RELIGIONANDNATURE(GraduateSeminar),FALL2021

SECTION,TIME,CLASSROOMREL6107:Mondays(3:00-6:00p.m.);ClassroomBuilding105,Room0216

INSTRUCTORProfessorBronTaylor(Ph.D.)Email:bron@religion.ufl.eduOffice:Anderson121;officetelephone:(352)273-2942Officehours:byZoom&appointment(duetothepandemic)

DESCRIPTION(fromUFCatalogue)Religiousdimensionsofrelationshipsbetweenwhathumanscall“nature”and“culture.”

PurposeandObjectivesThiscourseexplorestheoreticalapproachesandunderstandingsregardingthecomplexrelationshipsbetweenecosystems,religions,andcultures.Itwillpreparegraduatestudentsfromdiversedisciplinestomakeinformeddecisionsregardingtheuniquecontributionstheymightmaketothe“religionandnature”field.Itwillenableothergraduatestudentstoappreciatetheextenttowhichwhatpeoplevariouslyconstrueas“religion”isinvolvedinshapingnature-relatedbehaviors,andtointegratethestudyofreligionintotheirownchosenfields,whetherthesearemoretheoreticallyorpracticallyinclined.

Althoughthecoursewillexaminereligiousenvironmentalethicsthroughavarietyofcriticallensesandsuchsubjectswillcertainlybediscussedregularly,thecourseworkandfocusofclassroomdiscussionswillprimarilybehistoricalandscientificratherthannormative:theeffortwillbetounderstandwhathasbeenandisgoingonintherealmofreligionsandnature,andhowperceptionsofnatureandreligioninteractionsareunderstoodandcontestedbyscholars,ratherthanuponwhatwethinkoughttooccur.

Thiscoursewilldrawondiversesources.Itprovidesintroductionstoavarietyoftheoreticalapproaches,andbackgroundarticlesonawiderangeofnature-relatedreligiousphenomena,inreadingsfromTheEncyclopediaofReligionandNature(2005).Booksandarticleswillprovideanopportunityforin-depthexposuretosomeoftheapproachesdiscussedinthematerialsintroducedintheencyclopedia.Itisexpectedthatguestscholarswillserveasresourcepeopleduringthecourse.

Thiscourseisaseminar,whichmeansitwillinvolveactiveparticipationanddiscussionbyallparticipantsasweexploreitscentralquestionsandthemes.Thissyllabusistentative.ImayreviseitduringthecourseandifIdo,Iwillprovideandannouncetheupdatedversion.

Tofacilitatecommunication,studentsmustprovideavalidemailaddressanddownloadmessagesatleastevery48hours,soastonotmissimportantannouncementsorrequestsforhelpfromotherseminarparticipants.

Thissyllabusprovidestheseminaroutline,assignments,andinformationaboutevaluation.InitIalsoprovideextendedintroductionsandresourcestoexplorefurther,beyondwhatispossibleinthiscourse,theconundrumsandthemeswebegintoexplore.

Courseassignmentswillincludeintensivereadingandthepreparationofcriticalanalysesofthempriortoclass,writtenresponsestoperiodically-given,take-homeessayquestions,andamajorresearchpaper.Iwillprovidedetailsabouttheresearchpaperseparatelyfromthissyllabus.

CourseOutlineinFiveModules

Thecoursewillunfoldthroughfivemodules

1) NatureastheHabitatofReligionandCulture• EvolutionaryandCognitivetheoriesabouttherootsofreligious

perceptionsandpractices.• PrimateSpirituality,PaleolithicReligions,andthe“Worshipof

Nature”

2) WorldEnvironmentalHistory&Religion• AgricultureandTheBirthoftheGods• OccidentalHistory,Religions,andNature• AsianCivilizations,Religions,andNature

3) ScientificParadigmsandtheTransformationof“ReligionandNature”Discourse

• Cosmology,ecology,evolution,ethology,andtheemergenceofscientificnaturespiritualities

• Reactionaryresponsestoscientificworldviewsandspiritualities

4) “ReligionandNature”intwentiethcenturyscholarship(fromtheSacredandtheProfaneto“EcologicalAnthropology”and“ReligionandEcology”)

• MirceaEliade,culturalgeography,andtheoriesof'sacredspace'

• Religionsasadaptiveandmaladaptiveecologicalstrategies• EnvironmentalConcern,ReligiousStudies,the“ReligionandEcology”

field

5) Religion,Nature,andtheFutureofReligionandNature• Scientificresearchonreligionandenvironmentalbehavior.• ContemporaryConstructionofNatureReligionsandPagan

Spiritualities• SecularizationTheoriesand'SpiritualitiesofConnection'toNature• Religion’sroleintheenvironmental&socialcollapseand/orinthe

questforsustainablelifewaysandlivelihoods

READINGSNote:mostoftherequiredbooksareavailableinexpensivelyfromonlineandotherusedbooksellers.Whereveravailable,requiredbookreadingswillalsobeavailableonreserveatthelibrary.Additionalarticleswillbeavailableonlinevialinksfoundinthecourseschedule.

RequiredTexts

• Bellah,RobertN.ReligioninHumanEvolution:FromthePaleolithictotheAxialAge.HarvardUniversityPress,2011.

• Glacken,Clarence.TracesontheRhodianShore:NatureandCultureinWesternThought.UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1967.

• Norenzayan,Ara.BigGods:HowReligionTransformedCooperationandConflict.PrincetonUniversityPress,2013.

• Rappaport,RoyA.RitualandReligionintheMakingofHumanity.CambridgeUniversityPress,1999.

• Shepard,Paul.ComingHometothePleistocene.IslandPress,1998.• Taylor,Bron.DarkGreenReligion:NatureSpiritualityandthePlanetary

Future.UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2010.(AssignedchaptersavailableforfreeonreserveatUFLibraryandfromtheinstructor.)

• Wilson,DavidSloan.Darwin'sCathedral:Evolution,Religion,andtheNatureofSociety.UniversityofChicagoPress,2003.

• Worster,Donald.Nature'sEconomy:AHistoryofEcologicalIdeas.(CambridgeUniversityPress,1993)(secondedition).

REQUIREMENTSCourseAssignments

• Consistent,qualitypreparationforclassbyreading,takingnotes,andcompletingweeklyassignments(20%ofcoursegrade).

• Preparationandpresentationofthedesignated“SpecialAssignment”reading(5%).

• Twotake-homeessayexams(25%each).• Finalresearchpaperorreviewessay(asnegotiatedwithinstructor)(25%).

WeeklyReadingAssignmentsOneofthemostimportantskillsforascholartomasteristheabilitytounderstandthemostimportantaspectsofscholarlywritingandtocommunicateeffectivelythekeypointstoreadersandstudents.Ihavestructuredthiscoursetoenhanceyourskillsintheseways.

Nearlyeveryweekyouwillbeaskedtowriteapproximatelyaone-thousand-wordreviewofthatweek’smainreadingorreadings.Submittheseanalysesinsinglespacedwordorrichtextdocuments,andemailthemtomyuniversityemailaddressbynolaterthanSundayatnoonbeforethenextclass(aspertheschedule).

Asyouread,thesearethequestionsyoushouldbesureyoucananswerbeforemovingfromsectiontosectionandauthortoauthor:

• Whatarethemainquestionstheauthoristryingtoanswer?• Whatareauthor’smainargumentsinthisregard?• Whatsortsofevidencedoestheauthormusterinadvancingthisperspective?• Who(individuals,groups,schoolsofthought)arethemainproponentsof

viewstheauthorisdefendingorcontesting?Inotherwords,whoarehisorherintellectualalliesandadversaries?(Inthiscourse,morespecifically:Whatarethemainapproachestounderstandingtherelationshipsbetweenreligionandnaturethattheauthorisexplicitlyorimplicitlypromotingorcriticizing?)

• Whatarethechiefobjectionsthattheseotherswouldraiseabouttheauthor’sargumentandevidence?

• Whatdothepeopleonthevarioussidesoftheseargumentsthinkisatstake?Putsimply,whydoesitmatter,ifitdoes,andifitdoesnot,whydotheythinkitdoes?

Studentstypicallyhaveopinionsaboutthecoursereadings.Whenitcomestoyourweekly,writtenwork,however,Iamnotveryinterestedinthem,especiallyifexpressingthemdistractsyoufromlucidandfair-mindedexpositioninresponsetotheprecedingquestions.Mystrongadviceistorefrainfromexpressingyourownviewswhenworkingupthoseassignments,andifyoucannotdoso,firstmakesureyou’vedonejusticetheabove-mentionedquestions.

Thepremiuminthisclasswillbetounderstandtheargumentsinthereadings,thefault-linesbetweenthem,andwhattheauthorsthinkisatstakeinthedebates.

Therewillbeampletimeforustoexpressourownviewsinclass,possiblyaswellinyourfinalresearchpaper,andwhenaskedforthemduringtheessayexams.

Discussioninclasswillbe,firstandforemost,aprocessofwrestlingwiththesixquestionsstatedabove.Comewellpreparedtodoso.Bringyourreadingnotesandsummaries.

WritingQualityItisnotpossibletoseparatethequalityofone'sthinkingfromthequalityofone’swriting.Evaluationofwrittenworkwillreflectthis,therefore,allstudentsshouldreviewandconsultregularlythecourse’swritingwellprimer.

"SpecialAssignment"Readings&ExamsEverystudentwillreadatleastoneextrabookthatisimportanttothequestionsengagedinthisclass,andcarefullypresenttotheclasswhattheylearnedinit,bothorallyandinwriting.Studentswillnegotiatewiththeinstructorandjointlyselectthebooksandtimefortheirpresentations.Studentsmaydomorethanoneofthesepresentationsforextracredit.

ResearchPaperYouwillwritearesearchpaper(orinsome,negotiatedcases,areviewessay).Throughthisresearchyouwillidentifyandanalyzeoneormorescholarlyapproachestounderstandtherelationshipsamongwhatpeoplevariousconstrueas“religion,”“culture”,and“nature.”Giventheextensivereadinglistofthecourseitself,theexpectationisnotthatyouwillwritealongpaper,butrather,thatyouwillselectanareayouareinterestedinandreadasdeeplyintoitastimeallows,writinga5,000-10,000wordpaperinwhichyouexplaintheapproach(es)exploredandwhetherandwhyyoufindit/themcompelling.Thisprojectwilltypicallynotbetheareayouenvisionasthesubjectmatterforyourthesisordissertation.Iseekwiththiscoursetohelpyoubroadenyourareasofcompetenceandexpertise.

Duringoneofthefinalclasssessions,youwillmakea15-20minutepresentationbasedonyourresearchpaperandthenmustbepreparedtoanswerquestionsafterward.

EVALUATION

PointsPossibleforRequiredAssignmentsThischartshowsthepointsitispossibletoearnforeachassignment:

Courseinstructorreservestherighttolowerorraisecoursegradesbasedonclassroomcontributionsoruponabsences.Instructoralsoreservestherighttochangecourserequirements.

ForfurtherinformationseeUF'sgradeandgradingpolicies.

Communication,Canvas,andHelpDesk.StudentsshouldcontacttheirinstructorthroughtheCanvasemaillink.Fortechnicalassistance,includingwithCanvas,contacttheUFhelpdesk,orwithyourUFIDhandy,calltheHelpdesk’sstaffat(352)392-4357.

Attendance,lateorMissingAssignments,andMakeupExamsStudentswhodonotturninstudyguidesorreadinganalysesonthedaystheyareduewillnotreceivepoints.Thetotalnumberofpointspossibleforthereviewessaywillbereducedby20%foreachdayitislate.

Apartfromcertainexceptions,whichareexplainedinUF'sAttendancePolicies,studentsareexpectedtoattendeveryscheduledclassperiod.

Exceptinthecaseofadocumentedemergency,studentsmustinformtheinstructoroftheirimpendingabsencebeforetheclasstheywillmiss.Inmostcases,writtenworkmuststillbeturnedinaccordingtotheclassschedule.Ifanauthorizedabsencepreventsastudentfromtakinganexam,theywillbeabletomakeuptheexamduringfinalsweek.Theformatwilltypicallychangeinsuchacase.

Assignment PointsperAssignment

TotalPossiblePoints

WeeklyAssignments&Participation

(Collected12times,mathematicallyadjustedfrom10pointseachto80possiblepointstotal)

80

SpecialAssignmentReading&Presentation 20points 20

Take-homeEssayExams(two) 100pointseach 200

FinalResearchPaperorReviewEssay 100points 100

TotalPoints/Course= 400

ReturnedAssignmentsAssignmentsaretypicallyreturnedtostudentswithinoneweekoftheirduedate.

DisabilityAccommodationStudentswithdisabilitieswhoexperiencelearningbarrierswhowishtolearnaboutandpossiblyrequestspecialaccommodationsshouldbeginbycontactingtheDisabilityResourceCenter.Studentsshoulddiscusssuchneedswithinthefirsttwoweeksofthesemester,andshareanyletterrequestingaccommodations,withProfessorTaylor.

AcademicDishonestyStudentsengagedinanyformofacademicdishonesty,asdefinedunderthe“AcademicMisconduct”sectionoftheStudentHonorCode,willbesubjecttootherdisciplinarymeasures.Studentsshouldknowwhatconstitutesplagiarismandavoidinadvertentformsofitthatcanoccur,asforexample,bycuttingandpastingquotationsfromvariousdigitaltextsandfailingtoputtheminquotationmarkswithappropriatecreditingofthesource.

CourseEvaluationStudentsandinstructorsallhavemuchtolearnandroomforimprovement.Yourfeedbackonyourcoursesiscriticaltotheirquality.Studentswillbenotifiedwhenthewindowforprovidingfeedbackonthecourseopens,andwillbeabletodosoundertheGatorEvalslinkintheCanvascoursemenuorhere.AftertheendofthesemesterstudentscanalsoreviewaSummaryofStudentEvaluations.

In-ClassRecordingStudentsareallowedtorecordvideooraudioofclasslectures.However,thepurposesforwhichtheserecordingsmaybeusedarestrictlycontrolled.Theonlyallowablepurposesare(1)forpersonaleducanonaluse,(2)inconnecnonwithacomplainttotheuniversity,or(3)asevidencein,orinpreparanonfor,acriminalorcivilproceeding.Allotherpurposesareprohibited.Specifically,studentsmaynotpublishrecordedlectureswithoutthewripenconsentoftheinstructor.

A“classlecture”isaneducanonalpresentanonintendedtoinformorteachenrolledstudentsaboutaparncularsubject,includinganyinstructor-leddiscussionsthatformpartofthepresentanon,anddeliveredbyanyinstructorhiredorappointedbytheUniversity,orbyaguestinstructor,aspartofaUniversityofFloridacourse.Aclasslecturedoesnotincludelabsessions,studentpresentanons,clinicalpresentanonssuchaspanenthistory,academicexercisesinvolvingsolelystudentparncipanon,assessments(quizzes,tests,exams),fieldtrips,privateconversanonsbetweenstudentsintheclassorbetweenastudentandthefacultyorlecturerduringaclasssession.

Publicanonwithoutpermissionoftheinstructorisprohibited.To“publish”meanstoshare,transmit,circulate,distribute,orprovideaccesstoarecording,regardlessofformatormedium,toanotherperson(orpersons),includingbutnotlimitedtoanotherstudentwithinthesameclasssecnon.Addinonally,arecording,ortranscriptofarecording,isconsideredpublishedifitispostedonoruploadedto,inwholeorinpart,anymediaplaqorm,includingbutnotlimitedtosocialmedia,

book,magazine,newspaper,leaflet,orthirdpartynote/tutoringservices.Astudentwhopublishesarecordingwithoutwripenconsentmaybesubjecttoacivilcauseofacnoninsntutedbyapersoninjuredbythepublicanonand/ordisciplineunderUFRegulanon4.040StudentHonorCodeandStudentConductCode.

Health&Wellness• UMaAer,WeCare:Ifyouorsomeoneyouknowisindistress,pleasecontact

umaper@ufl.edu,352-392-1575,orvisitUMaper,WeCarewebsitetoreferorreportaconcernandateammemberwillreachouttothestudentindistress.

• CounselingandWellnessCenter:VisittheCounselingandWellnessCenterwebsiteorcall352-392-1575forinformanononcrisisservicesaswellasnon-crisisservices.

• StudentHealthCareCenter:Call352-392-1161for24/7informanontohelpyoufindthecareyouneed,orvisittheStudentHealthCareCenterwebsite.

• UniversityPoliceDepartment:VisitUFPoliceDepartmentwebsiteorcall352-392-1111(or9-1-1foremergencies).

• UFHealthShandsEmergencyRoom/TraumaCenter:Forimmediatemedicalcarecall352-733-0111orgototheemergencyroomat1515SWArcherRoad,Gainesville,FL32608;VisittheUFHealthEmergencyRoomandTraumaCenterwebsite.

AcademicResources• E-learningtechnicalsupport:ContacttheUFCompunngHelpDeskat352-392-4357orviae-

mailathelpdesk@ufl.edu.• CareerConnecLonsCenter:ReitzUnionSuite1300,352-392-1601.Careerassistanceand

counselingservices.• LibrarySupport:Variouswaystoreceiveassistancewithrespecttousingthelibrariesor

findingresources.• TeachingCenter:BrowardHall,352-392-2010ortomakeanappointment352-392-6420.

Generalstudyskillsandtutoring.• WriLngStudio:2215TurlingtonHall,352-846-1138.Helpbrainstorming,formatng,and

wrinngpapers.• StudentComplaintsOn-Campus:VisittheStudentHonorCodeandStudentConductCode

webpageformoreinformanon.• On-LineStudentsComplaints:ViewtheDistanceLearningStudentComplaintProcess.

SCHEDULENote:Withtheexceptionofthefirstmeetingoftheclass,whichwilltakeplaceonthefirstdayofthesemester,readingsaretobecompletedbynoonontheSundaybeforetheclassdate/weekunderwhichtheyarelisted.

(IntroducnontotheCourse)23AugustReligion&NatureinanEvolunonaryContext

ModuleI:NatureastheHabitatofReligionandCulture• “ReligionandNature”asafield• BiologyandtheRootsofReligion;andEcologicalApproachestotheStudyof

Religion• PrimateSpirituality,PaleolithicReligions,andthe"WorshipofNature

Introduction:Webeginthiscoursebyintroducingthe“ReligionandNature”field.

Thismodulecontinuesbyintroducingevolutionary/ecologicalapproachestothecomplexrelationshipsbetweenHomosapiensandtheirhabitats.Thismodule,althoughbrief,iscriticallyimportant,forwewillreturntosuchthemesduringanumberofthesubsequentmodules.

AssignmentBeforeourfirstmeeting,readandreviewthecoursesyllabusandbepreparedtocometoclasswithanyquestionsyoumayhaveaboutthecourse.Alsoreadthetwoarticleslistedunder‘readings.’Inallsubsequentweeks,studentsmustreadandbereadytodiscussallofthereadingassignmentsinclass.

Readings• BronTaylor,“Introduction,”EncyclopediaofReligionandNature(ERN).This

providesabroadoverviewofthereligionandnaturefield.Recommendedalso:theProjectHistory,andReadersGuide

• BronTaylor,ExploringReligion,NatureandCulture:IntroducingtheJournalfortheStudyofReligion,NatureandCulture,JSRNC1.1(2007):5-14.

(Week1)30AugustReligion&NatureinanEvolunonaryContext

Assignment1)Bynoon,29August,emailfirstassignment,analyzingthecoursereadingssofar.Cometoclassreadytodiscussallthereadingsfromthisandthepreviousweek,indepth.

Initialreadings• RaymondWilliams,"IdeasofNature"inProblemsinMaterialismandCulture

(London:Verso,1980).• LarrySullivan,“WorshipofNature”fromintheEncyclopediaofReligion(2nd

ed.,2005)

RequiredCoreReading(corereadingsarethecourse’smajorbooksnotthesupplementary,shorter,articles,thatextendstudent’srangeandcomplementthecorereadings).

• Norenzayan,BigGods,PrincetonUniversityPress,chapters1-9.

BackgroundandComparativeReading(boldarethemostimportant)

• FromtheERN:Animism;Animism:AContemporaryPerspective;Anthropologists;Goodall,Jane;PrimateSpirituality.

SpecialAssignmentReading(possibilities)• Schaefer,Donovan.ReligiousAffects:Animality,Evolution,andPower.Duke

UniversityPress,2011• Turner,JonathanH.,AlexandraMaryanski,AndersKlostergaardPetersen,andArminW.

Geertz.TheEmergenceandEvoluLonofReligionbyMeansofNaturalSelecLon.NewYork:Routledge,2018.

(Week2)6September(noclassmeenngthisweekduetoLaborDay)Religion&Evolunon(partII)

Assignment1)DuetotheLaborDayholiday,thisweeknoassignmentwillbedue,soyoucanfocusonthebooksbyNorenzayanandBellah(assignedweek3).Nextweek,cometoclassreadytodiscusstheNorenzayanbook,andevolutionary/cognitiveapproachestounderstandingreligions.2)Bepreparedtopresentideasforspecialreadingsassignments;andallassignedreadings,below.

BackgroundandComparativeReadings• FromtheERN:HuntingandtheOriginsofReligion;Magic;PaleolithicReligions

andPaleolithicArt;“RockArt”;WondertowardNature.

RequiredCoreReadings• Bellah,ReligioninHumanEvolution,RobertBellah,ReligioninHuman

Evolution,Preface,and1-264,265-606.• IMPORTANT:SEEALSOReadingGuidetoBellahBook

SpecialAssignmentReading• Frazer,SirJamesGeorge.TheGoldenBough:AHistoryofMythandReligion.

ChancellorPress,1994.

WebResources• PascalBoyer’swebsite(greattoperuse)

(Week3)13September(ReligionasEvolunonaryAdaptanon?)

Assignments1) Bynoon,12Septembersendyourreadinganalyses,summarizingthekey

argumentsandapproachesfoundinNorenzayanandWilson(IwillholdoffaskingyoutowrestlewithBellah’sbookuntilthenextmodule.)Sincethisassignmentwrestleswithmorethantwoweeksofreading,youmaytakeupto2,000words,andthepossiblepointswillbedoubledto20.ThearticlesbyBulbuliaandBurhennshouldhelporientyoutothesetheorists.

2) InclassthisweekbeespeciallywellpreparedtodiscussthebooksbyNorenzayanandWilson.

3) Bepreparedtopresentideasforspecialreadingsassignmentsinclass(orotherwisethisweek)

BackgroundandComparativeReadings• JosephBulbulia,“Thecognitiveandevolutionarypsychologyofreligion”

BiologyandPhilosophy19:655-86,2004.• Burhenn,Herbert.“EcologicalApproachestotheStudyofReligion.”Method

andTheoryintheStudyofReligion9,no.2(1997):111-26(optionalreading,handoutoremaileddocument).

RequiredCoreReading• BronTaylor,“EcologyandNatureReligions"fromtheEncyclopediaof

Religion(2nded.,2005)• DavidSloanWilson'sDarwin'sCathedral.HarvardUniv.Press,2002

SpecialAssignmentReading• Boyer’sReligionExplained,Basic,2002

ModuleI:FurtherandFutureReading

EvolutionandReligion(focusonoriginsandtheemergenceofthescholarlydiscussion)

• Atran,Scott.InGodsWeTrust:TheEvolutionaryLandscapeofReligion.OxfordUniversityPress,2002

• Bloch,Maurice.PreyIntoHunter:ThePoliticsofReligiousExperience.CambridgeUniversityPress,1992.

• Boyer,Pascal.TheNaturalnessofReligiousIdeas:ACognitiveTheoryofReligion.TheUniversityofCaliforniaPress,1994.

• Boyer,Pascal.ReligionExplained:TheEvolutionaryOriginsofReligiousThought.NewYork:Basic,2002.

• Burhenn,Herbert."EcologicalApproachestotheStudyofReligion."MethodandTheoryintheStudyofReligion9,no.2(1997):111-26.

• Burkert,Walter.CreationoftheSacred:TracksofBiologyinEarlyReligions.HarvardUniversityPress,1996.

• Cauvin,Jacques.TheBirthoftheGodsandtheOriginsofAgriculture.TranslatedbyTrevorWatkins.CambridgeUniversityPress,2000.

• Dennett,DanielC.BreakingtheSpell:ReligionasaNaturalPhenomenon.Viking,2006.

• Frazer,SirJamesGeorge.TheGoldenBough:AHistoryofMythandReligion.ChancellorPress,1994.

• ________.TheWorshipofNature.MacMillian,1926.• Guthrie,Stewart.FacesintheClouds:ANewTheoryofReligion.Oxford

UniversityPress,1993.• Hultkrantz,Ake."EcologyofReligion:ItsScopeandMethodology."InScience

ofReligionStudiesinMethodology,ed.LauriHonko,221-36.Berlin:Mouton,1979.

• Kellert,StephenR.andEdwardO.Wilson,eds.TheBiophiliaHypothesis.Press,1993.

• Lewis-Williams,David.ConceivingGod:thecognitiveoriginandevolutionofreligion.London:Thames&Hudson,2010.

• Norenzayan,Ara.BigGods:HowReligionTransformedCooperationandConflict.PrincetonUniversityPress,2013.

• Olson,Carl."Chapter3:TheQuestfortheOriginsofReligion."InTheoryandMethodintheStudyofReligion,ed.CarlOlson,49-99.Wadsworth,2003.

• ________.Chapter9:"Ecological/BiologicalApproaches."InTheoryandMethodintheStudyofReligion,ed.CarlOlson,439-75.Wadsworth,2003.

• Taves,Ann.Religiousexperiencereconsidered:abuilding-blockapproachtothestudyofreligionandotherspecialthings.PrincetonUniversityPress,2011.

• Turner,JonathanH.,AlexandraMaryanski,AndersKlostergaardPetersen,andArminW.Geertz.TheEmergenceandEvoluLonofReligionbyMeansofNaturalSelecLon.NewYork:Routledge,2018.

• Wilson,DavidSloan.Darwin'sCathedral:Evolution,Religion,andtheNatureofSociety.Chicago&London:ChicagoUniversityPress,2002.

• Wilson,EdwardOsborne.Biophilia.HarvardUniversityPress,1984.• ________.Sociobiology:TheNewSynthesis.HarvardUniversityPress,2000.

ModuleII:OccidentalHistory,Religion,&NatureIntroduction:Wehavethusfarseensomewaysinwhichscholarsdeployevolutionarylensestotheorizeabouttheoriginsofreligionandtoconsidertheimportanceofnatureasthehabitatinwhichhumanswonderabout,makesenseof,andcopewith,theirwide,wildworld.Anexaminationwithecologicallensesoftheemergenceandevolutionof“Occidental”and“Oriental”civilizations,suggeststhat,asreligionsemerged,split,fought,lived,died,splintered,andfused,naturewasmorethanaphysicalresourceforthecombatants;naturewasawellspringforreflection,aubiquitoussymbolicresource,theveryhumusoutofwhichreligiouslifeemergedandgrew.Thisdidnotlead,however,toanethicalvaluingofnature.Indeed,acasecanbemadethatwhilereligionswereinevitablyandinexorablyrootedinnature,themore“civilized”theybecame,thelessintrinsicallyvaluablenaturebecame.Instead,theworldbecameaplaceofreligioustrialinabroadnarrativeinwhichtheclimaxofthestorywas,inonewayoranother,divinerescuefromthisworld.

(Week4)20SeptemberAncientOccidentalReligions

Assignment1)Bynoon,19SeptembersendbymailyouranalysisofGlacken’streatmentofthe‘TheAncientWorld,’,whilenotingcontinuitiesanddiscontinuitieswithBellah’sbookandotherreadingsabouttheperiod).

BackgroundandComparativeReadings

• FromtheERN,essentialreadingsinbold:EdenandotherGardens;Eden’sEcology;HebrewBible;JewishIntertestamentalLiterature;*Judaism;Christianity-mainentries;*BookofNature;*NaturalLawandNaturalRights;Islam;Muhammad;TheQur’an;GardensinIslam.

RequiredCoreReading• Glacken,Clarence.TracesontheRhodianShore:NatureandCultureinWestern

Thought.UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1967.PartI,“TheAncientWorld”(1-168).

FurtherandFutureReading• Foltz,RichardC.,FrederickM.DennyandAzizanBaharuddin,eds.Islamand

ecology:abestowedtrust.HarvardUniversityPress,2003.• Hessel,DieterT.andRosemaryReuther.ChristianityandEcology:Seekingthe

Well-BeingofEarthandHumans.HarvardUniversityPress.• Tirosh-Samuelson,Hava,ed.JudaismandEcology:CreatedWorldandRevealed

World.ReligionsoftheWorldandEcology.HarvardUniversityPress,2002.

(Week5)27SeptemberOccidentalReligionsthroughtheMiddleAges

Assignment1)Bynoon,26September,sendyouranalysisoftheGlacken’streatmentoftheChristianMiddleAges(notingcontinuitiesanddiscontinuitieswithotherpertinentreadingsabouttheperiod).

RequiredCoreReading• Glacken,Clarence.TracesontheRhodianShore:NatureandCultureinWestern

Thought.UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1967.PartII,“TheChristianMiddleAges”171-351.

SpecialAssignmentReading• Guthrie’sFacesintheClouds

FurtherandFutureReading• Bernard,Rosemarie.Shinto.HarvardUniversityPress,2004.• Chapple,ChristopherKey,ed.JainismandEcology.HarvardUniversityPress,

2002.• Chapple,ChristopherKeyandMaryEvelynTucker.HinduismandEcology:The

IntersectionofEarth,Sky,andWater.HarvardUniversityPress,2000.• Girardot,N.J.,JamesMillerandXiaoganLiu.DaoismandEcology:Wayswithin

aCosmicLandscape.HarvardUniversityPress,2001.• Tucker,MaryEvelynandDuncanRyukenWilliams,eds.BuddhismandEcology:

TheInterconnectionofDharmaandDeeds.HarvardUniversityPress,1997.

(Week6)4OctoberEmergingCivilizanons

Assignment1) Studytosynthesizeandmasterthepreviousreadings,identifyingthemain

approaches,arguments,faultlines,andrelevancetocontemporaryreligionandnatureentanglementsandcontroversies.Bepreparedwithnotestothiseffecttoenhanceyourabilitytodiscussyourviewsinclass.SendthesenotestoProfessorTaylornolaterthan11:59p.m.on3October.Theyneednotbelongtobeexcellent.Thisexerciseshouldwellprepareyouforthetakehomeexam.

2) Bepreparedtodiscussandscheduleyourspecialreadingassignmentandyourresearchpapertopic.

3) ReadaheadintoModuleIIIifpossible.Note:Noadditionalreadingsassignedduringtakehomeweek.

4) Thetakehomeexamwillbedistributedon4October.

RequiredCoreReading• Glacken,Clarence.TracesontheRhodianShore,partIII“EarlyModernTimes”

(readcarefully:355-497,thenreadquicklyand/orperusetherestofthevolumetodiscernitsmainargument).

SpecialAssignmentReading• EisenbergorLansing(below)• RobertPogueHarrison,Forests:TheShadowofCivilization,Universityof

ChicagoPress,1992.

ModuleII:FurtherandFutureReading

EvolutionandReligion(focusonoriginsandtheemergenceofthescholarlydiscussion)

• Carrasco,Davíd,ed.TheImaginationofMatter:ReligionandEcologyinMesoamericanTraditions.BARInternationalSeries,1989.

• Eisenberg,Evan.TheEcologyofEden.RandomHouse,1998.• Harris,Marvin."TheMythoftheSacredCow."InMan,Culture,andAnimals,

eds.AnthonyLeedsandAndrewP.Vaya,217-28.AmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience,1965.

• ________.Cows,Pigs,WarsandWitches:TheRiddlesofCulture.RandomHouse,1974.

• ________.CannibalsandKings:TheOriginsofCultures.RandomHouse,1977.• ________."TheCulturalEcologyofIndia'sSacredCattle."Current

Anthropology7(1966):51-66.• Lansing,J.Stephen.PriestsandProgrammers:TechnologiesofPowerinthe

EngineeredLandscapeofBali.PrincetonUniversityPress,1991.• Lansing,J.StephenandJamesN.Kremer."ASocioecologicalAnalysisof

BalineseWaterTemples."InTheCulturalDimensionofDevelopment:IndigenousKnowledgeSystems,eds.D.M.Warren,L.JanSlikkerveerandDavidBrokensha,258-68.IntermediateTechnologyPublications,1995.

• Lodrick,DeryckO.SacredCows,SacredPlaces:OriginsandSurvivalsofAnimalHomesinIndia.UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1981.

• Oelschlaeger,Max.TheIdeaofWilderness:FromPrehistorytotheAgeofEcology.YaleUniversityPress,1991.

• Simoons,FrederickJ."QuestionsintheSacredCowControversy."CurrentAnthropology20(1979):467-93.

ModuleIII:ScientificParadigmsandtheTransformationof"ReligionandNature"Discourses

Introduction:Theadventofnaturalsciencethroughamonkeywrenchintothemainstreamsofreligiousperceptionandidentityby,asmuchasanythingelse,challenginghumanunderstandingofnatureitself.Thescientificworldview,whereittookroot,erodedearlierreligiousunderstandingsandcertainties,transformingbothreligionsthemselves,andkindlinganentire,new,discussionoftherelationshipsbetweennatureandreligion.Broadlyunderstood,theencounterbetween“ReligionandScience”hashadfarreachingimpactsthathaveonlyjustbegun,andwhoseimpactsareonlyintheirinfancy.Amongthemostdramaticresultsisthegraftingofscientificunderstandingsontoalreadyexistingreligiousforms,andtheinventionofentirelynewreligiousformsbasedonthesenewunderstandings.

Thisandthesubsequenttwomodulesexploretheculturalearthquakebroughtonbythetransformationofscientificparadigms,andwrestleswithquestionsregardingthepossiblelong-termimpacts,includingenvironmentalimpacts,ofthesedevelopments.

(Week7)11OctoberScience,Religion,and"ParadigmShi|s"

Assignment1)TheTakeHomeExamisduebeforeclass11October2)Bepreparedtodiscussallreadingstodateandyourtakehomeexam.3)Bepreparedtoexplaintotheassignedreadings,below,aswellashowyousynthesizedwhatyouhavelearnedsofarwhenwritingupyourmid-termexam.BackgroundandComparativeReadings

• FromtheERN:PhilosophyofNature;WesternEsotericism;(physics):Bateson,Gregory;Berman,Morris;Bohm,David;Burroughs,John;Capra,Fritjof;Chaos;ComplexityTheory;Einstein,Albert;Linnaeus,Carl;Pauli,Wolfgang;Peat,F.David;Prigogine,Ilya;Sheldrake,Rupert(biosphereandecosystemscience):Darwin,Charles;Haeckel,Ernst;Holism;Leopold,Aldo;Carson,Rachael;Gaia;GaianPilgrimage;Ouspensky,PyotrDemianovich;Pantheism;Panentheism;Smuts,JanChristiaan;Thoreau,HenryDavid;Wilson,EdwardO.(reactionaryresponses):CreationismandCreationScience;WiseUseMovements.

RequiredCoreReading• Worster,Donald.Nature’sEconomy:AHistoryofEcologicalIdeas.Cambridge

UniversityPress.Readtheentirebook,butespeciallycarefullyPartsI,andIII-VI.Ifyouhavethefirstedition,borrowthesecondeditionandreadpartVI(pp.340-433),whichisanexpansionoftheEpilogueinthefirstedition.

SpecialAssignmentReading• Midgley,Mary.EvolutionasaReligion• Gunderson,LanceandC.S.Holling.Panarchy:UnderstandingTransformations

inSystemsofHumansandNature• JamesGleich,Chaos:MakingaNewScience.Penguin,1987

ModuleIII:FurtherandFutureReading

ScientificParadigms,Religion,andNature• Bateson,Gregory.StepstoanEcologyofMind.Ballantine,1972.• Berman,Morris.TheReenchantmentoftheWorld.CornellUniversityPress,

1981.• Berry,Thomas.TheDreamoftheEarth.SierraClubBooks,1988.• Bramwell,Anna.Ecologyinthe20thCentury:AHistory.YaleUniversityPress,

1989.• Capra,Fritjof.TheTaoofPhysics.thirded.Boston:1975;reprint,Shambhala,

1991.• Capra,Fritojf.TheTurningPoint:Science,Society,andtheRisingCulture.Simon

andSchuster,1982.• Fortey,Richard.Life:ANaturalHistoryoftheFirstFourBillionYearsofLifeon

Earth.Knopf,1998.• Gleick,James.Chaos:MakingaNewScience.Penguin,1987.• Golley,FrankBenjamin.AHistoryoftheEcosystemConceptinEcology.Yale

UniversityPress,1993• Gunderson,LanceH.andC.S.Holling.Panarchy:Understanding

TransformationsinSystemsofHumansandNature.IslandPress,2002.• Heisenberg,Werner.PhysicsandPhilosophy.HarperandRow,1962.• Lovelock,James.Gaia:ANewLookAtLifeonEarth.reviseded.Oxford:1979;

reprint,OxfordUniversityPress,1995.• Macy,Joanna.WorldAsLover,WorldAsSelf.ParallaxPress,1991.• Midgley,Mary.EvolutionasaReligion.London:Routledge(1985,revisedwith

newintroduction,2002).• McGrath,AlisterE.ScienceandReligion:AnIntroduction.Blackwell,1999.• Odum,HowardT.Environment,Power,andSociety.Wiley-Interscience,1971.• Primavesi,Anne.Gaia'sGift,2003.• Real,L.A.andJ.H.Brown,eds.FoundationsofEcology.UniversityofChicago

Press.• Ruse,Michael.DarwinismasReligion:WhatLiteratureTellsUsAboutEvoluLon.Oxford

UniversityPress,2017.• Sagan,Carl.CarlSagan'stheCosmicConnection.seconded.Cambridge

UniversityPress,2000[1974].• Swimme,BrianandThomasBerry.TheUniverseStory:FromthePrimordial

FlaringForthtotheEcozoicEra:ACelebrationoftheUnfoldingoftheCosmos.HarperCollins,1992.

ModuleIV:"ReligionandNature"intwentieth-centuryscholarship(fromtheSacredandtheProfaneand"EcologicalAnthropology"to"ReligionandEcology")

• Religionsasadaptiveandmaladaptiveecologicalstrategies(withspecialreferencetotheindigenoussocietiesand"traditionalecologicalknowledge.")

• MirceaEliade,culturalgeography,andtheoriesof'sacredspace'• EnvironmentalConcern,ReligiousStudies,the"ReligionandEcology"field,and

debatesabouttheenvironmentaltendenciesofthe"worldreligions"oftheeastandwest.

• Religion'sroleintheenvironmental&socialcollapse;andenvironmentalreform.

Introduction:Therewerenotonlyupheavalsinthenaturalsciencesduringthe20thcentury,culturalanthropologyandreligiousstudieswentthroughtheirowndramatictransformations.Amongthemostsignificantthatweredirectlynature-relevantwereanalysesoftheimportanceofhumanperceptionsofsacredspace,andtheroleofsuchperceptionsinreligiousandenvironmentalpractices.Inthelatterpartofthe20thcentury,someanthropologistsandreligiousstudiesscholarsbegannotonlytoanalyzetherelationshipsbetweenreligions,cultures,andenvironments,buttheybeganto,insomecasesexplicitly,inothersimplicitly,promotewhattheyhadcometobelievewereenvironmentallybeneficentformsofreligion.Thismoduleexploresthesedevelopments,correlatingthemwiththechangingscientificparadigmsencounteredinthepreviousone,whichsetsthestageforaskinginthenextmoduleaboutthefutureofnature-relatedreligionanditslikelyimpactsonnonhumannature.

(Week8)18OctoberReligion,RitualandEcologicalAdaptanon

Assignment1)Bynoon17October,presentananalysishighlightingespeciallythebookbyDonaldWorster(whooverlappedabitbutmostlypickedupwhereGlackenleftoff).AlthoughyouhavestartedreadingRappaportandaboutenvironmentalanthropology,planonfocusingonthatmaterialnextweek.2)BepreparedtosummarizeupfrontinclassthereadingsfromtheERNandRappaport’sreading,thusfar.

BackgroundandComparativeReadingsFromtheERN:

• *EcologyandReligion;*EcologicalAnthropology;Ethnobotany;EvolutionaryBiology,Religion,andStewardship;Harris,Marvin;Rappaport,Roy;AReligio-EcologicalPerspectiveonReligionandNature;Sky.

RequiredCoreReading• Rappaport,RoyA.RitualandReligionintheMakingofHumanity(chs.1-5,pp.

1-168)

SpecialAssignmentReading• JaredDiamond’sCollapse,esp,prologue,ch6-9,andpartIV.

(Week9)25OctoberIndigenousPeoplesand"TradinonalEcological

Knowledge"

Assignment1)Bynoon,24October,submityourreadinganalysis,focusingonRappaportandthevariousreadingsaboutenvironmentalanthropologyandtraditionalecologicalknowledge.2)BepreparedtodiscussRappaport’sbookandthefollowingreadings.BackgroundandComparativeReadings

FromtheERN:• MotherEarth;NativeAmericanLanguages;NobleSavage

(various);*TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge;TraditionalEnvironmentalKnowledgeamongAboriginalPeoplesinCanada

RequiredCoreReading• Rappaport,RoyA.RitualandReligionintheMakingofHumanity(chs6-9,pp.

169-312).

SpecialAssignmentReading• Berkes,Fikret.SacredEcology:TraditionalEcologicalKnowledgeandResource

Management.TaylorandFrancis,1999[or2ndor3rdedition].Pages1-55areespeciallyimportant.

(Week10)1November"SacredEcology"andSacredGeography

Assignment1)Bynoon,31October,sendinyourreadinganalysis,providingapithysummaryofRappaport’sviewsandagenda,whilenotingthefaultlinesbetweentheideaofAmericanIndiansas“FirstEcologists”andother,relevant,ERNentriesyouhaveread.

BackgroundandComparativeReadings• FromtheERN:AmericanIndiansas"FirstEcologists";NobelSavage;Sacred

GeographyinNativeNorthAmerica;SacredMountains;SacredGrovesinAfrica;SacredSitesinEngland;SacredSpace/Place;Savages.

RequiredCoreReading• Rappaport,RoyA.RitualandReligionintheMakingofHumanity(chs10-14,

pp.313-461).

RecommendedReadings• JohnSears,SacredPlaces,re.natureappreciationandpilgrimage,first1⁄2

19thcentury,pp.1-71• RalphWaldoEmerson,"Nature"andotherselections.• HenryDavidThoreau,SelectionsfromBronTaylor'sThoreauCollection(Dr.

Taylorwillprovidethisviaemail).• Nash,Wilderness...,"PreservetheWilderness"and"WildernessPreserved,"

pp.96-121,chs.6&7(readquickly).

SpecialAssignmentReading• Nelson,Melissa.K.andDan.Shilling(eds).TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge.

CambridgeUniversityPress,2019.

FurtherReading• Bender,BarbaraandMargotWiner,eds.ContestedLandscapes:Movement,

ExileandPlace.,2001.• Carmichael,DavidL.,JaneHubert,BrianReevesandAudhildSchanche.Sacred

Sites,SacredPlaces.Routledge,1994.• Chidester,DavidandDavidLinenthal,eds.AmericanSacredSpace.Indiana

UniversityPress,1995.• Gregory,Derek.GeographicalImaginations.Blackwell,1994.

• Hirsh,EricandMichaelO'Hanlon.TheAnthropologyofLandscape:PerspectivesonPlaceandSpace.ClarendonPress,1995.

• Ivakhiv,Adrian.ClaimingSacredGround:PilgrimsandPoliticsatGlastonburyandSedona.IndianaUniversityPress,2001.

• Jones,Lindsay.TheHermeneuticsofSacredArchitecture:Experience,Interpretation,Comparison--MonumentalOccasions:ReflectionsontheEventfulnessofReligiousArchitecture(V.1of2).HarvardUniversityPress,2000.

• Lane,Beldon.LandscapesoftheSacred:GeographyandNarrativeinAmericanSpirituality.Paulist,1988.

• Nelson,Melissa.K.andDan.Shilling(eds).TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge.CambridgeUniversityPress,2019.

• Schultes,R.E.andS.Reis.Ethnobotany:EvolutionofaDiscipline.TimberPress,1995.

• Schultes,R.E."ReasonsforEthnobotanicalConservation."InTraditionalEcologicalKnowledge:ACollectionofEssays,ed.R.E.Johannes.Geneva:InternationalUnionfortheConservationofNature,1989.

• Sears,John.SacredPlaces:AmericanTouristAttractionsintheNineteenthCentury.OxfordUniversityPress,1989.

• Shepard,Paul.ManintheLandscape:AHistoricViewoftheEstheticsofNature.seconded.1967;reprint,TexasA&MUniversityPress,1991.

• Tuan,Yi-Fu."DiscrepanciesBetweenEnvironmentalAttitudeandBehaviour:ExamplesFromEuropeandChina."TheCanadianGeographer12(1968):176-91.

• ________.LandscapesofFear.Blackwell,1980.• ________.SpaceandPlace:ThePerspectiveofExperience.Universityof

MinnesotaPress,1977.• ________.Topophilia:AStudyofEnvironmentalPerception,Attitudes,and

Values.Prentice-Hall,1974.• Turner,Victor."PilgrimagesasSocialProcesses,"166-230,inDramas,fields,

andmetaphors:symbolicactioninhumansociety.CornellUniversityPress,1974).

• Williams,Raymond.TheCountryandtheCity.OxfordUniversityPress,1975.

(Week11)8November"SacredSpace"Theories,andEnvironmental

Conservanon(Recognizing/Construcnng/ContesnngNaturalPlacesasSacredSpaces)

Assignment1)Bynoon7Novembersendyourreadinganalysis.Thisweekdothisintwoparts:(a)discussthefaultlinesbetweenEliadeandhisprogeny,religionscholarsinterestedinpromotinggreenreligionandtheircritics.(b)SummarizethefaultlinesbetweenChidesterandLinenthalintheirIntroductiontoAmericanSacredSpaceandothertheoristsonsacredspace,includingEliadeandthosediscussedbyAnttonen.

BackgroundandComparativeReadings• FromtheERN:EarthMysteries;Eliade,Mircea;*ReligiousStudiesand

EnvironmentalConcern(andadjacententry):CriticalPerspectiveson“ReligionsoftheWorldandEcology”;ReligiousEnvironmentalistParadigm.

RequiredCoreReading• Ingold,Tim.ThePerceptionoftheEnvironment:EssaysinLivelihood,Dwelling

andSkill.London:Routledge,2000.Tim.Peruse:Introduction&Chapter1;Chapter2;Chapter4;andreadcarefullyChapter8,Chapter21.

• DavidChidesterandEdwardLinenthal,“Introduction”inAmericanSacredSpace(ed.Chidester&Linenthal);VeikkoAnttonen,“Sacred”inW.BraunandR.T.McCutcheon,eds.,GuidetotheStudyofReligion.

SpecialAssignmentReadings(twooptions)• Animism&Conservation,specialissue,JournalfortheStudyofReligion,

NatureandCulture1/4(December2007)• Krech,Shepard(3rd).TheEcologicalIndian:MythandHistory.Norton,1999

RecommendedReadings• MirceaEliade,TheSacredandtheProfane• J.Z.Smith,ToTakePlace• Lane,Beldon.LandscapesoftheSacred:GeographyandNarrativeinAmerican

Spirituality

FurtherandFutureReadings~EvolutionandReligion(focusonindigenoussocietiesandtraditionalecologicalknowledge")

• Anderson,EugeneN.EcologiesoftheHeart:Emotion,Belief,andtheEnvironment.OxfordUniversityPress,1996.

• Berkes,Fikret.SacredEcology:TraditionalEcologicalKnowledgeandResourceManagement.TaylorandFrancis,1999.

• Berkes,Fikret,JohanColdingandCarlFolke.NavigatingSocial-EcologicalSystems:BuildingResilienceforComplexityandChange.CambridgeUniversityPress,2003.

• Berkes,FikretandCarlFolke.LinkingSocialandEcologicalSystems.CambridgeUniversityPress,2002.

• Bloch,Maurice."PeopleIntoPlaces:ZafimaniryConceptsofClarity."InTheAnthropologyofLandscape:PerspectivesonPlaceandSpace,eds.EricHirshandMichaelO'Hanlon,63-77.ClarendonPress,1995

• ________.PreyIntoHunter:ThePoliticsofReligiousExperience.CambridgeUniversityPress,1992.

• Carrasco,Davíd,ed.TheImaginationofMatter:ReligionandEcologyinMesoamericanTraditions.BARInternationalSeries,1989.

• Eisenberg,Evan.TheEcologyofEden.NewYork:RandomHouse,1998.• Grim,JohnA.IndigenousTraditionsandEcology:TheInterbeingofCosmology

andCommunity.HarvardUniversityPress,2001.• Harris,Marvin."TheMythoftheSacredCow."InMan,Culture,andAnimals,

eds.AnthonyLeedsandAndrewP.Vaya,217-28.AmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience,1965.

• ________.Cows,Pigs,WarsandWitches:TheRiddlesofCulture.RandomHouse,1974.

• ________.CannibalsandKings:TheOriginsofCultures.RandomHouse,1977.• ________."TheCulturalEcologyofIndia'sSacredCattle."Current

Anthropology7(1966):51-66.• Hughes,J.Donald.Pan'sTravail:EnvironmentalProblemsoftheAncientGreeks

andRomans.JohnHopkinsUniversityPress,1994.• Ingold,Tim.ThePerceptionoftheEnvironment:EssaysinLivelihood,Dwelling

andSkill.Routledge,2000.• Krech,Shepard(3rd).TheEcologicalIndian:MythandHistory.NewYork:

Norton,1999.• Lansing,J.Stephen.PriestsandProgrammers:TechnologiesofPowerinthe

EngineeredLandscapeofBali.PrincetonUniversityPress,1991.• Lansing,J.StephenandJamesN.Kremer."ASocioecologicalAnalysisof

BalineseWaterTemples."InTheCulturalDimensionofDevelopment:IndigenousKnowledgeSystems,eds.D.M.Warren,L.JanSlikkerveerandDavidBrokensha,258-68.IntermediateTechnologyPublications,1995.

• Lawson,E.ThomasandRobertM.McCauley.Rethinkingreligion:connectingcognitionandculture.CambridgeUniversityPress,1993.

• Lodrick,DeryckO.SacredCows,SacredPlaces:OriginsandSurvivalsofAnimalHomesinIndia.UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1981.

• Messer,EllenandMichaelLambek.EcologyandtheSacred:EngagingtheAnthropologyofRoyA.Rappaport.UniversityofMichiganPress,2001.

• Moran,Emilio,ed.TheEcosystemApproachinAnthropology.UniversityofMichiganPress,1990.

• Oelschlaeger,Max.TheIdeaofWilderness:FromPrehistorytotheAgeofEcology.YaleUniversityPress,1991.

• Rappaport,RoyA.Ecology,MeaningandReligion.NorthAtlantic,1979.• ________.RitualandReligionintheMakingofHumanity.Cambridge

UniversityPress,1999.• Simoons,FrederickJ."QuestionsintheSacredCowControversy."Current

Anthropology20(1979):467-93.

ModuleV:Religion,Nature,andtheFutureofReligionandNature• SocialScientificPerspectivesonEnvironmentalism,Nature,andReligion,from

QuantitativeDatatoColinCampbell's"CulticMilieu"Theory.• GreenNazisandtheShadowSideofNatureReligions.• ContemporaryConstructionofNatureReligionsandPaganSpiritualities.• SecularizationTheoriesand'SpiritualitiesofConnection'toNature.

Introduction:Clearly,duringthesecondhalfofthe20thcenturysomelayobserversandscholarlyanalystswerehopingfor,andinsomecasesromanticallyexpecting,arevitalizationorinventionofreligiousformsthatwouldleadhumanculturestowardenvironmentallysustainablelifeways.Duringthesameperiod,morecautiousvoicesarosequestioningwhetherreligioncouldevolveintoanenvironmentallyprogressivesocialforce,orevenwonderingwhetherreligionisanimportantvariableinculture-natureinteractions.Othervoicesexpressedalarmattheapparentgrowthofnature-relatedspiritualities,notingthatsuchreligionhassometimesbeencloselyconnectedtoperniciouspoliticalideologiessuchasNazism.Stillotherswonderedwhethersecularization,fueledbytheslowifsteadyadvanceofscientificunderstandingsoftheuniverse,woulderodereligiousbeliefaltogether,andthustheinfluenceofnature-relatedreligion.Andyetothersassertedthatthefutureofreligion,ifthereistobeanymillenniafromnow,wouldandmustbefusedtosuchscientificunderstandings.Allofthisraisesanewquestionsaboutthefutureofreligion.

Thereisalreadysomeevidenceofscientificunderstandingsoftheuniversebeingconsecratedincontemporaryreligion.Insomecasessacralizedscientificnarrativesaregraftedontopre-existingreligiousformswhileinothercasestheyareemergingandevolvingwithlittleexplicitreferencetopreviousforms.Thequestionwithwhichweleavethiscourseiswhethersuchformsof“religion”or“spirituality”arelikelytobemainstreamsinthefutureofreligion,orrather,dryupquicklyleavingmostofhumanity,iftheyarereligiousatall,devoteesoftoday’spredominantreligions.Theanswertothatquestionisonethatmaywellpreoccupymuchfuturescholarshipinquiringintothenatureoftherelationshipsbetweenhumancultures,religions,andenvironments.Theanswermayalsoplayaroleinwhether,andtowhatextent,humanscontinuetosimplifyanddegradetheearth’slivingsystems.

(Week12&13)15&22November(Therewillbenoclassmeenngon22Novemberduetoprofessionalmeenngs)

SocialScience,ReligionandNature(andconsideringNatureReligionsandtheir"ShadowSide")

Assignment1)Bynoon14NovembersendyourreadinganalysisfocusinginthiscaseonPaulShepard'sbook;by23Novemberwriteananalysis/reactiontothearticlesbyTaylorandothersaboutLynnWhiteandtheGreeningofReligionHypothesis.

BackgroundandComparativeReadings• FromtheERN:ATWA,Corrington,Robert;ElvesandLandSpiritsinPaganNorse

Religion;*Fascism;Heathenry(Ásatrú);Odinism;Paganism;Neo-paganismandEthnicNationalisminEasternEurope;ProtestantEthic;Savitri,Devi;*SocialScienceonReligionandNature;*White,Lynn–Thesisof;Wicca;Unitarianism.

RequiredCoreReading• BronTaylor,TheGreeningofReligionHypothesis(PartOne):FromLynnWhite,

Jr.andclaimsthatreligionscanpromoteenvironmentallydestructiveattitudesandbehaviorstoassertionstheyarebecomingenvironmentallyfriendly,JournalfortheStudyofReligion,NatureandCulture,10(3)2016.

• BronTaylor,GretelVanWieren&BernardZaleha,TheGreeningofReligionHypothesis(PartTwo):AssessingtheDatafromLynnWhite,Jr.toPopeFrancis,JournalfortheStudyofReligion,NatureandCulture,10(3)2016.

• Shepard,Paul,ComingHometothePleistocene,read1,skim2-5;read6,skim7,andread8,9

RecommendedReadings• Tuan,YiFu.“Discrepanciesbetweenenvironmentalattitudeandbehavior:

examplesfromEuropeandChina”fromtheCanadianGeographer12(3):176-91,1968.

• DavidHaberman(ed.)UnderstandingClimateChangethroughReligiousLifeworlds.IndianaUniversityPress,2021.

• Veldman,RobinGlobus.TheGospelofClimateSkepticism:WhyEvangelicalChristiansOpposeActiononClimateChange.UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2019.

• Veldman,RobinGlobus,AndrewSzasz,andRandolphHaluza-Delay(eds.)HowtheWorld'sReligionsAreRespondingtoClimateChange.Routledge,2014.

SpecialAssignmentReading• CarolynMerchant,ReinventingEden:TheFateofNatureinWesternCulture.

Routledge,2003.• MichaelYork,PaganTheology.NewYorkUniversityPress,2004.

FurtherReading• Corrington,RobertS.Nature'sReligion.Rowman&Littlefield,1997.• Crosby,DonaldA.AReligionofNature.SUNYPress,2002• Pike,Sarah.NewAgeandNeopaganReligionsinAmerica.ColumbiaUniversity

Press,2004.• Gregory,Derek.GeographicalImaginations.Blackwell,1994.• York,Michael.PaganTheology.NewYorkUniversityPress,2004.

FurtherReading~Right-WingIdeologyandReligionsofNature• Bramwell,Anna.Ecologyinthe20thCentury:AHistory.YaleUnivPress,1989.• ________.BloodandSoil:WalterDarréandHitlersGreenParty.Kensal,1985.• Ferry,Luc.TheNewEcologicalOrder.UniversityofChicagoPress,1995.• Gardell,Mattias.GodsoftheBlood:ThePaganRevivalandWhiteSeparatism.

DukeUniversityPress,2003.• Goodrick-Clarke,Nicholas.Hitler'sPriestess:SavitriDevi,theHindu-AryanMyth

andNeo-Nazism.NewYorkUniversityPress,1998.• Goodrick-Clarke,Nicholas.TheOccultRootsofNazism:SecretAryanCultsand

TheirInfluenceonNaziIdeology.NewYorkUniversityPress,1994.• Goodrich-Clarke,Nicholas.BlackSun:AryanCults,EsotericNazismandthe

PoliticsofIdentity.NewYorkUniversityPress,2002• Kaplan,Jeffrey."SavitriDeviandtheNationalSocialistReligionofNature."The

Pomegranate,no.7(February1999):4-12• Zimmerman,MichaelE.ContestingEarth'sFuture:RadicalEcologyand

Postmodernity.UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1994.

(Week14)29NovemberReligion,Nature,andtheFuture

Assignment1)Bynoon28NovembersendyouranalysistheargumentinB.Taylor'sDarkGreenReligionandintheconclusionsofAraNorenzayanbook,identifyingothercoursereadingsthatappeartohaveaffinitywiththedescribedphenomena,aswellasthereligiousformsthatdonot,andbesuretonoteconnectionswiththeviewsofPaulShepard.2)Studentpresentationsmaybegininclassthisweekandcontinuenextweek.

BackgroundandComparativeReadings• FromtheERN:RadicalEnvironmentalism;Berry,Thomas;BiosphereReserves

andWorldHeritageSites;*Christianity(9)—Christianity'sEcologicalReformation;*EpicofEvolution;EvolutionaryEvangelism;ReligiousNaturalism;NaturalHistoryasNaturalReligion;RestorationEcologyandRitual;ProcessPhilosophy(andTheologycross-reference);Sagan,Carl;SpaceExploration.

RequiredCoreReadings• Taylor,Bron,DarkGreenReligion,chs1-9(ThoreauAppendixstrongly

recommended)[chapterswillbemadeavailableforfreefrominstructor.]• Norenzayan,BigGods,PrincetonUniversityPress,chapter10.

OptionalReadings• fromwww.earthcharter.org,www.ethologicalethics.org,andseeTheGreat

Storyforthewebsiteof‘evolutionaryevangelist’MichaelDowd.• ThomasBerry,"Thehumanpresence"pp.13-23(ch.3),"Thenewstory"pp.

194-215(ch.15),inDreamoftheEarth.(Alternatively,readtheselectionsfromTheGreatWork,immediatelybelow.)

SpecialAssignmentReading• Atlee,Tom.TheTaoofDemocracy:UsingCo-IntelligencetoCreateaWorld

ThatWorksforAll.Cranston,TheWriter'sCollective,2003.

DVDs• 'JourneyoftheUniverse'documentary

FurtherReading• Bruce,Steve,ed.ReligionandModernization:SociologistsandHistorians

DebatetheSecularizationThesis.OxfordUniversityPress,2001.• ________.Godisdead:secularizationinthewest.Blackwell,2002.• Campbell,Colin."TheCult,theCulticMilieuandSecularization."ASociological

YearbookofReligioninBritain5(1972):119-36.• Stark,RodneyandWilliamBainesBainbridge.TheFutureofReligion:

Secularization,Revival,andCultFormation.Univ.ofCaliforniaPress,1985.• Warner,R.Stephen."WorkinProgressTowardaNewParadigmforthe

SociologicalStudyofReligionintheUnitedStates."AmericanJournalofSociology98(1993):1044-93.

FurtherReading~Right-WingIdeologyandReligionsofNature• Bramwell,Anna.Ecologyinthe20thCentury:AHistory.YaleUniversityPress,

1989.• ________.BloodandSoil:WalterDarréandHitlersGreenParty.

Buckinghamshire,Kensal,1985.• Ferry,Luc.TheNewEcologicalOrder.Paris:1992;reprint,UniversityofChicago

Press,1995.• Gardell,Mattias.GodsoftheBlood:ThePaganRevivalandWhiteSeparatism.

UniversityPress,2003.• Goodrick-Clarke,Nicholas.Hitler'sPriestess:SavitriDevi,theHindu-AryanMyth

andNeo-Nazism.NewYorkUniversityPress,1998.• Goodrich-Clarke,Nicholas.BlackSun:AryanCults,EsotericNazismandthe

PoliticsofIdentity.NewYorkUniversityPress,2002.• Kaplan,Jeffrey."SavitriDeviandtheNationalSocialistReligionofNature."The

Pomegranate,no.7(February1999):4-12.• Zimmerman,MichaelE.ContestingEarth'sFuture:RadicalEcologyand

Postmodernity.UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1994.

(Week15)6December[Lastdayofclass]StudentPresentanons

Assignment1)Studentpresentationswillbecompletedduringthisweek’sfinalclass.2)Non-attendanceincursonegradedeductiononresearchpaperandfinaltakehomeexam.3)ResearchPapersDue5Decemberat11:59p.m.4)Takehomefinalessayexamwilldistributedon6December.Itisdueby11:59p.m.,Tuesday,13December,andmustbesubmittedbyemail.