Religion and Reconnecting with Nature

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-244
Author(s):  
Christopher D. DiBona
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
John Dewey ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Literary Works ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Works Of Art ◽  
Literary Art ◽  
Human Dwelling ◽  
American Pragmatist

Abstract Attention to the work of American pragmatist philosopher John Dewey and Native American novelist, poet, and essayist Leslie Silko reveals what are in many ways remarkably similar and complementary conceptualizations of religion, as both authors situate religion in the human’s experienced alienation from and reconnection with the natural world, draw heavily on Romantic motifs in literary art to convey the “religious” dynamics of these experiences, and suggest that readers who sincerely engage with certain literary works of art can come to share in these dynamics in a way that has the potential to help reorient their everyday relations with and attitudes toward the natural world. Reading Dewey alongside Silko thus offers us an interdisciplinary set of resources to articulate and promote an ecological conception of religion founded on a mutualistic-symbiotic mode of human dwelling on the earth.

Dark Ecology in One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera

2021 ◽  
pp. 372-390
Author(s):  
William Flores
Keyword(s):  
Natural World ◽  
Recent Criticism ◽  
Imaginary World ◽  
Literary Works ◽  
New Developments ◽  
Human Interference ◽  
Ecological Awareness ◽  
Ecological Vision ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Dark Ecology

This article examines the notions of dark ecology, the Capitalocene, and hyperobjects to delve into a re-reading of Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera that interrogates how those literary works provide valuable ecological awareness for the present era. Additionally, the article explores how Gabo’s works present a global ecological vision that enables the reader to observe a destroyed imaginary world where humanity dies after an ecocatastrophe produced by excessive human interference in the natural world. The novels analyzed are not narratives of an idealized primordial past or a catharsis that immerses us in the natural world to clean our minds from guilty environmental reality; instead, the narratives portray tenets of dark ecology, which attempt to provide a vivid portrayal of an environmental dilemma. The novels can be read through the lens of dark ecology as evidencing closeness to the earth; in them the omnipresent theme of solitude enables the reader to be in tune with nature more than as a mere presentation of an idealized interconnection with the environment. Before delving into the analysis of the novels, the essay provides a review of recent criticism and a brief examination of new developments in ecocritical theory.

scholarly journals The Wind’s Prayer, the World’s Sabbath: Spirit and Place in Lance Henson and Wendell Berry

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 697
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Burkemper ◽  
David C. Mahan
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Environmental Activism ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Wendell Berry ◽  
The World ◽  
Ways Of Being

Although a vast body of poetry celebrates the natural world and addresses issues concerning the environment, it can be overlooked in the discourses of environmental activism. In this paper, we seek to demonstrate the unique contributions that poetry makes to a thoughtful, and in this case, theological, engagement with our present environmental crises. Here, we create a conversation between two poets of two different religious traditions. Cheyenne poet Lance Henson’s poem “we are a people” reimagines humanity’s self-conception in light of earthly interconnectedness from the perspective of his own Native American spiritual sensibilities. Christian poet Wendell Berry’s poem “Sabbaths IV” (1983) relocates our understanding of Sabbath beyond its liturgical designations and practices, asking us to attend to “the true world’s Sabbath”. We offer close readings of these two poems that mark the distinctions that emerge from and interact with their respective theological visions, but also where they find common ground. Through this work of reading literature theologically, we argue that these poems both refine our attentiveness to the earth as the site of religious import and consequence, and call upon readers to enact other ways of being in the world amidst the climate catastrophe that are inspired by faith and spirituality.

Tending this Fragile Earth, Our Island Home: The Pope's Encyclical in Dialogue with Ecomimesis, a Design Model for Conservation Stewardship

2018 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 745-766
Author(s):  
Lillian C. Woo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Pollution ◽  
Anthropogenic Impact ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Design Solution ◽  
World Population ◽  
Natural Ecosystem ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The World

In the last fifty years, empirical evidence has shown that climate change and environmental degradation are largely the results of increased world population, economic development, and changes in cultural and social norms. Thus far we have been unable to slow or reverse the practices that continue to produce more air and water pollution, soil and ocean degradation, and ecosystem decline. This paper analyzes the negative anthropogenic impact on the ecosystem and proposes a new design solution: ecomimesis, which uses the natural ecosystem as its template to conserve, restore, and improve existing ecosystems. Through its nonintrusive strategies and designs, and its goal of preserving natural ecosystems and the earth, ecomimesis can become an integral part of stabilizing and rehabilitating our natural world at the same time that it addresses the needs of growing economies and populations around the world.

scholarly journals Evaluating Recommended Literature Texts for Senior Basic Education in Nigeria

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
EI Obi ◽  
OS Akujobi
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Error Analysis ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Anambra State ◽  
Universal Basic Education ◽  
Error Analyses ◽  
Works Of Art ◽  
Literary Art

The beauty and usefulness of a literary piece lie basically on the author’s diction. The expression, ‘literary art’ stems from the fact that literary artists are able to create interesting works of art by proper manipulation of language(s) that among other things entertain and educate their reading audience. For young minds, literature is not only didactic; it also boosts their language acquisition. In recognition of the crucial roles played by literature, Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board recommended an appreciable number of textbooks for the study of literature in English. These books run from 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013 academic sessions. The thrust of this study is to ascertain the grammatical level of the language of some of these texts, particularly the genres of prose and drama. Error analyses of three texts namely: Decree of the gods, Wishful Bliss and That’s My Girl randomly selected from basic 7-9 were carried out. Concord incongruity, omission/superfluous use of articles and misuse/omission of pronouns were specifically sought for. A simple survey design was adopted for the study and the errors were collated, analyzed and classified based on their types-syntactic, morphological, and concord errors. The study reveals that the texts are replete with concord errors, misuse of articles, omission and improper application of prepositions in structures. The implication of the findings in the teaching and learning of English is discussed and suggestions for improvement made.Key words: Literary art(ist), Language acquisition, Grammatical level, Error analysis, Concord incongruity, Articles and Pronouns

Gaya Bahasa Puisi Pada Buku Kumpulan Puisi Buku Latihan Tidur Karya “Joko Pinurbo”

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-52
Author(s):  
Agus Hermawan
Keyword(s):  
Literary Works ◽  
Works Of Art ◽  
Language Style ◽  
Poetry Collection

Abstract— Literary works are works of art created by the author, through the writing of literary works that he makes, writers or authors use their imagination and are expressed through words, forming language as a form of his imagination. For this reason, understanding of literary works cannot only be studied for its intrinsic elements, but also for its extrinsic elements. The author's Sleeping Exercise Book for Poetry Collection “Joko Pinurbo” presents poetry titles that are very interesting and easy to remember by literary lovers and audiences. Based on this, the researcher is interested and wants to prove and describe the uniqueness and attractiveness of the poetry titles of "Joko Pinurbo" Poetry Sleeping Exercise Book, especially in the style of language used in the work. Keywords—: Literary works; Poutry; language style.

Ecological Time: Natures that Matter to Activism and Art

APRIA Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-183
Author(s):  
Monique Peperkamp
Keyword(s):  
Time Scales ◽  
Human History ◽  
Bruno Latour ◽  
Cultural Assumptions ◽  
Donna Haraway ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Works Of Art ◽  
Sense Of Time ◽  
Agent Of Change

The term 'Anthropocene' brings together a range of interrelated ecological catastrophes and relates human history to the time scales of the Earth. While dominant modes of thinking maintain technocratic notions of nature and time, art has (re)presented alternative proposals and practices that radically shift perception. To foreground and strengthen the power of art to challenge core cultural assumptions and motivate change, this text maps out the implications of philosophical positions often referred to by artists. I consider the ideas of Donna Haraway, Bruno Latour, Andreas Malm, Naomi Klein and T. J. Demos, and perform a more indepth inquiry of the aesthetics proposed by Timothy Morton. Two works of art are at the beginning and at the end of this inquiry: Progress vs. Regress (Progress II) and Nocturnal Gardening, both by Melanie Bonajo. A material sense of time appears to be pivotal for art as an agent of change.

Discovering Maine’s Intangible Cultural Heritage

2019 ◽  
pp. 283-294
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Intangible Cultural Heritage ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Cultural Rights ◽  
Boat Building ◽  
Fiddle Music ◽  
The Impact

This chapter reviews the historic and ongoing research of the state of Maine's intangible cultural heritage and shows how this work addresses the need for conservation, advocacy, education, and stewardship of this heritage. Maine is especially rich in intangible cultural heritage including the knowledge involved in crafting fine Native American basketry, boat building, fiddle music and dance, knowledge of the natural world among fishermen, woodsmen, millworkers, and farmers, folk singing, storytelling and much more. Cultural rights and ownership, the role of community scholars, and the impact of tourism is considered. The chapter concludes by suggesting that culturally-sensitive and engaged research has strengthened our understanding of how the ecosystem is essential to human life and culture.

Squaring the Circle

2020 ◽  
pp. 51-82
Author(s):  
Ciaran McMorran
Keyword(s):  
James Joyce ◽  
Euclidean Geometry ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Curved Surfaces ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Natural Phenomena ◽  
Visual Objects ◽  
Squaring The Circle ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Geometric Objects

This chapter highlights the practical and metaphysical issues which James Joyce associates with the application of Euclidean geometry as a geo-meter (a measure of the Earth) in “Ithaca.” It demonstrates how the “mathematical catechism” of “Ithaca” geometrizes the visible world, translating natural phenomena into their ideal Euclidean equivalents. In a topographical context, it illustrates how variably curved surfaces undergo a process of rectification as they are mediated by the catechetical narrative, and how this leads to a confusion between maps and their territories. In light of the narrative’s conceptualization of Molly Bloom as both a human and a heavenly body, this chapter also examines the mythical notions which originate from the mathematical catechism’s conflation of geometric objects and the visible world. By evoking an incongruity between visual objects and their meters, it argues, Joyce explores the possible limits of squaring the circle, both topographically (in terms of projecting a curved natural surface onto a two-dimensional map, as in Mercator’s projection) and figuratively (in the sense that the irregularly curved features of the natural world are rectified as they are represented textually on a rectilinear page).

Mutual Custodianship in the Landscapes of Guðlac A

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Catherine Barajas
Keyword(s):  
Old English ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Environmental Stewardship ◽  
Environmental Crisis ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The Face

Guðlac A details the eponymous saint’s relationships with the holy landscape surrounding his hermitage and its other-than-human inhabitants. The poem suggests that the work of Guðlac’s sainthood is sustained devotion to the Earth community. As an exemplum of Old English ecotheological living, Guðlac’s legend offers a challenge to the concept of environmental “stewardship” of the Earth community in favor of a model of mutual custodianship calls for sustained and deliberate devotion to the created world for its own sake and as a manifestation of the Creator’s love and glory. It also suggests that sustained engagement with the natural world even in the face of environmental crisis or collapse will be rewarded, in this life or the next.

scholarly journals The Soul’s Need to Connect with God through the Language of Art: Analysis from an Islamic Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Recep Dogan
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
Islamic Perspective ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Works Of Art ◽  
Important Means ◽  
Art Analysis ◽  
The Way

Human beings express their emotions through the language of art; it is therefore both the spirit of progress and one of the most important means of developing emotions. Consequently, those who cannot make use of this means are incomplete in their maturation. Ideas and other products of the imagination can be given tangible form with the magical key of art. By means of art, humanity can exceed the limits of the earth and reach feelings beyond time and space. Beauty in the realm of existence can be recognized through art. Moreover, the great abilities inherent in human nature can be understood and witnessed in works of art. However, from an Islamic point of view, there are some restrictions on certain fields such as sculpture and painting. It is therefore imperative to analyse the notion of art in Islam and its philosophy and then reflect upon the need of the spirit to connect to God through the language of art while meeting some religious obstacles on the way.

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