Religious Experience and the Phenomenology of Nature

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Humanities/Philosophies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2024) | Viewed by 3820

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of History and Philosophy, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
Interests: phenomenology; philosophy of religion; philosophy of violence; the Self; Heidegger; philosophy of music

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Education, St. Angela’s College, Atlantic Technological University, F91 C634 Sligo, Ireland
Interests: Levinas; Plato; philosophy of friendship; philosophy of pregnancy and maternity; philosophy of religious education; Catholic approaches to religious education; care theory in religious education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Faced as we are with climate change, mass extinctions of species, global pandemics there is probably no more pressing theme today than that of nature. It is, however, not at all clear what we mean by ‘nature’, whether discourse about nature is even meaningful today. Many speak of the ‘death of nature’ [1] while at another extreme we find the exhortation toward a ‘re-enchantment’ of nature [2]. This Special Issue aims to explore is the place of religious experience within this our current situation.

Nature philosophy, including environmental ethics, but also the revival in Schellingian themes [3] and the rediscovery within Phenomenology of the theme of nature questions any unidirectional subject/object relation to nature [4]. Nature is that in which we find ourselves as human beings and despite our moulding of our environments, according to such a view, the human engagement with the world itself embodies nature. The emphasis on embodiment shows not only the limits of dualisms, but also the commonality of the human with the natural world in which we are and breathe. The inter-subjective experience of such being in nature and the inter-corporeal being with animals and plants around us, is reflected in the sacramentality of religious observance from totemic rituals to the Christian Eucharist.

Inspired by the overcoming of dualisms of body and mind and nature and freedom deriving from the Phenomenology and Schelling, we can re-examine the religious sense of nature as containing sacredness. This religious sense can be understood metaphysically as an intuition of a reality that appears unapproachable. Phenomenologically, the question as to the source of this sense of the inapproachable, sacred, can be understood in terms of feelings of awe (e.g., Otto [5]). Not only can nature be a source or locus of religious experience, but it may also be the case that religious affectivity gives us access to nature beyond the objectifying and instrumentalizing tendencies of modernity. In this respect, we can think of the phenomenologies of life (Bergson, Tymieniecka, Henry) [6], which explore modes of appearance of nature beyond the dualities of mechanism and vitalism. These accounts draw on—explicitly or implicitly—religious motifs such the Christian notion of life as Christ, Vedantic life as Sat (Truth of Being, identical with self-consciousness and fullness), or Islamic God as truth or reality (al-Haqq), as well as other concepts across many traditions that connect life and nature. These motifs can be understood in dialogue with the growing movement of panpsychism in the philosophy of mind (Strawson, Goff, Chalmers, Nagel) [7].

Just as nature is everywhere, so any discourse about dwelling in nature (ecology) must be seen to concern the totality of human experience, in the sense of the full richness of its diversity. One manner in which such diverse experience can be understood is the way in which nature is experienced as a temporal phenomenon. This is clear already in the experience of the cyclicality of the seasons. It is also manifest in the current sense of ecological crisis which draws on a religious sensibility that has remained present in different guises through modernity, namely the eschatological. In attempting to think nature with respect to religious experience, we are thinking within the intersection of temporal strands: mortal time, conscious time, cyclical, indefinite time, eternal, creative ‘time’. Understood eschatologically or messianically this relation is one in which ending is woven into the fabric of time: time as ending, transforming of past in the present and the opening up of a new future, time of forgiveness, repentance, grace and judgement (kairos) [8].

Similarly, in thinking of nature from a specifically Christian standpoint, we are invariably drawn into the thought of Incarnation and Creation [9]. The complexities of both terms indicate ambiguities in the articulation of nature within religious experience. Understood as creation, nature can be understood as a domain of divine bounty to be valued and cared for or as an object to be mastered and exploited, while remaining a source of temptation away from the creator. The prohibition on idols emphasised the distance between divinity and nature, making questionable any source of religious experience within nature.

A more immanentist account of God and divinity, broadly speaking polytheistic, allows for a less ambivalent account of nature. The “world is full of gods” (Aeschylus) or at least there are domains of gods and spirits—sacred groves, forests, mountain tops—where human experience is confronted with nature as overwhelming, as powerful, as forbidding [10]. Yet, in such accounts there are ways towards the divine, through rituals of cleansing and purification or through ecstatic experiences of possession. Boundaries can be crossed while retaining a reverence for nature as that which has a being in and of itself, which is for the human only as a gift of its own bounty.

The experience of nature and divinity is reflected in divisions within society and politics. The manner in which the divinity is gendered or represented in racially specific ways and the manner conversely in which human beings are stratified in terms of their proximity to or distance from nature have been used and continue to be used to justify relations of oppression [11]. The mastery of nature goes hand in hand with a mastery of nature within the self and of the mastery and servility of genders, races and classes.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400-600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors ([email protected]) or to /Religions/ editorial office ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Notes

1. See Merchant, C. Death of Nature: Women, Ecology and the Scientific Revolution; HarperCollins: San Francisco, CA, USA, 1990; Latour, B. Facing Gaia: Eight Lectures on the New Climatic Regime; Polity: Cambridge, UK, 2017.

2. See Meijer, M.; De Vries, Herbert. The Philosophy of Reenchantment; Routledge: New York, NY, USA, 2020.

3. This revival has been underway in the English, German and French speaking worlds for some time and has produced a large body of literature. For a strong statement of the relevance to Schelling to contemporary debates see Hamilton-Grant, I. Philosophies of Nature after Schelling; Continuum: London, UK, 2008.

4. The growth of eco-phenomenology in recent decades has built upon themes already present in such classical phenomenologists as Husserl, Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty. Representative collections include Brown, C. S.; Toadvine, T. Eds. Eco-Phenomenology: Back to the Earth Itself; SUNY Press: Albany, NY, USA, 2023.; Bannon, B. E. Ed. Nature and Experience: Phenomenology and the Environment; Rowman and Littlefield: New York, NY, USA, 2018.; Kuperus, G.; Oele, M. Eds. Ontologies of Nature: Continental Perspectives and Environmental Reorientations; Springer, 2017. For the classical sources of this movement in phenomenology, see Merleau-Ponty, M. Nature: Course Notes from the Collège de France; Northwestern University Press: Evanston, IL, USA, 2003.; Heidegger, M. On the essence of Phusis in Aristotle’s Physics B, 1. In Path-Marks; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 1998; pp. 183-230.; Husserl, E. Ideas Pertaining to a Pure Phenomenology and to a Phenomenological Philosophy: Second Book; Springer, 1990.

5. Otto, R. The Idea of the Holy: An Inquiry into the Non-rational Factor in the Idea of the Divine and Its Relation to the Rational; Oxford University Press: London, UK, 1958.

6. Cf. Bergson, H. The Two Sources of Morality and Religion; University of Notre Dame Press: Notre Dame, IN, USA, 1977.; Tymieniecka, A.-T. Logos and Life: The Three Movements of the Soul: The Spontaneous and the Creative in Man’s Self-Interpretation-in-the-Sacred; Springer, 1998.; Henry, M. Incarnation: A Philosophy of Flesh; Northwestern University Press: Evanston, IL, USA, 2015.

7. C.f. Strawson, G.; Freeman, A. Consciousness and Its Place in Nature: Does Physicalism Entail Panpsychism?; Imprint Academic: Exeter, UK, 2006.; Nagel, T. Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is almost certainly False; Oxford University Press: London, UK, 2012.

8. C.f. Walls, J.L. The Oxford Handbook of Eschatology; Oxford University Press: London, UK, 2008.; Ó Murchadha, F. Traces of endings: the time of last things. In Hermeneutics and Phenomenology: Figures and Themes; Fairfield, P., Geniusas, S., Eds.; Springer, 2018; pp. 175-187.

9. C.f. Deane-Drummond, C. Creation. In Systematic Theology and Climate Change: Ecumenical Perspectives; Northcott, M., Scott, P., Eds.; Routledge: London, UK, 2014; pp. 69–89.; Gregersen, N. Ed. Incarnation: On the Scope and Depth of Christology; Fortress Press: Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2015.

10. C.f. Berkes, F. Sacred Ecology; Routledge: New York, NY, USA, 2017.; Douglas, M. Purity and Danger; Routledge: London, UK, 2002.

11. Merchant, C. Reinventing Eden: The Fate of Nature in Western Culture; Routledge: New York, NY, USA, 2003.; Kearns, L.; Keller, C. Ecospirit: Religions and Philosophies for the Earth; Fordham University Press: New York, NY, USA, 2007.

Prof. Dr. Felix Ó Murchadha
Dr. Mary Shanahan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • philosophy of nature
  • the Sacred
  • dis-enchantment/re-enchantment
  • phenomenology of religion

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 409 KiB  
Article
Rubicon Crossings: Working at the Margins of Ecotheology and Ecophenomenology
by Piero Carreras
Religions 2024, 15(10), 1275; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101275 - 17 Oct 2024
Viewed by 480
Abstract
Trying to answer the challenges proposed by the Laudato si’ encyclical letter and its proposed “integral ecology,” this essay deals with the possible interactions between ecotheology, ecophenomenology, and cultural anthropology, outlining an interdisciplinary approach to Incarnation. In the first part, the core ideas [...] Read more.
Trying to answer the challenges proposed by the Laudato si’ encyclical letter and its proposed “integral ecology,” this essay deals with the possible interactions between ecotheology, ecophenomenology, and cultural anthropology, outlining an interdisciplinary approach to Incarnation. In the first part, the core ideas of the aforementioned encyclical are discussed. In the second part, ecotheology is discussed as an answer to the critiques that see in Christianism a hindrance against a deeper ecological thought. The third part discusses ecophenomenology, while proposing to integrate within the debate some new theoretical proposals. The fourth part discusses how to “cross the Rubicon” between ecotheology and ecophenomenology, while also describing both limits and opportunities for such crossings. In the conclusions, some ideas for further research are proposed, in the sense of a layered theory of Incarnation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Experience and the Phenomenology of Nature)
10 pages, 200 KiB  
Article
On Ecological Interpretation
by Evan R. Underbrink
Religions 2024, 15(10), 1212; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101212 - 6 Oct 2024
Viewed by 453
Abstract
This article works on the interdisciplinary grounds of phenomenology and ecology, analyzing and dialoguing with the thought of preservationist Freeman Tilden, to provide the hitherto underutilized concept of interpretation as an avenue for addressing current ecological crises. This analysis provides data for the [...] Read more.
This article works on the interdisciplinary grounds of phenomenology and ecology, analyzing and dialoguing with the thought of preservationist Freeman Tilden, to provide the hitherto underutilized concept of interpretation as an avenue for addressing current ecological crises. This analysis provides data for the phenomenologist to enter their own dialogue with Tilden on eco-philosophy. The article concludes with the story of a pebble, exploring from a different angle the process and import of the writing of this article, contextualized ethnographically from the position of the author’s own double-employment as a scholar of aesthetics, and interpretive park ranger. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Experience and the Phenomenology of Nature)
18 pages, 313 KiB  
Article
The Sacred in Thinging: Heidegger’s “Design” in the Light of Kantian Aesthetics and the Telos of Nature
by Xiaochen Zhao
Religions 2024, 15(10), 1181; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101181 - 28 Sep 2024
Viewed by 754
Abstract
This article offers a fresh exegesis of Heidegger’s philosophy of art, focusing on his conceptualization of artwork as the reproduction of the thing’s general essence. Grounding the analysis in Heidegger’s revisit of Kant’s Transcendental Aesthetic, this study explores Heidegger’s interpretation of a [...] Read more.
This article offers a fresh exegesis of Heidegger’s philosophy of art, focusing on his conceptualization of artwork as the reproduction of the thing’s general essence. Grounding the analysis in Heidegger’s revisit of Kant’s Transcendental Aesthetic, this study explores Heidegger’s interpretation of a thing as a “composed homogeneity” that reveals inherent determinations of temporality and spatiality in the self-presence of beings as a phenomenon grasped within finite human cognition. This is inextricably linked to the ecstatic temporality of Dasein, elucidating a cyclical human–thing dynamic integral to Heidegger’s ontology. Going deeper, I draw parallels between Kant’s “supersensible” realm and Heidegger’s “earth”, revealing a teleological (ethical) design manifested in art that captures the dual essence of Nature—using Kantian terminology, its purposiveness and contrapurposiveness—intersecting with Heidegger’s notion of the counter-essence of ἀλήθεια in relation to freedom. Finally, I show how the manifold aesthetic metamorphoses of this existential scheme within the existentiell ordinariness through nonradiant φαίνεσθαι, such as equipmentality, emerge as the everyday incarnation of this design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Experience and the Phenomenology of Nature)
13 pages, 231 KiB  
Article
“New Creation:” Grace and Experiences of a Renewed Nature
by Kyril Wolfe
Religions 2024, 15(9), 1041; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15091041 - 27 Aug 2024
Viewed by 656
Abstract
In everyday life, one encounters many experiences of affliction that, for whatever reason, nature (ours or others’) cannot resolve. Yet, when nature’s finite resources are exhausted and hope seems in vain, humans often experience extra-ordinary moments of renewal and resolution—breakthroughs, remissions, insights, and [...] Read more.
In everyday life, one encounters many experiences of affliction that, for whatever reason, nature (ours or others’) cannot resolve. Yet, when nature’s finite resources are exhausted and hope seems in vain, humans often experience extra-ordinary moments of renewal and resolution—breakthroughs, remissions, insights, and conversions. We experience these moments in our natural existence; yet, we feel they cannot originate, cannot be attributed to nature alone. Rather, these experiences, called “graces” in Christianity, are attributed to a divine power acting in us. How do we come to describe these experiences in this way? Is it possible to formulate a general theory of these experiences as “graces”? Is there an “experience” of grace in general, a “state of grace”, which serves as ground and unifying experience for the “graces” we receive? Working from the Catholic theological point of view, this paper examines such experiences of affliction and renewal, as well as the basic Catholic framework schematizing them as found in the Bible and Catholic religious writings. In doing so, this paper highlights the theme of impossibility (absolutely or in context) underlying each experience, and broadly categorizes them as happening within three regions of human life: the external, ethical sphere, the interior self-relationship, and the vertical relationship to the Divine. In dialogue with theologians and phenomenological thinkers, general formulations of the experiences are placed within their respective spheres, and certain problems in the identification or interpretation of these experiences are identified. The paper then explores how the experience of a “New Creation” can serve not only as a label for the totality of these experiences, but also as a totalizing and overarching ground-experience of “grace” and an interpretive hermeneutic for graces in general. As a result, a graced moment of total personal “rebirth” or “recreation”, prevenient with respect to any personal co-operation or experiences of grace as grace, is identified as a potential ground for all other graces considered. Finally, this paper considers some potential implications of this account of grace for both Catholic thought and Phenomenology more generally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Experience and the Phenomenology of Nature)
20 pages, 309 KiB  
Article
Rewilding as Re-Enchantment
by Linde De Vroey
Religions 2024, 15(8), 1014; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081014 - 20 Aug 2024
Viewed by 572
Abstract
Rewilding is regularly connected to re-enchantment. In some rewilding projects, ecological restoration merges with narratives of wonder, enchantment and spirituality. While rewilding’s association with re-enchantment appears as part of its appeal, it is also criticised as anthropocentric, escapist or naive. This article aims [...] Read more.
Rewilding is regularly connected to re-enchantment. In some rewilding projects, ecological restoration merges with narratives of wonder, enchantment and spirituality. While rewilding’s association with re-enchantment appears as part of its appeal, it is also criticised as anthropocentric, escapist or naive. This article aims to formulate a thorough conceptual understanding of rewilding as re-enchantment by situating it within the critical framework of (dis)enchantment developed in the early 20th century by Weber and Horkheimer and Adorno. Connecting this framework to contemporary, phenomenologically inspired accounts of enchantment and critiques on the mechanisation of nature, this article aims towards a new perspective on rewilding as a critical discursive practice of re-enchantment. Rewilding, like re-enchantment, can be seen as a valuable attempt to formulate alternatives to the modern paradigm and programme of disenchantment. Situating rewilding within a broader cultural context and historical perspective, this approach allows for assessing rewilding as part of modern (counter-)culture at large. Moreover, through a detailed account of (re-)enchantment in rewilding on a phenomenological, theoretical and relational level, this article gradually develops a conceptual understanding of re-enchantment as a valuable concept for ecological restoration and cultural transformation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Experience and the Phenomenology of Nature)
Back to TopTop