Cosmic Piety and Ecological Rationality

Abstract

This article explores the growth of new forms of worship as embodied in the ecological veneration of the cosmos. It shows how cosmic piety is becoming an essential component of modern culture in the current context of globalization, which frequently incorporates some crucial forms of rationality. Very often, the sacralization of nature appears to be a necessary precondition for the practice of ecological rationality given certain cognitive limitations and everyday anxieties of large populations in the contemporary world. The rise and fall of an ecocentric or cosmocentric mythology are considered, together with its consequences for societal adaptation to global environmental change.

Pathways to Environmental Responsibility

“…Thus, contemporary notions of spirituality tend to be this worldly-that is, focused on this life and this worldthereby elevating nature, but also for example the body (Hanegraaff 1996;Heelas 1996;Van Otterloo 1999;Campbell 2007;). It is precisely this elevation (or, in Campbell's terms, 'rehabilitation') of nature that explains the sense of environmental responsibility that is often associated with this worldview (Giner and Tábara 1999;Taylor 2010;Hedlund-de Witt 2011). Thus, frequently a certain coherence can be discerned between the more conceptual ideas and assumptions (in)forming the worldview and the practices and behaviors that can be empirically observed (Hedlundde Witt 2012).…”

The Integrative Worldview and its Potential for Sustainable Societies

“…Sev eral participants articulated that through their inner growth practices-such as yoga, meditation, prayer, time in nature, reflecting on one's psychological patterns, working through self-limiting convictions-new insights had come forth, including insights of a "non-rational," "post-rational," or "meta-rational" nature (see also B.C. Brown 2012a; Giner & Tabara 1999), that over time pro foundly informed their worldviews. As one participant articulated the emer gence of such insight: I started to do yoga, and I think that that was my way to liberate myself from the feeling that everything needs to be controlled and that you need to do everything by yourself.…”

“…Brown 2012a; Giner & Tabara 1999). A majority of the partici pants emphasized this aspect, using a rich variety of concepts and ideas to refer to it, ranging from "meeting the transcendent in silence," a dimension of "poetry," "intuition," contemplation on "the synchronicities in life" to the above-mentioned notions of "not-knowing," "surrendering to life," "allowing" and "unfolding."…”

“…More than half (58%) of them say they often feel a deep connection with nature and the earth (2012). Thus, while w hat some refer to as cosmic piety (Giner & Tabara, 1999) is clearly on the rise, these new forms of eco-spirituality simultaneously tend to base their worldviews on their interpretations of the data and hypotheses that scientists supply-thereby incorporating crucial forms or rationality. As Bron Taylor (2010) has argued, scientific insights as generated by, for example, ecology, physics, and cosmology, frequently inform a spiritual sense of awe for the cosmos and function to legitimize central notions in this worldview, such as the sense of interconnectedness and kinship with the rest of life.…”

“…Moreover, as multiple authors have argued, the "cosmic piety" associated with this worldview may result in a profound sense of care for the health and flourishing of our planet as a whole (e.g. Giner & Tabara 1999;Hedlund-de Witt 2011;B. Taylor 2010).…”