It is generally agreed that environmental and sustainability concerns are among the most pressing issues faced by current and future generations of living beings on our planet. As ecosystem engineers, humans have modified all biotic and abiotic systems across the globe, for good or for ill. This is so pervasive that some have taken to calling our epoch the "anthropocene." Religion, being a key framework around which peoples spin and weave tales of life's meaning, is poised to inform the human relationship with the non-human world. The relationship between religions and regard for the non-human world is a vast and complex territory, but here I'd like us to consider one paradigm presented by Bron Taylor:
It is important to understand that Taylor doesn't necessarily mean for "dark green religion" to be taken as a religion in of itself, but a manner of religiosity that could be present, say, in a Christian as much as in a non-theist. He goes on to remark about the compatibility of this form of religiosity with the sciences, and identifies four flavors of dark green religion. I can summarize that later if people are interested, but mainly I wanted to forward some discussion on this concept of "dark green religion."
What do you think about this idea of "dark green religion?" Do Taylor's words here reflect aspects of your own worldview? Do you find yourself disagreeing with this perspective? What does your religion (or equivalent non-religious worldview) teach you about how to regard the non-human world?
"Dark green religion is generally deep ecological, biocentric, or ecocentric, considering all species to
be intrinsically valuable; that is, valuable apart from their usefulness to human beings. This value system
is generally
be intrinsically valuable; that is, valuable apart from their usefulness to human beings. This value system
is generally
(1) based on a felt kinship with the rest of life, often derived from a Darwinian understanding that all forms of life have evolved from a common ancestor and are therefore related;
(2) accompanied by feelings of humility and a corresponding critique of human moral superiority, often inspired or reinforced by a science- based cosmology that reveals how tiny human beings are in the universe; and
(3) reinforced by metaphysics of interconnection and the idea of interdependence (mutual influence and reciprocal dependence) found in the sciences, especially in ecology and physics."
*quoted from Issue 116 of Circle Magazine, excerpted from Taylor's book here*
(2) accompanied by feelings of humility and a corresponding critique of human moral superiority, often inspired or reinforced by a science- based cosmology that reveals how tiny human beings are in the universe; and
(3) reinforced by metaphysics of interconnection and the idea of interdependence (mutual influence and reciprocal dependence) found in the sciences, especially in ecology and physics."
*quoted from Issue 116 of Circle Magazine, excerpted from Taylor's book here*
It is important to understand that Taylor doesn't necessarily mean for "dark green religion" to be taken as a religion in of itself, but a manner of religiosity that could be present, say, in a Christian as much as in a non-theist. He goes on to remark about the compatibility of this form of religiosity with the sciences, and identifies four flavors of dark green religion. I can summarize that later if people are interested, but mainly I wanted to forward some discussion on this concept of "dark green religion."
What do you think about this idea of "dark green religion?" Do Taylor's words here reflect aspects of your own worldview? Do you find yourself disagreeing with this perspective? What does your religion (or equivalent non-religious worldview) teach you about how to regard the non-human world?