Theology of Nature

Dr. Belden C. Lane THEO 466-01 Fall, 2008 Email: lanebc@slu.edu Classroom: Laclede Classroom Building 114 (3721 Laclede) 338 Humanities Wednesdays, 3:45-6:15 Phone 977-2893 Office Hours: Tu,Th: 2:30-3:30, W: 1:30-2:30 and by appointment

l. Course Description: A new sensitivity to questions of nature and ecology has been an increasing characteristic of American thought since (and even before) the first Earth Day in l970. Roderick Nash has spoken of the "greening" of religion and philosophy since the middle of the 20th century. These developments have given expression to new interests in eco-justice, animals rights, nature mysticism, natural history writing, the sacredness of the earth, and questions of deep ecology. From scientific journals to programs in Environmental Studies and exponents of creation-centered spirituality, more and more people are awakening to environmental concerns and an interest in nature generally. This course is an effort to develop an informed biblical and historical response to such issues, showing the Christian doctrine of creation to have rich resources in its tradition for energizing and illuminating current debates on how we are to value the earth. The history of Christian spirituality offers excellent resources for a sacramental theology that takes seriously the whole of nature. What many people have been seeking in New Age investigations and Eastern spirituality can be found in existing traditions of the Judeo-Christian heritage itself. Yet even these aren't entirely sufficient for today's needs. The work of theological reconstruction in developing a more ecologically-sensitive theology is one of our most pressing concerns. 2. Course Format, Learning Outcomes, Skill Set Acquisition: Lecture, storytelling, discussion, the use of debate and drama, and occasional videos will be supplemented by a trip to Shaw garden (incorporating nature observation exercises), an overnight backpacking trip in the Ozarks, and possibly a visit to the Earthways House near campus. The effort is to achieve a holistic experience of nature in the process of analyzing eco-theological approaches to it. Highly interdisciplinary in character, the course will attempt to interrelate the perspectives of naturalists, philosophers, and literary figures along with basic ideas in the history of Christian spirituality. Skills to be acquired through the course include critical thinking, critical and reflective writing, analysis of perspectives in environmental ethics, and better skills in communication (through public speaking and computer technology). 3. Textbooks: Leonardo Boff, Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor (1997) Daniel Quinn, Ishmael (1992) David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous (1996) Miscellaneous Readings available on E-Reserve (as listed below). These can be accessed from the Pius XII Library Homepage. Under Course Reserves ERes: click on Electronic Reserves. Under Any Search Field, highlight the Instructor and type in Lane in the space after contains. Click on the name of the course Theology of Nature. type in the password, ecology, and hit accept.] 4. Requirements: (These can be negotiated, should a student come to the course with particular interests in mind. Please see the instructor. Graduate Students may choose to write a major [251

page] research paper or other project in connection with the course, or combine some of the other requirements with a shorter paper.) a. Regular reading and participation in class discussions, making use of the materials listed above. (More than three unexcused absences will affect one's grade for the course.) c. A small-group presentation--planning and executing one of the three presentation/debates planned at the end of the course. These will include: 1. The Viability of Alternative Energy Sources: Green Power Companies and Fuel-Efficient Cars (Solar, wind, and other possibilities; hybrids, fuel cell cars, biodiesel) 2. The Use of Animals for Human Healing: From Animal Testing to Animal Therapy (The necessity and misuse of animal experimentation; animals as helpers in healing) 3. Global Warming, the Kyoto Protocol, and Greenhouse Gas Control (Political and scientific wrangling on this topic, Al Gore as Prophet or Alarmist) This will involve working with 1 or 2 other students, gathering information on both sides of the issue and presenting it to the rest of the class by means of a powerpoint presentation, use of videos or other means of presenting information, a staged debate, and perhaps closing with a game (like Jeopardy) that tests the class on what has been learned. The presentation should take an hour of class time, including opportunity for questions and discussion. A 1-2 page handout to share with the rest of the class would also be helpful, providing information on further reading, relevant organizations concerned with the issue, etc. The grading rubric will take into account the students use of time allotted, presenting the material in a provocative and creative way, speaking in a clear, loud voice while making eye contact, and explaining unfamiliar concepts. Within a week after the presentation, each student should turn in a confidential paragraph indicating the work they did on the project, the number of hours they spent, and how they might grade themselves. The small-group presentation will count 25% of the course grade. d. Taking a mid-term exam (short answer and essay in form), dealing with the readings and material covered during the first half of the course, including Quinns Ishmael, readings in Boffs Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor and Abrams The Spell of the Sensuous, and other assigned readings. The exam will be given on October 15th and will count 25% of the course grade. e. Writing an 8-page research and reflection paper about your ecological autobiography, the interdependence of life in your bioregion, and your own intersubjective relationship to the sensuous world (drawing on your reading of David Abrams The Spell of the Sensuous). Job 12:7-8 says that if well listen, the beasts of the field, the plants of the earth, and birds of the air will all teach us wisdom. But most of us arent even aware of the immediate ecosystem in which we live. This paper invites a careful reflection on that. The paper will be due on October 1st and will count 25% of the course grade. It should deal with the following topics: 1. What are your own most formative experiences of nature (through childhood places, work, recreation or travel) and what is the relationship to the land that youve inherited through the stories and experiences of your family and ancestors? How are you intimately embedded in the lifeworld of which you are a part? ( pg, 10%) 2. What do you know about your own backyard and neighborhood? What specific trees, birds, and plants are native to your area? What constellations can you see at night? From which direction do prevailing winds usually bring storms? (1 pg, 15%) 2

3. What defines your particular bioregion (its landforms and watershed)? From what energy source do you get your electricity? Where does your water come from? Where does your garbage go? What ecological events that can be expected to occur during the four seasons of the year? What threats to the ecosystem are currently a problem? (1 pg, 18%) [Websites to help with this might include: Missouri Department of Conservation (especially its Natural Events Calendar), Missouri Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Plants Database, Environmental Protection Agency Surf Your Watershed site, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (Biological Resources), Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Missouri Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, etc.] 4. What does David Abram mean by intersubjectivity and how does he understand perception as a shared process experienced by humans and the rest of the interactive world as well? ( pg, 12%) 5. If, as Abrams argues, human speech is an echo of natural phenomena (falling water, singing birds, rushing wind), how might your bioregion have taught you to talk and think as a child? Compare this to one of the oral traditions of indigenous cultures that Abrams mentions. (1 pg, 15%) 6. In light of Abrams ideas, reflect on a more-than-human teacher that has influenced your life in some way (a tree you climbed as a kid, a pet youve lived with, a section of seashore to which you often return, etc.) (1 pg, 15%) 7.How has your education had the effect of separating language from your senses and the sensuous world? How does writing tend to objectify reality and yet (at the same time, says Abram) introduce a new sense of magic? (1 pg, 15%) This is a paper that invites you to think with your body as well as your mind. The grading rubric for the assignment will take into account the specific details that are surfaced with respect to the students ecological autobiography and bioregion, the extent to which the student appears to have carefully read and wrestled with Abrams book, the use of specific quotes to support ones case, and clarity and coherence in writing (proof-reading ones work). f. Writing a Take-Home Final Exam, 8-9 pages long (typed, double-spaced), that will be due on December 10th. Questions will be given to the class after the Mid-Term. 5. Attendance, Grading Procedures, and Non-Tolerance of Academic Dishonesty: Regular attendance in class is expected. More than three unexcused absences during the semester will influence the grade, especially in marginal situations. Each three additional unexcused absences beyond this will result in the reduction of the grade by a full letter. --The grading scale for the course will be as follows: A = 95-l00; A-= 93-94; B+ = 88-92; B= 8587; B-= 83-84; C+ = 79-82; C= 74-78; C-= 72-73; D = 60-7l; F = 0-59. An A grade signifies the highest degree of achievement and intellectual initiative. An A- is for work approaching highest achievement. A B+ indicates a level considerably above average quality, B suggests above average work. A B- refers to work that is slightly above average. A C distinguishes average achievement, with a C+ being somewhat better and a C- indicating less than average. A D is inferior, but passing. A range = Superior, exceptional, outstanding. The assignment demonstrates critical, informed, and creative theological inquiry that reflects superior understanding of essential theological/historical concepts. This means the student demonstrates depth of insight beyond what is normally expected. Carefully nuanced reasoning and writing, free from material, structural and grammatical error are presupposed in this grade.

B range = Good. The assignment demonstrates ready command of full range of concepts and shows some critical, informed, and creative inquiry that reflects above average understanding of essential theological/historical concepts. This means the student has produced an assignment that is free from material, structural and grammatical errors. C range = Acceptable. The assignment demonstrates satisfactory ability to describe overall picture and essential concepts. This means the student has completed the assignment in a manner involving no significant errors. Material may not be free from structural and grammatical errors. Nuanced reasoning is not demonstrated. D range = Below average. The assignment demonstrates reasoning that is neither carefully nuanced nor coherently presented; writing is insufficient in depth of insight and/or use of texts; presentation is not free from material error in structure, spelling and grammar. This means that the student failed to respond adequately to the assignment and its intentions. F = Unsatisfactory. In one or more of the following ways the student: 1) failed to turn in the assignment; 2) did not respond to the assignment as given; 3) submitted work so thoroughly flawed as to indicate that the student did not make a serious effort, 4) was involved in plagiarism or cheating. --Requests for a grade of "Incomplete" can only be honored in cases of unusual sickness or family emergency. Academic Integrity Statement: Students are expected to be honest in their academic work. The University reserves the right to penalize any student whose academic conduct is, in its judgment, detrimental to the University. Such conduct shall include cases of plagiarism, collusion, cheating, giving or receiving or offering or soliciting information on examinations, or the use of previously prepared material in examinations or quizzes. Violations should be reported to your course instructor, who will investigate and adjudicate them according to the Policy on Academic Honesty of the College of Arts and Sciences. If the charges are found to be true, the student may be liable for academic or disciplinary probation, suspension or expulsion from the university. Academic Assistance: Any student who feels that he/she may need academic accommodations in order to meet the requirements of this course as outlined in the syllabus, due to presence of a disability, should contact the Office of Disabilities Services. Please telephone the office at 314977-2930, or visit Room 131 in the Academic Resources Center, 3840 Lindell Blvd. Confidentiality will be observed in all inquiries. 5. Syllabus: The Crisis of Nature in Western Civilization Aug. 27: Introduction A Planetary Crisis: Rethinking our Theologies of Nature (Nature Conservancy Video) (Read: Ishmael, Chapters 1-8) Sep. 3: New Scientific Models for Conceiving of the Earth and Our Relation to It Discussion of Ishmael: Developing a New Way of Thinking (The Truman Show video) (Read: Ishmael, Chapters 9-13) 10: Defining and Experiencing Sacred Space: Native American Places (and the Earth) on Trial Film and Discussion: "In the Light of Reverence" (on Native American Sacred Places) 4

(Read: Boff, Chapters 1-2; Abrams, Chapters 1-2) The Biblical Concern for Inclusivity and Justice 17: Slide Show: Earth From Above (the Photographs of Yann Arthus-Betrand) The Purpose of Creation: Biblical Themes of Celebration and Use Creation and the Monster of Chaos: Tales from World Mythology (Read: Boff, Chapters 3-4; Abrams, Chapter 3-4) 24: Worship in the Psalms: Singing with all the Creatures Body-Spirit Holism: The Reembodiment of Christianity (Meditation Exercises) (Read: Abrams, Chapters 5-6) Historical Perspectives on Nature Oct. 1: Desert and Mountain as Reality and Metaphor in the History of Christian Spirituality Nature in the Early Church: The Desert Fathers and Mothers (Read: Lane, Attentiveness, Indifference and Love, from The Solace of Fierce Landscapes: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality -- on E-Reserves) Paper Due: Ecological Autobiography, Bioregional Study, & Abrams Intersubjectivity 8: Farming in the Benedictine Tradition St. Francis and the Animals (slides on Celtic Spirituality) (Read: Rene Dubos, "Franciscan Conservation versus Benedictine Stewardship," Excerpts from the writings of Saint Hildegard of Bingen, and Francis of Assisi) Abrams, Chapter 7. Theological Reconstruction 15: Mid-Term Exam Nature, Biodiversity, and Trinitarian Theology (Read: Lane, "Biodiversity and the Holy Trinity") Aldo Leopold, The Land Ethic in his Sand County Almanac 22: Theological Mind Stretching: Rethinking the Cosmic Christ, the Church, and the Sacraments Intersubjectivity and Interbeing Backpacking Basics and Leave-No-Trace Camping Skills (Read: Sallie McFague, "Christology: The Body of God") Teilhard de Chardin, excerpts from The Heart of Matter Excerpts from Thich Nhat Hanh's Essential Writings Boff, Chapters 5-6) 25-26: Overnight Camping Trip to Lower Rock Creek in the Ozarks (Rain Date: Nov. 15-16) Spirituality, Nature Exercises, and a Disciplined Awareness

29: Field Trip to Shaw Garden: Nature Exercises Water as Teacher: Eastern Traditions and the River Nov. 5: Native American Spirituality: The Language of the Earth The Zen Experience of Nature: What the Tree Teaches (Read: Boff, Chapters 7-9 Renewing the Earth, The U.S. Bishops Pastoral Letter on the Environment

Taking Action: Ethics and Ecology 12: Small Group Presentation: Alternative Energy Sources, Green Power, and FuelEfficient Cars (Read Walsh, Karsh, and Ansell, "Trees, Forestry, and the Responsiveness of Creation" and Lane, "Open the Kingdom for a Cottonwood Tree") 19: Small Group Presentation: The Use of Animals for Human Healing: From Animal Testing to Animal Therapy Power and Vulnerability: Recovering the Gospel Story (Read: Terry Tempest Williams, "The Clan of One-Breasted Women" Boff, Chapters 10-11 26: No Class (Thanksgiving Break) Dec. 3: Small Group Presentation: Global Warming, the Kyoto Protocol, and Greenhouse Gas Control Rights to the Land and the Rights of the Land in Latin America Globalization, Sustainable Development and the Earth's Future: Simulation Game (Read: Gottlieb, "Spiritual Deep Ecology and the Left" and B. D. Sharma, "On Sustainability") 10: Take-home Final Due (4:00 pm) V. Bibliography a. Major Reference Works: Roger S. Gottlieb, ed., This Sacred Earth (1996) A fine anthology. Dieter Hessel and Rosemary Ruether, Christianity and Ecology (2000) Harvard Series on Religion and Ecology. b. Nature and Myth: Questions of Deep Ecology / Ecofeminism Michael Tobias, ed, Deep Ecology (l984) George Sessions, Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered (l985) William Anderson, Green Man: The Archetype of Our Oneness with the Earth (l990) James Lovelock, Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth (l979) Thomas Berry, The Dream of the Earth (l987) Brian Swimme, The Universe is a Green Dragon Gary Snyder, The Practice of the Wild (l990) 6

James Swan, Sacred Places (l990) Ivone Gebara, Longing for Running Water: Ecofeminism and Liberation (1999) Rosemary Radford Reuther, Gaia and God: An Ecofeminist Theology of Earth Healing (1992) Dolores Merchant, The Death of Nature: Women, Ecology, and the Scientific Revolution (l980) Susan Griffin, Woman and Nature: The Roaring Inside Her (l978) Robert Bly, Iron John: The Wild Man (l99l) Dolores La Chapelle, Earth Wisdom (l978) E. F. Schumacher, Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered (l973) William Leiss, The Domination of Nature (l972) Morris Berman, The Reenchantment of the World (1981) c. Creation and Nature in Biblical Theology: Richard C. Austin, Hope for the Land: Nature in the Bible (l987) Bernhard Anderson, "Creaton and Ecology," in Creation in the Old Testament (l984) _________________, "Creation in the Bible" and "Creation and the Noahic Covenant" in Cry of the Environment, ed., Philip N. Joranson & Ken Butigan (l984). Walter Brueggemann, The Land: Place as Gift, Promise and Challenge in Biblical Faith (l977) _________________, "Land: Fertility and Justice" in Theology of the Land, Leonard Weber, (l987) Theodore Hiebert, The Yahwist's Landscape: Nature and Religion in Early Israel (1996) Peter Stuhlmacher, "The Ecological Crisis as a Challenge for Biblical Theology, Ex Auditu III (l987), pp. l-l5. d. Theologies of Nature in Church History: Paul Santmire, The Travail of Nature (l985) Clarence Glacken, Traces on the Rhodian Shore: Nature and Culture in Western Thought from Ancient Times to the End of the l8th Century (l967) Max Oelschlaeger, The Idea of Wilderness: From Prehistory to the Age of Ecology (l99l) Clive Ponting, A Green History of the World: The Environment and the Collapse of Great Civilizations (l99l) Catherine Albanese, Nature Religion in America (1990) R. Lenoble, Esquisse d'une historie de l'idee de nature (Paris, l968) John Gay, "Four Medieval Views of Creation," Harvard Theological Review 56 (l963): 243-273. Conrad Cherry, Nature and Religious Imagination (l980) Anestis G. Keselopoulos, Man and the Environment: A Study of St. Symeon the New Theologian (2001) George H. Williams, "Christian Attitudes Toward Nature," Christian Scholar's Review 2:l (Fall, l97l), pp. 3-35, and 2:2 (Spring, l972), pp. ll2-l26. Keith Thomas, Man and the Natural World: Changing Attitudes in England, l500-l800 (l983) N. Max Wildiers, The Theologian and His Universe: Theology and Cosmology from the Middle Ages to the Present (l982) Rene Dubos, "Franciscan Conservation versus Benedictine Stewardship," in A God Within (l972) "Meditations with..." Series, published by Bear & Co: on Hildegard of Bingen, Teilhard de Chardin, Julian of Norwich, etc. John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of Creation (l69l) Ian Barbour, Religion in an Age of Science (1990) 7

Stephen Toulman, The Return to Cosmology: Post-Modern Science & Theology of Nature (1982) Simon Schama, Landscape and Memory (1995) Belden C. Lane, Jonathan Edwards on Beauty, Desire, and the Sensory World, Theological Studies 65:1 (March, 2004), pp. 1-29. ____________, "Spirituality as the Performance of Desire: Calvin's Metaphor of the World as a Theatre of God's Glory," Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality 1:1 (Spring, 2001), pp. 1-30. ____________, "Two Schools of Desire: Nature and Marriage in 17th-Century Puritanism," Church History 69:2 (June, 2000), pp. 372-402. e. Ecology and World Religions David Kinsley, Ecology and Religion: Ecological Spirituality in Cross-Cultural Perspective (1995) Fazlun Khalid and Joanne O'Brien, eds., Islam and Ecology (1992) Mary Tucker and Duncan Williams, eds, Buddhism and Ecology (1999) Christopher Chapple and Mary Tucker, eds., Hinduism and Ecology (2000) J. Baird Callicott and Roger Ames, ed., Nature in Asian Traditions of Thought (1989) J. Baird Callicott, Earth's Insights: A Multi-Cultural Survey of Ecological Ethics (1995) Ellen Bernstein and Dan Fink, Let the Earth Teach you Torah (1992) f. Nature and Creation as Themes in Systematic Theology Denis Edwards, Earth Revealing, Earth Healing: Ecology and Christian Theology (2001) Drew Christiansen, ed., "And God Saw That it Was Good": Catholic Theology & the Environment (1996) Jurgen Moltmann, God in Creation (l985) George Henry, Theology of Nature (l980) James A. Nash, Loving Nature (1989) Richard C. Austin, Beauty of the Lord: Awakening the Senses (l987) Jay B. McDaniel, Of God and Pelicans: A Theology of Reverence for Life (l989); With Wings and Roots (1995) Conrad Bonifazi, A Theology of Things: A Study of Man in his Physical Environment (l967) Sean McDonagh, To Care for the Earth: A Call to a New Theology (l987) Thomas Berry, Befriending the Earth: A Theology of Reconciliation Between Humans and the Earth (l99l) Dorothee Soelle & Shirley Cloyes, To Work and to Love: A Theology of Creation (l984) Teilhard de Chardin, Hymn of the Universe (l96l) John Hart, The Spirit of the Earth: A Theology of the Land (l985) Matthew Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance (l988) Robert Faricy, Wind and Sea Obey Him: Approaches to a Theology of Nature (l982) Joseph Sittler, The Care of the Earth (l964) William Temple, Nature, Man and God (l934) Paul Tillich, "Nature and Sacrament," in The Protestant Era (l948) Andrew Linzey & Tom Regan, eds., Animals and Christianity: A Book of Readings (l988) Wolfhart Pannenberg, Toward a Theology of Nature: Essays on Science and Faith (1994) Ted Peters, ed., Cosmos as Creation: Theology and Science in Consonance (1989) 8

Gordon Kaufman, In Face of Mystery: A Constructive Theology (1993) and "The Concept of Nature: A Problem for Theology," Harvard Theological Review 65 (1972): 337-366. Jay McDaniel, Of God and Pelicans: A Theology of Reverence for Life (1989), and With Roots and Wings: Christianity in an Age of Ecology and Dialogue (1995) Sallie McFague, The Body of God: An Ecological Theology (1993), and Super, Natural Christians: How We Should Love Nature (1997) g. Creation Themes in the History of Spirituality Matthew Fox, Original Blessing (l985); Western Spirituality: Historical Roots, Ecumenical Routes (l98l) ___________, "Creation-Centered Spirituality from Hildegard of Bingen to Julian of Norwich: 300 Years of an Ecological Spirituality in the West," in Cry of the Environment (l984) Richard Woods, "Environment as Spiritual Horizon: The Legacy of Celtic Monasticism," in Cry of the Environment (l984) Robert Van de Weyer, ed., Celtic Fire (l99l) Christopher Bamford & William P. Marsh, eds., Celtic Christianity: Ecology and Holiness (1986) Esther De Waal, The Celtic Way of Prayer (1996) Mary Low, Celtic Christianity and Nature (1996) Edward A. Armstrong, Saint Francis: Nature Mystic (l973) Roger Sorrell, St. Francis of Assisi and Nature (l988) Clyde Holbrook, Jonathan Edwards, the Valley, and Nature (l987) Louis Bouyer, Cosmos: The World and the Glory of God (l982) Belden Lane, Landscapes of the Sacred: Geography and Narrative in American Spirituality (2001) Bernard of Clairvaux, "Description of the Position and Site of the Abbey of Clairvaux," from The Life and Works of St. Bernard, Samuel Eales, ed. The Poems of George Herbert and Gerard Manley Hopkins T.H. White, ed., A Medieval Bestiary (l2th C) Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon, Earth Prayers From Around the World (l99l) h. Landscape Metaphors and the Spiritual Life: Belden Lane, The Solace of Fierce Landscapes: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality (1998). __________, "Language, Metaphor, and Pastoral Theology," Theology Today XLIII:4 (Jan., l987), pp. 487-502. ___________, "The Tree as Giver of Life: A Metaphor in the History of Pastoral Care," Journal of Pastoral Care XLV:l (Spring, l99l), pp. l5-22. _____________, "Open the Kingdom for a Cottonwood Tree," The Christian Century (October 29, 1997) Mircea Eliade, Encyclopedia of Religion (l5 vols) Cf. articles on Desert, Mountain, Rivers, Sea, Sacred Places, etc. David Douglas, Wilderness Sojourn: Notes in the Desert Silence (l987) Henri Nouwen, The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry (l98l) Alan W. Jones, Soul Making: The Desert Way of Spirituality (l985) Robert L. Cohn, "Mountains in the Biblical Cosmos," in The Shape of Sacred Space (l98l) Marjorie H. Nicholson, Mountain Gloom and Mountain Glory (l963) Edwin Bernbaum, The Sacred Mountains of the World (l99l) 9

Barry Lopez, Desert Notes; River Notes; Arctic Dreams Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gifts from the Sea Mary John Holman, Nature Imagery in the Works of St. Augustine (Catholic U. Dissertation, l93l) Mary Theresa Springer, Nature Imagery in the Works of St. Ambrose (Catholic Univ.) i. The Naturalist Tradition, Nature Writing, and Disciplines of Awareness Cass Adams, ed., The Soul Unearthed: Celebrating Wildness and Personal Renewal Through Nature 1996) Ann Ronald, ed. Words from the Wild (l987) Daniel Halpern, ed., On Nature: Nature, Landscape and Natural History (l986) Thomas J. Lyon, ed., This Incomperable Land: A Book of American Nature Writing (l989) --excellent bibliography Stephen Trimble, ed., Words from the Land: Encounters with Natural History Writing (l988) John Muir, The Wilderness World of John Muir (ed, Edwin Way Teale) Lewis Thomas, The Lives of a Cell (l974) Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac (l949) Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek; Teaching a Stone to Talk Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire (l968) ____________, The Best of Edward Abbey (l988) Barry Lopez, Crossing Open Ground (l989) Stephen J. Gould, Ever Since Darwin: Reflections in Natural History (l977) Richard Nelson, The Island Within (1989) Wendell Berry, Recollected Essays (l98l); The Unsettling of America Loren Eiseley, The Immense Journey (l946) Dennis & Barbara Tedlock, Touch the Earth: Native American Conceptions of Nature Stephanie Kaza, The Attentive Heart: Conversations with Trees (1993) j. Praxis: Ethics (Politics) and the Earth Thomas Berry, The Great Work (2000) J. Ronald Engel and Joan G. Engel, eds., Ethics of Environment and Development (1990) and Ecology, Justice and Christian Faith: A Guide to the Literature, 1960-1993 (1994) J. Baird Callicott, In Defense of the Land Ethic: Essays in Environmental Philosophy (1989) Bernard Haring, "Ecology and Ethics," from Free and Faithful in Christ: Moral Theology for Clergy and Laity (l98l) Carol S. Robb and Carl J. Casebolt, ed., Covenant for a New Creation: Ethics, Religion and Public Policy (l99l) Michael Dowd, Earthspirit: A Handbook for Nurturing an Ecological Christianity (l99l) Bill McKibbon, The End of Nature (l989) Eugene C. Hargrove, ed., Religion and Environmental Crisis (l986) Benjamin B. Ferencz and Ken Keyes, Jr., Planethood (l988) Peter De Vox, et al, Earthkeeping: Christian Stewardship of Natural Resources (l980) Keeping and Healing the Creation (Presbyterian Eco-Justice Task Force, l989) Joel Makower, ed., The Nature Catalog (Parks, Organizations, Bibliographies), l99l. The l992 Information Please Environmental Almanac, compiled by the World Resources Institute. Roderick Nash, Wilderness and the American Mind (1967) _____________, The Rights of Nature (l989) 10

Adrian Cowell, The Decade of Destruction: The Crusade to Save the Amazon Rain Forest (l990) Charles Birch, William Eakin, & Jay McDaniel,ed., Contemporary Approaches to Ecological Theology (l99l) John Seed, et al, Thinking Like a Mountain: Towards a Council of All Beings (l988) Rachel Carson, Silent Spring (l962) Andrew Linzey and Tom Regan, eds., Animals and Christianity: A Book of Readings (1988) Larry Rasmussen, Earth Community, Earth Ethics (1996) Holmes Rolston, Environmental Ethics (1988) Earth Ethics, a journal published by the Center for Respect of Life and Environment in Washington, D.C. Environmental Sabbath Newsletter, published by the United Nations Environment Programme Peter Huber, Hard Green: Saving the Environment from the Environmentalists: A Conservative Manifesto (2000) k. Handbooks and Field Guides Joseph Cornell, Listening to Nature ______________, Sharing Nature with Children ______________, Sharing the Joy of Nature Tom Brown, The Tracker (l978) _________, The Search (l980) _________, Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking (l977) _________, Tom Brown's Field Guide to the Forgotten Wilderness (l987) _________, Tom Brown's Field Guide to City and Suburban Survival (l984) Woods Wisdom (Boy Scout's of America Leader's guide) l. Web Sites (Environmental News Network, offering press releases and updates on all kinds of environmental issues) WWW.ACTIONNETWORK.ORG (A network maintained by Environmental Defense and 24 other nonprofit groups and coalitions, offering updates on issues of national environmental policy. Also provides a way to send messages to register your own political concerns.) WWW.CEP.UNT.EDU (Center for Environmental Philosophy, at Univ of North Texas: info, books and programs on environmental ethics) WWW.ECOETHICS.NET (Environmental Ethics and Public Policy Program at Harvard) WWW.WEBOFCREATION.ORG (Web of Creation: Ecology website for Faith-Based Communities) WWW.NCCBUSCC.ORG/SDWP/PROJECTS/ENVIRONMENT (National Conference of Catholic Bishops) WWW.NRPE.ORG (National Religious Partnership for the Environment) WWW.ESA-ONLINE.ORG/EEN/INDEX (The Evangelical Environmental Network) WWW.CESC.MONTREAT.EDU (Christian Environmental Studies Center) WWW.JTSA.EDU/ORG/COEJL (Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life) WWW.ECOSTEWARDS.ORG (World Stewardship Institute, connecting business, science, and faith communities in promoting environmental leadership) WWW.ECOTHEOLOGY.ORG (A journal of constructive theology focusing on ecological concerns, based in Sarum College, Salisbury, England) WWW.ACTON.ORG/ENVIRONMENT (The Environmental Stewardship website from the Acton Institute and signers of the Cornwall Declaration--a more politically and theologically
WWW.ENN.COM

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conservative approach to environmental change)

WWW.SPIRITMOVING.COM/ECOPSYCH/ECOPSYCHOLOGY.HTML

(Principles and bibliography of

works in the emerging field of Ecopsychology)

WWW.ISIS.CSUHAYWARD.EDU/ALSS/ECO/0398/INDEX.HTM

(Ecopsychology On-Line: programs and resources through Calif. State University at Hayward)

Equipment List: Theology of Nature Camping Trip

Personal Camping Gear: Group Gear to Pack (Shared by All) sleeping bag in a plastic sack tents small flashlight ground cloths plastic cup and bowl tarp and rope spoon cook stoves (for the 4 cooking groups) pocket knife cooking pots water bottle (qt. size) food bug lotion and sunscreen first aid kit small notebook (for journaling) and pen/pencil toilet paper bandana/large handkerchief garbage bags/ bear bags old hat or cap dish towels hiking boots or good tennis shoes trowels for cat-holes an extra change of clothes toothbrush, comb, other personal hygiene needs a heavy duty plastic trash bag and 2 smaller zip-lock bags for gear a light-weight poncho for rain (or rain jacket and rain pants) backpack, or sturdy bag to hold all this a good sense of humor Optional Gear: sleeping pad camera paperback book or a field guide to birds, trees, etc. small musical instrument Things NOT to bring radios (unless with ear plugs) guns, valuable jewelry alcohol, large knives illegal drugs

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Saint Louis University Theological Studies Department Theology of Nature Course Camping Trip April 8-9, 2006 Request to Participate and Release Agreement Please Print

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City, State, Zip

Phone No.

I am requesting to participate in the above named program. I understand that this trip will allow me unsupervised activities and I understand that I will be responsible at all times for my personal health and safety. I further agree that the responsibility for maintaining health and/or accident insurance rests with me. I warrant that I am in good physical health and do not have any special medical conditions or requirements except as noted below: Medical Conditions or Needs:

Particular Allergies:

Prescription Medicines you are now taking:

My Health Insurance Company (including personal and group number):

In consideration of the opportunity being extended to me to participate in this activity, I knowingly, voluntarily and for adequate consideration agree to indemnify, hold harmless, waive and release Saint Louis University ad its respective trustees, officers, employees, agents and representatives, from and against any claim which I, and any relative or next of kin of mine, or any other person, firm or corporation may now or hereafter have or claim to have (known or unknown, seen or unforeseen, directly or indirectly, or within or without the control of those released) for

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or on account of any losses, damages or claims resulting from, or arising out of during, or in connection with my participation in such activity, or the ownership, operation, use, maintenance or control of any vehicle, equipment or goods provided or used in connection with such activity. This release agreement shall be construed to be as comprehensive as is allowed by law; as severable, the invalidity or any portion of which shall not affect any other portion; and shall not establish a legal or other relationship between or among those released which does not in fact exist. I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS RELEASE AGREEMENT.

Date

Signature of Participant

Parent / Legal Guardian (if under 18)

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