Wilderness in Mythology and Religion Approaching Religious Spatialities, Cosmologies, and Ideas of Wild Nature RS 55 (Religion and Society, 55)

Wilderness is one of the most abiding creations in the history of religions. It has a long and seminal history and is of contemporary relevance in wildlife preservation and climate discourses. Yet it has not previously been subject to scrutiny or theorising from a cross-cultural study of religions perspective. What are the specific relations between the world ́s religions and imagined and real wilderness areas? The wilderness is often understood as a domain void of humans, opposed to civilization, but the analyses in this book complicate and question the dualism of previous theoretical grids and offer new perspectives on the interesting multiplicity of the wilderness and religion nexus. This book thus addresses the need for cross-cultural anthropological and history of religions analyses by offering in-depth case studies of the use and functions of wilderness spaces in a diverse range of contexts including, but not limited to, ancient Greece, early Christian asceticism, Old Norse religion,the shamanism-Buddhism encounter in Mongolia, contemporary paganism, and wilderness spirituality in the US.

Wilderness is one of the most abiding creations in the history of religions. It has a long and seminal history and is of contemporary relevance in wildlife preservation and climate discourses. Yet it has not previously been subject to scrutiny or theorising from a cross-cultural study of religions perspective. What are the specific relations between the world’s religions and imagined and real wilderness areas? The wilderness is often understood as a domain void of humans, opposed to civilization, but the analyses in this book complicate and question the dualism of previous theoretical grids and offer new perspectives on the interesting multiplicity of the wilderness and religion nexus. This book thus addresses the need for cross-cultural anthropological and history of religions analyses by offering in-depth case studies of the use and functions of wilderness spaces in a diverse range of contexts including, but not limited to, ancient Greece, early Christian asceticism, Old Norse religion, the shamanism-Buddhism encounter in Mongolia, contemporary paganism, and wilderness spirituality in the US. It advances research on religious spatialities, cosmologies, and ideas of wild nature and brings new understanding of the role of religion in human interaction with ‘the world’.

1. Wilderness In Mythology And Religion / Laura Feldt -- 2. Greek Demons Of The Wilderness: The Case Of The Centaurs / Jan N. Bremmer -- 3. Wilderness And Hebrew Bible Religion: Fertility, Apostasy And Religious Transformation In The Pentateuch -- 4, The Mountain, In A Desert Place: Spatial Categories And Mythical Landscapes In The Secret Book Of John / Ingvild Sælid Gilhus -- 5. The Truth Is Out There: Primordial Lore And Ignorance In The Wilderness Of Athanasius' Vita Antonii / Dag Øistein Endsjø -- 6. Wilderness As A Necessary Feature In Hindu Religion / Marianne C. Qvortrup Fibiger -- 7. Notes On The Qur'ānic Wilderness, And Its Absence / Thomas Hoffmann -- 8. Wilderness, Liminality, And The Other In Old Norse Myth And Cosmology / Jens Peter Schjødt -- 9. Making A Garden Out Of The Wilderness: Landscape, Dwelling And Personhood In The Encounter Between European Settlers And The Mi'kmaq In New France -- 10. William Robertson Smith On The Wilderness / Robert A. Segal -- 11. The Taiga Within. Topography And Personhood In Northern Mongolia / Morten Axel Pedersen -- 12. Ritual Is Etiquette In The Larger Than Human World: The Two Wildernesses Of Contemporary Eco-paganism / Graham Harvey -- 13. Wilderness, Spirituality And Biodiversity In North America: Tracing An Environmental History From Occidental Roots To Earth Day -- Contributors Biographies. Edited By Laura Feldt. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Wilderness in mythology and religion -- Laura Feldt Greek demons of the wilderness: the case of the centaurs -- Jan N. Bremmer Wilderness and Hebrew Bible religion: fertility, apostasy and religious transformation in the Pentateuch -- Laura Feldt "The mountain, a desert place": spatial categories and mythical landscapes in the Secret book of John -- Ingvild Sælid Gilhus "The truth is out there": primordial lore and ignorance in the wilderness of Athanasius' Vita Antonii -- Dag Øistein Endsjø Wilderness as a necessary feature in Hindu religion -- Marianne C. Qvortrup Fibiger Notes on the Qurʼānic wilderness, and its absence -- Thomas Hoffmann Wilderness, liminality, and the other in Old Norse myth and cosmology -- Jens Peter Schjødt Making a garden out of the wilderness: landscape, dwelling and personhood in the encounter between European settlers and the Mi'kmaq in "New France" -- Anne-Christine Hornborg William Robertson Smith on the wilderness -- Robert A. Segal The taiga within: topography and personhood in northern Mongolia -- Morten Axel Pedersen Ritual is etiquette in the larger than human world: the two wildernesses of contemporary eco-paganism -- Graham Harvey Wilderness, spirituality and biodiversity in North America: tracing an environmental history from Occidental roots to Earth Day -- Bron Taylor. Wilderness mythology is one of the most abiding creations in the history of religions, and yet it has not previously been subject to scrutiny or theorizing from a cross-cultural, "study-of-religions perspective". This book addresses the need for cross-cultural anthropological and history of religions analyses by offering in-depth case studies of the use and functions of wilderness spaces in diverse religions. It offers new theoretical perspectives on the study of religious spatialities, cosmologies, and ideas of wild nature that challenge previous dichotomizing approaches.