Whither Religion?

In chapter two of Evan Berry’s Devoted in Nature entitled, “Congregating in Nature,” one may initially visualize solely by the title of the chapter a gaggle of tree-hugging hippies in a Kumbaya circle. This image isn’t necessarily incorrect as Berry notes the idea of American environmentalism was created by this very notion of the affection for nature in a spiritual sort of way. In our society today there seems to be two opposing views in regard to the environment: those who believe infrastructure and success comes from fancy cars that pollute the environment and giant concrete buildings signify success as opposed to those who are environmentally motivated in their everyday actions and are almost over-considerate of their lifestyle choices to compensate for their less aware or concerned counterparts. Berry explores motivations for reasons up the emergence and uprising of progressive environmental era organizations created to help protect the environment for aesthetic reasons as well as scientific reasons in regard to pollution, climate change and wilderness and coastal preservation.  

All of these organizations and groups that aim to preserve the environment for future generations are not only aiming to beautify the earth but to convict an emotional understanding amongst our population that the environment effects our spiritual and emotional being as well as our physical well-being. The environment is such an important part of our day to day life that the term ‘congregating with nature’ helps us to visualize nature as another being we function with. These progressive groups or local groups like the YMCA, the Young Man's Christian Association, who have several initiatives for environmental restoration, mission trips based on nature like restoring the coast by planting trees and environmental advocates challenge us to treat the world with more respect and to congregate with it rather than dismiss it as something we alone cannot control. When we feel connected to an issue, we tend to do more to advance progression in a positive light. SO if we view nature as a being that continues to foster not only physical health, but mental and spiritual well-being, our incentive to congregate with nature and protect its aesthetic as a natural space, we are arguably more morally attune and respect what future generations will experience due to our everyday decisions. If we feel close to nature and accept that it can positively or negatively affect our mental, spiritual and physical health, then shouldn’t we enlighten ourselves with scientific knowledge about how to better our environment and realize that over industrialism is quite literally destroying and impeding on spiritually natural spaces by diminishing their aesthetic value to that of concrete slabs and pipelines.