ABSTRACT

The spirituality of ecology describes the intuitions and sensations that bind people to the interconnected matrix of life on Earth across time and space. Through experiences in nature, contemporary advocates of eco-spirituality argue that people reconnect with what is most essential, most alive, and most sustaining in their intimate connections with other beings, Earth, and the cosmos.

Spiritual ecology connects people to the past, present, and future of life. Spiritual ecology binds people to the past through connections with the rituals, places, and pilgrimages of ancestors and historical personages that shape the understanding of human-nature interactions. In the present, spiritual ecology draws people more deeply into their interconnections and interdependencies with other living beings at a variety of scales from the local household, farm, garden, beach, or forest, to vast awe-inspiring landscapes and seascapes.