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Gaian Earth Religion and the Modern God of Nature by Bron Taylor

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Gaian Earth Religion and the Modern God of Nature by Bron Taylor Gaian Earth Religion and the Modern God of Nature By Bron Taylor Arnel Reynon photo Illustration, stock.xchng 12 SUMMER 2011 rofound changes are under way in that these activists generally perceived Dark green religion UHOLJLRQDQGHWKLFV6FLHQWL¿F nature as sacred and imbued with intrinsic Dark green religion (which some call Punderstanding regarding the evolution value (namely, value regardless of whether dark green spirituality) involves percep- of the universe and the biosphere is humans found a species or ecosystem tions that nature is sacred and has intrinsic competing with and in some cases sup- useful to them) and that these movements value; beliefs that everything is intercon- planting ancient worldviews based on ZHUHVLJQL¿FDQWO\LQÀXHQFLQJHQYLURQPHQ- nected and mutually dependent; and deep beliefs in invisible divine beings. Evolu- tal politics and growing globally. feelings of belonging to nature. Dark green tionary theory even offers plausible From there I branched out and looked at religion is usually rooted in, or at least explanations for traditional religious environmental movements around the coheres with, an evolutionary understand- beliefs; typical among these are that: (1) world, such as Kenya’s Green Belt “tree ing that all life shares a common ancestor, survival favors precautionary alertness to planting” Movement (which eventually led and it generally leads to kinship ethics predatory agents in nature and does not to its founder, Wangari Maathai, winning because all life is, therefore, literally penalize the perception of danger when it the Nobel Peace Prize), indigenous peoples related. Participants in dark green religion does not exist, eventually leading to the in the Amazon resisting deforestation, and feel ethical responsibilities to, and empathy perception of (divine) beings who are not, SHDVDQW¿VKHUV¿JKWLQJWRSURWHFWWKHLU for, all living things, and this is often linked in fact, visible; (2) religion is a group marine ecosystems and livelihoods from to an understanding that like us, all other adaptation that promotes solidarity and KXJHFRUSRUDWHRZQHG¿VKLQJÀHHWV life forms evolved through what Darwin cooperation, and, thereby, survival.1 Through this research, I discovered and aptly called the struggle for existence. Such Naturalistic understandings of the published articles and books documenting perceptions generally lead people to see cosmos, biosphere, and earlier forms of interesting continuities within a broad and more continuities than differences between religious belief do not, however, defeat the increasingly global environmental milieu, their own species and other ones, and this human quest for a meaningful and moral where diverse individuals and groups in turn tends to evoke humility about one’s existence. For many, they provide both HQFRXQWHUDQGLQÀXHQFHRQHDQRWKHUDVWKH\ place in the grand scheme of things. ethical guidance and spiritual meaning. struggle to understand and respond to an In Dark Green Religion I explore two Indeed, as I argue in my book Dark Green increasingly alarming and obvious global main forms of dark green spirituality, Religion: Nature Spirituality and the environmental crisis. animistic and Gaian, both of which can Planetary Future (University of California Participants in this milieu include have two main types: conventionally Press, 2010), nature-based spiritualities are environmentalists and scientists, politicians religious forms that posit the concept of becoming an increasingly important global DQGGLSORPDWVDUWLVWVZULWHUVDQG¿OP- nonmaterial divine beings, and naturalis- social force. Since some will consider this a makers, business people, professors, and WLFIRUPVWKDWSULYLOHJHVFLHQWL¿F controversial thesis, for in many regions museum curators, as well as mountaineers, understandings and include no such religious fundamentalism and conventional surfers (aquatic, not cyber), gardeners, and otherworldly beliefs. UHOLJLRQVDSSHDUWREHVWURQJOHWPHEULHÀ\ PDQ\RWKHUV$PRQJWKHVHIDUÀXQJ Spiritual Animism involves perceptions explain my path to this perspective. individuals and groups I continued to see, that there are divine intelligences in nature. For more than two decades I have GHVSLWHVLJQL¿FDQWGLIIHUHQFHVVXI¿FLHQW The most obvious examples are from certain studied environmental mobilization around continuities to group them under the label aboriginal peoples, whose religious beliefs the world, focusing on the perceptual, “dark green religion.” And not only do they and practices can be oriented to creating affective, ethical, and religious variables VKDUHDQDI¿QLW\IRUGDUNJUHHQUHOLJLRQ proper relationships with such intelligences, contributing to it. My earliest case studies they also effectively promote it within their whether to avoid danger or receive blessings, explored radical environmental movements RZQVSKHUHVRILQÀXHQFH7KHUHLVHYHQ or otherwise to maintain harmony with the birthed in North America, such as Green- tantalizing evidence that such spiritualities natural world they depend upon. But such peace and Earth First!, both of which might “go viral,” which in contemporary perception is not limited deployed civil disobedience, with Earth parlance means spreading so rapidly to them; such beliefs First! even engaging in sabotage, in order that they could become a social and practices are to halt practices considered environmen- contagion, leading to a a common tally destructive. During this research, I fundamental shift in GUHZRQP\RZQHWKQRJUDSKLF¿HOGZRUNDV human perception well as on historical research and learned and behavior. SUMMER 2011 13 aspect of folk religions around the world and varieties of ‘life’ that live and breathe had inspired his activism and education. an explicit aspect of some forms of contem- on it. SANYO sees the earth as a single Because he had grown up in a heavily porary Paganism. Naturalistic Animism, in living organism, where all life and urbanized and polluted environment, he contrast, draws more on the personal nature co-exist interdependently, and is added, he never would have found his experiences that some humans have with striving to create the products needed to environmentalist path without the show. DQLPDOVDVZHOODVRQVFLHQWL¿FH[SORUDWLRQV help us live in harmony with the planet. Environmentalist and media mogul Ted of animal consciousness and behavior. Turner, who founded Cable News Network, Naturalistic animists (such as evolutionist This was a clear expression of Organi- among other stations, created Captain Planet. Charles Darwin and primatologist Jane cism. SANYO even proclaimed that Produced between 1990 and ’96, the Goodall) perceive that trans-species humankind must learn to “symbiotically program seemed to draw from Lovelock’s communication, if not communion, is co-evolve with all life,” pursing environ- Gaia hypothesis, as explained in the “series possible, or at least aver that we can develop mentally sustainable solutions to ensure mythology” on the program’s website: empathic relationships with animals by “positive co-existence with Gaia.” studying their behavior and consciousness. SANYO drew on the “Gaia hypothesis,” Gaia, the spirit of Earth, awakens from The Gaian forms include Pantheistic and a controversial but increasingly well- a century-long sleep to the pillaging of Panentheistic spiritualities, which under- UHJDUGHGVFLHQWL¿FWKHRU\DERXWWKH the planet by a largely oblivious stand nature to be divine in some way. biosphere’s environmental systems humanity. Fearing for the future, she (With Pantheism, the world or universe is articulated in the early 1970s by the VHQGVPDJLFULQJVWR¿YH\RXQJVWHUV conceived of as divine but there is no atmospheric scientist James Lovelock.2 from around the globe. … As the personal, superordinate intelligence Lovelock contended that the biosphere youngsters place the rings on their involved, as there is in Panentheism.) They should be understood as a self-regulating ¿QJHUVWKH\DUHPDJLFDOO\WUDQVSRUWHG also, generally, embrace organicist organism that maintains the conditions to Gaia’s home, Hope Island, an understandings of the biosphere. (Organi- necessary for the planet’s diverse species. uncharted, unpolluted tropical isle far cism historically refers to notions that the SANYO’s website reference in the ad was from civilization. There, Gaia teaches universe and biosphere function in ways hyperlinked to an explanation that Lovelock them the secrets of nature. As they learn that resemble the interrelated functions in named this living organism, the Earth, after RIWKHLUSHUVRQDOSRZHUHDFKLGHQWL¿HV an organism’s body.) Naturalistic Gaian the Earth goddess in Greek mythology. To with one of the four ancient elements: worldviews do not involve beliefs that the be clear, Lovelock’s writings maintain that Earth, Fire, Water, Wind and a very world or universe is divine, so some would he chose the word Gaia as an evocative special new power, Heart, which say they are religion-resembling, quasi- metaphor for the biosphere’s self-regulating symbolizes the compassion needed to religious, or even secular. systems, not as an expression of pantheistic save the Earth. Through the magic faith, or of any other conventionally rings, the Planeteers learn to direct their Gaia as modern nature god religious belief in divine beings or forces. powers in their mission to save Earth. Although I cannot repeat the evidence SANYO’s Gaia website sounded as … When the Planeteers join their provided in my book, or at my website, though it were making the very argument I powers together, beams shoot from their brontaylor.com,
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