Chapter 3 Question

In Chapter 3 "Sacred Space," Berry talks about how nature has become a sacred space for some Christians. He mentions mountains and forests as being sacred places. Mountains are sacred because of their natural, undeveloped properties. Berry states, "Writing about mountains in religious terms asserted the necessity of undeveloped landscapes in facilitating spiritual liberation..." So this tells us that his reasoning that mountains are sacred is because they are seen as pure and whole and helpful in achieving your own nirvana. He refers to the "image of the Psalmist," which is in reference to the hills and mountains mentioned in the first Song of Ascent in Psalms of the Bible. Berry points out that during the early twentieth century, people who wrote about nature used a Protestant Christian sort of framework. The way Americans view nature as healing and sacred came about as Christian thought but it was important to recognize that it still held the same context as other religious forms. The chapter states that the mountains have a magical effect on a person and that they can feel like they have a further understanding the meaning of life. He also relates this feeling as a release of anxiety. Berry also mentions the relationship between recreation and the need for Christianity to emphasize the white male tendencies to push heterosexuality as normal. In this chapter, Berry explains the need for nature to be a sacred space and how it began with Protestant Christianity and continues with them, i.e. church camps, retreats. He also examined the certain types of nature which are considered especially sacred which are the mountains and forests.