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Monastic Ecological Wisdom

Author: Samuel Torvend

Publisher: Liturgical Press

Published: 2023-11-15

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 081466797X

Can early medieval monasteries serve as a model of sustainable development and environmental conservation in today’s world? Inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Sí and Benedictine communities around the world whose shared monastic values inform ecological practice, Monastic Ecological Wisdom uncovers the hidden story of early Christian and monastic care for the earth. In Monastic Ecological Wisdom, Samuel Torvend shows how it is possible that medieval monastic values and practices could assist in the careful conservation of what we claim is God’s first gift, God’s first gesture of grace: the earth and all that dwells with it. By reflecting on an ecological reading of New Testament texts, the Rule of St. Benedict, and early monastic engagement with the natural world as seen in the life of St. Benedict, such practices can serve thoughtful Christians today who care deeply about living in harmony with the earth and all who call it home.

Monastic Ecological Wisdom

Author: Samuel Torvend

Publisher: Liturgical Press

Published: 2023-11-15

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 0814667988

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Earth, Our Original Monastery

Author: Christine Valters Paintner

Publisher: Ave Maria Press

Published: 2020-04-03

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1932057218

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How can we meet God in our everyday lives? In Earth, Our Original Monastery, Christine Valters Paintner, bestselling author and online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, shares how living contemplatively with an appreciation for the natural world can make you more aware of the presence of God in every aspect of your life. She explores monks, mystics, and saints who have experienced the goodness of the Divine in nature and invites you to find solace and spiritual revelation in the wonder of God’s creation. The purpose of contemplative living, Christine Valters Paintner suggests, is to allow you to integrate the pieces of your life within yourself, in your community, and in the world around you. When you pay attention to each moment, you nurture your ability to see God’s actions in those moments. In Earth, Our Original Monastery, Paintner invites you to begin the journey of contemplative living by focusing on the image of the earth as your original monastery—the place where you learn your most fundamental prayers, participate in each day’s liturgy of praise, and experience the wisdom of the seasons. Paintner provides seven ways of seeing the earth in light of faith and pairs each one with a practical invitation to a practice. These include: the earth as original cathedral—where you first learn to worship and feel God’s presence around us, paired with the practice of stability the earth as original saints—plants and animals live their calling without trying to be something they’re not and inspire you to do the same, paired with the practice of gratitude the earth as original icon—nature can serve as a window to the holy in the same way that icons do, paired with the practice of lament As you explore what these connections between the earth and faith mean for how to see God in the world around you, you can also look at saints and mystics who experienced nature and the flow of the divine in similar ways.

Wisdom from the Monastery

Author: Peter Seewald

Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Published: 2010-10-26

Total Pages: 393

ISBN-13: 1556439237

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For almost two millennia, Christian men and women have banded together to live in devotion to God and humanity. Recent studies have shown that, on average, men and women in Holy Orders are healthier and live longer than the rest of us. What timeless solutions to the things that ail us might we have dismissed in our rush into the modern age? Written by three very modern seekers who visited monastic communities to explore facets of the contemplative life, Wisdom from the Monastery reveals what these lay practitioners found so rewarding and deeply relevant to their lives today. Originally published in Germany as three separate volumes, the U.S. edition combines these major aspects of monastic practice: fasting, healing, and meditation. The book’s warm, engaging tone presents millennia-tested practices of contemplative Christianity free from Church dogma. One need not be Catholic, nor even Christian, to benefit from fasting, herbal and other natural remedies, and profound approaches to prayer, meditation, and silence. Readers learn what characterizes the best monastic communities and discover a sense of the retreat experience as spiritual adventure. Featuring over 100 photographs, daily exercises, personal anecdotes, and fascinating snippets on monastic experience through the ages, Wisdom from the Monastery introduces readers to a cast of remarkable monks and nuns who have chosen lives of renunciation and simplicity. Within these pages, monastic wisdom demonstrates its relevance across millennia and beyond monastery walls.

Monastic Practices

Author: Charles Cummings

Publisher: Liturgical Press

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 0879070501

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For three decades, Monastic Practices has been a valued resource for English-speaking aspirants to monastic life. In this revised edition, updated and expanded, Charles Cummings, OCSO, explores the common practices of the monastic life in order to rediscover them as viable means of leading persons to a deeper encounter with God. How do monks and nuns occupy themselves throughout the day? Have they modernized their lifestyle or is it still cluttered with medieval customs? Could any of the monastic practices be of use to those outside the monastery? A certain wisdom is necessary to know how to use such practices and how to give oneself to them until they lead one to God. After long monastic experience, Cummings shows us how the ordinary things we do constitute our path to God. In the art of living life, he argues, we are always beginners, searching for God through our concrete circumstances and actions.

Green Monasticism

Author: Donald Mitchell

Publisher: Gethsemani Encounters

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13: 9781590561676

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In May 2008, Buddhist and Christian monastics gathered at Gethsemani Abbey, Kentucky, to discuss how their respective religions conceived of our relationship with the planet, and what they felt was the responsibility of their faith traditions, orders, and individual communities toward healing both our inner and outer ecology. Green Monasticism collects the wisdom of these scholars and practitioners in a volume that reflects both deep engagement with and critical thinking about protecting the environment. "We need people of faith to encourage us to find ways to live more sustainably and responsibly on our planet. Monastic communities embody values such as modesty, thrift, and gratitude, and we can be inspired by their commitment and dedication to these ideals. Green Monasticism encompasses their voices and aspirations, and I welcome its contribution to the environmental debate, which is the most urgent challenge of our time."---Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, author of Unbowed and The Challenge for Africa "A unique contribution to the growing literature in the area of religion and ecology. It draws on the experience and reflection of those trying to live the monastic challenge in the midst of our massive environmental crisis. The essays convey a deep wisdom honed over time and convey a longing for the flourishing of the community of life."---Mary Evelyn Tucker, Forum on Religion and Ecology, Yale University "There is much wisdom for everyone contained in both Buddhist and Christian monastic practice, as there is in the Gethsemani dialogues. Green Monasticism will encourage others to continue this vital discussion and make monastic practice even more relevant to today's social and environmental challenges."---Ven. Yifa, author of Discernment

Sustainability and Spirituality

Author: John E. Carroll

Publisher: State University of New York Press

Published: 2012-02-16

Total Pages: 206

ISBN-13: 0791484580

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This groundbreaking book explores the inherent interconnectedness of sustainability and spirituality, acknowledging the dependency of one upon the other. John E. Carroll contends that true ecological sustainability, in contrast to the cosmetic attempts at sustainability we see around us, questions our society's fundamental values and is so countercultural that it is resisted by anyone without a spiritual belief in something deeper than efficiency, technology, or economics. Carroll draws on the work of cultural historian and "geologian" Thomas Berry, whose eco-spiritual thought underlies many of the sustainability efforts of communities described in this book, including particular branches of Catholic religious orders and the loosely organized Sisters of the Earth. The writings of Native Americans on spirituality and ecology are also highlighted. These models for sustainability not only represent the tangible link between ecology and spirituality, but also, more importantly, a vision of what could be.

Understanding the Consecrated Life in Canada

Author: Jason Zuidema

Publisher: Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press

Published: 2015-12-21

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 1771121394

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The story of the consecrated life in Canada since the 1960s should be about much more than numerical decline. Although the falling numbers are significant among Catholic religious in communities that pre-date Vatican II, many communities continue to show stability and even growth. This book provides nuance to that story by adding detailed portraits of movements, communities and institutions. In four parts, this book presents essays from the leading scholars on religious life in Canada that seek to address the state of religious communities dedicated to religious virtuosity normally characterized by formal promises of chastity, poverty, and obedience. The essays examine a broad range of topics related to the general state of consecrated (or “religious” or “monastic”) life in contemporary Canadian Christian and Buddhist traditions. In the first section, the contributors trace the demographics and definitions of religious life in Canada. The second section examines Canadian developments in Catholic religious life during the Vatican II and the post-Vatican II eras. A third section explores trends in contemporary Canadian religious life, while the fourth section describes the consecrated life in other Canadian religious traditions.

Spiritual Ecology

Author: Leslie E. Sponsel

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2012-07-19

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13:

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A prominent scientist and scholar documents and explains the thoughts, actions, and legacies of spiritual ecology's pioneers from ancient times to the present, demonstrating how the movement may offer the last chance to restore a healthy relationship between humankind and nature. An internet search for "Spiritual Ecology" and related terms like "Religion and Nature" and "Religion and Ecology" reveals tens of millions of websites. Spiritual Ecology: A Quiet Revolution offers an intellectual history of this far-reaching movement. Arranged chronologically, it samples major developments in the thoughts and actions of both historic and contemporary pioneers, ranging from the Buddha and St. Francis of Assisi to Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement and James Cameron's 2010 epic film Avatar. This foundational book is unique in that it provides a historical, cross-cultural context for understanding and advancing the ongoing spiritual ecology revolution, considering indigenous and Asian religious traditions as well as Western ones. Most chapters focus on a single pioneer, illuminating historical context and his/her legacy, while also connecting that legacy to broader concerns. Coverage includes topics as diverse as Henry David Thoreau and the Green Patriarch Bartholomew's decades-long promotion of environmentalism as a sacred duty for more than 250 million members of the Orthodox Church worldwide. For more information, visit www.spiritualecology.info.

Caring for Common Ground

Author: Claire Catherine Shaller Bjork

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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The human dimensions of ecological restoration have been considered with increasing focus over the past several decades. The Earth Partnership program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has presented an evolving model of restoration as education since 1991, with growing awareness of the need for multicultural approaches to learning about and doing local land stewardship. My dissertation presents the story of the development of a pilot restoration education project, using Earth Partnership content and pedagogy with a group of interfaith participants at Holy Wisdom Monastery in Middleton, Wisconsin. Through a collaborative learning approach, participants in the "Caring for Common Ground" project explored the meanings ascribed to restoration by spiritual and faith practitioners, the tools required to enact ecological values, and the community of practice formed around spiritually-based ecological restoration. Adopting a community-engaged approach, I strive here to authentically relate the story of this unfolding program, honoring the experiences and knowledge that participants have shared throughout the process. I describe the development and implementation of a pilot workshop, participant meaning-making and learning processes, sustained community-building and resource-sharing, and illustrations of restoration projects planned by participants in their communities. I conclude with a discussion of how the frameworks and knowledge associated with ecological restoration, learning communities, and interfaith/spiritually-based community engagement have been intertwined in new ways through this educational experience