Thirteenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

On the island of Crete there are several cases of centuries-old trees and shrubs that are considered sacred. There are plenty of religious traditions and folk customs associated with these trees, in which a large number of people participate. It is an ancient tradition (from the Minoan era) that survives to this day and has been adopted by the Christian church. In this paper, after a relevant literature review, such cases of sacred trees and the associated traditions are considered. In a world dominated by the lack of spirituality, loss of values, individualism, over-consumption of natural resources, which are the main causes of environmental and social problems, it is demonstrated how the preservation and revival of these religious traditions, especially for young people, contribute to the cultivation and adoption of spiritual values, such as reverence and respect for the natural environment, in order to promote ecological sensitivity and balance.

Presenters

Evangelos Markantonis
Chemist-Theologian, M.Ed., PhD, Laboratory of Pedagogy and Religious Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece