No matter how pundits on either side of the political fence debate or deny it, the fact remains that our planet has seen better days. The politicos frame it according to their own agendas, but even the most delusional among them—left, right, or centrist—know in their heart of hearts that we’ve been cheating on nature for too many years. After turning a blind eye to our dalliances with our own egos all this time, nature is ready to kick us to the curb.
We’ve reached a point globally wherein it’s screamingly obvious that humankind has to take some responsibility for the climatic upheavals that are occurring all over the globe. We can no longer shrug it all off as natural weather cycles that happen once or twice a millennium. In fact, it’s impossible at this juncture to even say what’s “natural.” The imprint we’ve left on this planet has indelibly altered our environment.
In his book The Lost Gospel of the Earth, Tom Hayden makes a compelling case for linking spiritual tenets to environmental activism. In his view, much of our environmental crisis can be traced back to our lack of regard for the most fundamentally spiritual aspects of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Native American traditions and our disconnect with our ancestral roots.
According to Hayden, we can break down our relationship to the Earth into three distinct philosophies. We can see ourselves as “Lords of the Universe,” and conclude we have a divine right to dominate and subdue our surroundings, since humans were placed here to hold dominion over all else on the planet. In the second scenario, humans are the “Stewards of Nature.” This is a gentler, but no less utilitarian approach to the environment, in which nature is molded to the ingenuity of man for multiple benefits, taking care not to destroy the environs in the process. Finally, the third way of thinking espouses a “Kinship with Nature.” In that line of thought, we recognize that we coexist with all life on the planet, and that we share a common bond with the creative process of Earth, and thus are codependent with all life here.
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
Excellent review Ray.
As I was reading through this, and I got to the part describing Hayden's three philosophical tenets, I found myself going "whoa" as he was explaining the religious concept of man's "dominion" over the earth.
My own religious upbringing here immediately kicked in as I thought to myself: "it's not about the dominion, but more about us being stewards." Then low and behold, you mention "stewardship" being one of those tenets in the very next sentence.
Based on what you have to say, this sounds like a very relevant and worthwhile read for anyone concerned with the troubled state of the planet. Indeed, it sounds as though Hayden advocates a very logical, even-handed, and decidedly non-political approach to the problem.
Yup. I'll be checking this one out I think. Many thanks for a great review.
-Glen
2 - Ray Ellis
Thanks, Glen. You know, "going green" is very much in vogue right now, and I sincerely hope it's not just the latest fad with a sixmonth shelf life. Here in Dallas, ozone levels are acute, among the worst in the country. As Hayden says in his book, we have to recognize a kinship with nature if we're going to improve our environmental situation.
Before I go into my own rant, I'll just say thanks, Glen.
3 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net , which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States, and to Boston.com. Nice work!
4 - Debbie Gibbons
This book, your writing shares a beautiful version of reality. Thank you. Maybe we have been blinded by the false media around us. I appreciate your work and especially would like to make one comment.
The dreaming you suggest has already begun. Survival . . . , p116, 1) sacredness of the universe, 2) revisit our Ancestors, 3) know our place. My suggestion, 4) to accomplish this we need to learn and use an old, Earth based language. Anishinaabe, Ojibwe, Gaelic (now preferred to be called the Irish language), any others.
Thank you for the voice.
5 - Ray Ellis
Thanks for the kind words, Debbie. I'm not sure that a return to ancient languages is going to have any sort of impact on our situation, though. An awakening of our Racial Memory, our Collective Unconsciousness, our whatever you want to call it, is key to our survival, however. It's in our souls, and it goes beyond politics or semantics. Once we realize we're just a small part of everything else in the universe, we're halfway there.
6 - Heloise
Hey Ray, I like the way you think and your writing has improved dramatically--just kidding.
But I notice your reviews are short and sweet. I think I will imitate that on reviews in the future, where possible. Good review and sounds like a good book BTW.
Heloise with the physics this week in Batavia.
7 - Ray Ellis
This is just between you and me, Heloise, but here's my secret. When I'm sick of hearing what I have to say, I'm fairly certain the reader is right there with me. I don't have a set formula, but I try to keep it as concise as possible, which means my articles are usually under 1000 words.
In the case of The Lost Gospel, I hoped to provide enough information to whet the reader's curiosity--and maybe get a discussion going. Hayden's book offers the most clear-headed approach to at least taking steps to recognize we only have one planet, and we'd best treat the lady right.
Anyway, thanks for the kind words.