow humans. This paper presents several lesser-known writings of Dr. Thurman that demonstrate the power of nature for spiritual formation today, and its ability to provide common ground across all religious traditions.
