Whither Religion

In Evan Berry’s book, Devoted to Nature, he speaks on Americans choosing to use nature as almost a gateway to their spirituality and to God. Chapter 1 of Devoted to Nature tells how society and nature’s relationship has historically been linked to religion.  In the first chapter Berry points to evidence from Augustine’s Confessions, in Augustine’s work he tries to prove that Christians should spend their time on God instead of enjoying nature. On the other side of the argument was Jean-Jacque Rousseau, he argued that social problems were to blame for humanities distance with God and nature was not the problem. Berry points out that awareness of environmental protection has risen in recent times. During the pre-Enlightenment period many people believed that going for a walk was no longer a simple task, the belief was that enjoying nature could clear the mind and bring one closer to God. That theory then blossomed into the thought that nature could be valuable to self-reflection and renew ones spirit, thus bringing them closer to God and salvation. Many of the organizations that are linked to environmental protection often reference pieces of Christianity to support their cause.  In the 21^st century I think that Christians hold environmental protection dear, due to the fact that Christians believe God created all things and all things through God should be treated with love. Many Christian retreats take place and value nature to help people better connect and understand the marvel of God’s creation.