Sacred Nature: The Recovery of Integrity
- Downloads：3162
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-09-05 04:42:36
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Karen Armstrong
- ISBN：1847926886
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
'KAREN ARMSTRONG IS A GENIUS' A。N。 Wilson
For most of human history nature was held to be sacred， and our God or gods were believed to be present everywhere in nature。 That was true of almost all the world's cultures and religious traditions。 When people in the West began to separate God and nature in the seventeenth century， it was not just a profound breach with thousands of years of accumulated wisdom and experience: it was also the root of how we have come to plunder the natural world and to promote our individual selves in unhealthy and destructive ways。
Karen Armstrong argues that if we want to avert the looming environmental catastrophe， it is not enough to change our behaviour: we need to learn to think and feel differently about the natural world。 She passionately believes that our religious heritage can teach us how to recover a spiritual bond with nature。 Each of the book's ten chapters concentrates on a theme that has been central to the world's religious traditions - from gratitude and compassion to sacrifice and non-violence - and offers practical steps to help us develop a different mindset to reconnect with nature and rekindle our sense of the sacred。
Sacred Nature is a book about 'deep ecology': it is about the most profound connections between humans and the natural world。 It speaks to anyone interested in our relationship with the natural world， worried about the destruction of our environment， and searching for new ways of thinking to accompany the political action needed to save our planet。
'One of our best living writers on religion' Financial Times
'Karen Armstrong is one of the handful of wise and supremely intelligent commentators on religion' Alain de Botton
For most of human history nature was held to be sacred， and our God or gods were believed to be present everywhere in nature。 That was true of almost all the world's cultures and religious traditions。 When people in the West began to separate God and nature in the seventeenth century， it was not just a profound breach with thousands of years of accumulated wisdom and experience: it was also the root of how we have come to plunder the natural world and to promote our individual selves in unhealthy and destructive ways。
Karen Armstrong argues that if we want to avert the looming environmental catastrophe， it is not enough to change our behaviour: we need to learn to think and feel differently about the natural world。 She passionately believes that our religious heritage can teach us how to recover a spiritual bond with nature。 Each of the book's ten chapters concentrates on a theme that has been central to the world's religious traditions - from gratitude and compassion to sacrifice and non-violence - and offers practical steps to help us develop a different mindset to reconnect with nature and rekindle our sense of the sacred。
Sacred Nature is a book about 'deep ecology': it is about the most profound connections between humans and the natural world。 It speaks to anyone interested in our relationship with the natural world， worried about the destruction of our environment， and searching for new ways of thinking to accompany the political action needed to save our planet。
'One of our best living writers on religion' Financial Times
'Karen Armstrong is one of the handful of wise and supremely intelligent commentators on religion' Alain de Botton
Reviews
Ymke
，
The book has little to do with recover the bond with nature or even discussing why we need to see nature as sacred。 It's more a anthology of eastern religions to live more in the moment and therefore experience the world around you in a different way。Also I was missing the other religions and their view on the bond with nature。 For example: African religions have an amazing view on that and even try to cooperate this views into laws and Christianity/Islam to still connect with nature。 Even Chris The book has little to do with recover the bond with nature or even discussing why we need to see nature as sacred。 It's more a anthology of eastern religions to live more in the moment and therefore experience the world around you in a different way。Also I was missing the other religions and their view on the bond with nature。 For example: African religions have an amazing view on that and even try to cooperate this views into laws and Christianity/Islam to still connect with nature。 Even Christianity itself have some nice views and new interpretations on the bond with the environment。 I still give it a 3 star review， because the religions and arguments that are included are good。 The message although is weak。 This work is not complete and a bit superficial in it's research。 。。。more
Nancy
，
Today I read about melting glaciers and the inevitability of rising water。 Day after day， some report or study warns again of the trajectory we are on， how we have reshaped the world and set in motion it’s demise。We have been warned about this for decades， for generations， and we continue our lives as usual， perhaps sorry， but complacent。 If we don’t chose to change， we will be forced to in the future。Karen Armstrong contends that the loss of humanity’s ancient respect for all things has contrib Today I read about melting glaciers and the inevitability of rising water。 Day after day， some report or study warns again of the trajectory we are on， how we have reshaped the world and set in motion it’s demise。We have been warned about this for decades， for generations， and we continue our lives as usual， perhaps sorry， but complacent。 If we don’t chose to change， we will be forced to in the future。Karen Armstrong contends that the loss of humanity’s ancient respect for all things has contributed to our disassociation with the natural world。 She shows how ancient philosophies and religions were based on an awe and respect for all things， a belief that all are connected， and the holiness of nature。Sacred Nature is not a touchy-feely book， or a passionately angry book， like some I have read。 Through the lens of ancient beliefs， Armstrong leads readers to practices that will reconnect us with the natural world， spurring a connection that will inspire us to change our lives。Readers of this book will likely be sophisticated， urban， professionals， educated。 People who use technology and take jet flights。 People who are disassociated from nature， who don’t live with forests and meadows， the oceans and lakes。 Who have air conditioning and city water and can pay for the rising costs as the world heats up。 But money and privilege won’t protect us forever。Each chapter summarizes an ancient philosophy: Confucianism， Jainism， Hinduism， Buddhism， early Judaism， and Christianity。 She explains the ceremonies and practices of our ancestors。 The common thread is a belief in the interconnectivity of life， encountering the holy in nature–the very experiences that we have lost in the modern world。Armstrong ends the chapters with spiritual practices inspired by the ancient religions， learning how to practice gratitude， setting aside our self-centeredness for greater awareness。Thanks to A。 A。 Knopf for a free book。 。。。more
Natalia
，
I have now read a handful of books addressing climate change， but what I enjoyed what Karen Armstrong did with this book is to strip it all back down to the basics。 There are many root causes to our climate crisis and other social injustices， but one point that Armstrong focuses on here is that， over time， humans have not only disconnected from nature， but changed the hierarchy in how they view themselves in relation to nature。 Through the lens of a variety of religions， Armstrong goes back in t I have now read a handful of books addressing climate change， but what I enjoyed what Karen Armstrong did with this book is to strip it all back down to the basics。 There are many root causes to our climate crisis and other social injustices， but one point that Armstrong focuses on here is that， over time， humans have not only disconnected from nature， but changed the hierarchy in how they view themselves in relation to nature。 Through the lens of a variety of religions， Armstrong goes back in time to how they each individually worshipped， connected with， and treated nature。 Unfortunately we have lost a lot of that as we progressed with the advancement of technology， etc。 For instance， in my former religion， one of （there were many） reasons that I stopped believing from a young age is the very obvious hierarchy it preached - God > Man > Woman > Animals/Plants。 For me， I have always viewed the world from a perspective of synergy， so it was never going to be a good match for me。It can be a little mind numbing going through different passages and historical stories from each religion， but I did appreciate that at the end of each chapter， she would suggest how we can move forward and apply those lessons to today。If the relevant people in society don't change their attitude towards and how they view nature， it's going to be really difficult to get our planet back to a healthy state。 Humans don't care for what they don't value， so this book is a good reminder of why we need to。 。。。more
Emily
，
i would have never picked up this book but i had to read it for my work experience and i’m so glad i did。 i finished it in two hours listening to it on audible at 3x speed because i just got so desperate to learn more from what was written。 the religious， philosophical and political ideologies referred to give great insight into how those in history lived in relation to spirituality and how we can apply this knowledge in the present to achieve great discipline for ourselves and reverence for our i would have never picked up this book but i had to read it for my work experience and i’m so glad i did。 i finished it in two hours listening to it on audible at 3x speed because i just got so desperate to learn more from what was written。 the religious， philosophical and political ideologies referred to give great insight into how those in history lived in relation to spirituality and how we can apply this knowledge in the present to achieve great discipline for ourselves and reverence for our earth。 it is a wonderful reflection on why it is necessary for us as inhabitants of earth to change our ways and learn compassion towards one another and towards the planet。 。。。more
shinminmetroskyline
，
understandably preachy。 and whilst i enjoyed the sermon's content， i —as an ex-atheist— found myself discontented with the sermonic structure。 understandably preachy。 and whilst i enjoyed the sermon's content， i —as an ex-atheist— found myself discontented with the sermonic structure。 。。。more
Hannah Bigland
，
I truly believe in the message that this book was giving and believe that everyone will be able to help themselves， each other and the natural world by reading this book。 But I would say， that it requires the correct mindset。 This book is not intended to fear monger or incite panic of a crushing sense of personal responsibility but it can come across that way。 Each action has an impact， but it is not only on one individuals shoulders to change the world。I think this book should be read to the CE I truly believe in the message that this book was giving and believe that everyone will be able to help themselves， each other and the natural world by reading this book。 But I would say， that it requires the correct mindset。 This book is not intended to fear monger or incite panic of a crushing sense of personal responsibility but it can come across that way。 Each action has an impact， but it is not only on one individuals shoulders to change the world。I think this book should be read to the CEOs of the large corporations which are causing more pollution to the planet than humanity as a whole so that they can change their ways and begin to repair the planet alongside the average joe。But overall a really introspective and brilliant book。 。。。more
Rudi
，
Ode aan de natuur ， bekeken vanuit verschillende religies/levensbeschouwingen ， ， religie/levensbeschouwing heeft wel iets vind ik 。。。。 steun ， hoop ， verbondenheid enz ， wat /hoe / waar het Goddelijke is weet ik niet ， mijn gok is in alle materie elementen met mogelijkheid tot erbuiten Bv gedachten ， weten doe ik niet ， Religie/ levensbeschouwing heeft wel wat raad hoe met soortgenoten om te gaan ， ook met de natuur waar de nadruk van dit boek om ligt ， 4 sterren voor deze lezer het is nogal me Ode aan de natuur ， bekeken vanuit verschillende religies/levensbeschouwingen ， ， religie/levensbeschouwing heeft wel iets vind ik 。。。。 steun ， hoop ， verbondenheid enz ， wat /hoe / waar het Goddelijke is weet ik niet ， mijn gok is in alle materie elementen met mogelijkheid tot erbuiten Bv gedachten ， weten doe ik niet ， Religie/ levensbeschouwing heeft wel wat raad hoe met soortgenoten om te gaan ， ook met de natuur waar de nadruk van dit boek om ligt ， 4 sterren voor deze lezer het is nogal mens gericht ， de planeet redden 。。 ik denk dat de planeet zich wel nog enige tijd zal redden met of zonder menselijke levensvormen ， het leven zal zich wel nog kunnen verplaatsen in organismen met of zonder ego/ zelfbewustzijn， 4 sterren voor lezers die wat willen bij lezen over verschillende religies/levensbeschouwingen met een boodschap over hoe het mss beter kan en of zou moeten / het omgaan met de omgeving ， wil het nog lange tijd （？） aangenaam blijven ， een betrokken schrijfster ！ 。。。more
Jonas Stephan Johnson
，