Sacred Earth

Religion & Environment Book: “Worldviews” in Simpler Living, Compassionate Life

To see a general overview of Simpler Living, Compassionate Life click here.

In this section (Worldviews: The Lens through Which We See): “Worldview as Inheritance” by Michael Schut (191-193); “Traditional Western View of Reality” by Duane Elgin (194-196); “Healing Ourselves and the Earth” by Shantilal Bhagat (196-199); “Sacred Cosmology and the Ecological Crisis” by Philip Sherrard (200-205)

This section looks at what false truths humanity has believed that led us to treat the earth so poorly. It highlights specific ways we understand the world, especially in the West, and explains why ideals like dualism have been toxic to our understanding of the world and our relationship to it. Sherrard closes the section that it is not just how we understand the world, but ourselves that has led to our complicity and action in ecological destruction. To save the world, we must come to understand that everything participates in the sacred.

“The Sacred Journey: Seeking an Abundant Life” in Simpler Living Compassionate Life

To see a general overview of Simpler Living Compassionate Life click here.

In this section: “Introduction to The Sacred Journey” by Frederick Buechner (19-22); “The Good Life and The Abundant Life” by Michael Schut (23-32)

This introduction argues for a change in perspective. Buechner calls readers to recognize and celebrate the movement of the divine in everyday life, to reclaim the sacred in the ordinary. To hope for living more simply and compassionately, we must begin with a recognition of the sacred reality of the lives around us. Later in this book other authors will argue that life is not just human life, but life of plants, animals and the universe itself.

When we are tuned into a generous understanding of the sacred we can recognize that we have uplifted the idol of “the good life.” Schut argues that as we have pursued good lives, we have revered “cultural idols” more than we should. He points to materialism and economic growth, productivity, anthropocentrism and individualism, and simplicity itself. Only simplicity rooted in a faithful understanding of the sacred can move us closer to an abundant life.

In the arc of this book, this early section is a wonderful foundation on that to confront other issues found later. The theme of sacred will continue throughout this work. Those intrigued by Buechner’s ideas about sacred in the everyday might also consider Tish Harrison Warren’s Liturgy of the Ordinary.

Sacred Earth

Sacred Earth is a resource that was created by the World Wildlife Foundation. It helps teach and inspire faith communities to take proper care of their resources, especially the ones hold special importance to their specific faith. To take a look at some of the ways that Sacred Earth has helped sustain environment, check out their homepage here or the video overview below.

https://youtu.be/oO2nK7xT-V8

Video Credit: https://youtu.be/oO2nK7xT-V8