Haley Conroy - 1/24/23 - Religion & Ecology Discussion (Chosen Blog Topic)

I believe that Religion and Ecology tie into our course based on the environment. I enjoyed learning about the land ethics and economy of exchange ideas we discussed in the Religion and Ecology class with Dr. Redick. I particularly enjoyed the lecture depicting the relationship between how some read the sacred text of their religion and are spiritually nourished while some read the text of the environment and understand how to live and survive with it. This portrays the unique dynamics of beliefs, thoughts, etc prevalent in society. This is similar to what farmers do when they pick up, look at, smell and even taste the soil to know how they are going to best live in that specific environment. We as a society should want to learn from scientists, but we can also learn many different kinds of wisdom from art and religion. In this instance, the flora and fauna become the spirit of the place, and to know this place's spirit is to know you’re a part of a whole that is made up of many wholes. This one distinction that Dr. Redick acknowledged has stuck with me over time. In light of this, an additional relating factor is that our habitus reveals the relation we have with these fellow spirits of a particular whole, and looking at how someone lives in an environment reveals how people view that place's spirit.

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