My essay “Nature’s Church, Synagogue, Mosque, Temple, Classroom” was published in Pantheist Vision (Summer 2024).

An excerpt. . .

If Nature is seen and experienced as Religion, it becomes sanctuary (church, synagogue, mosque, temple, classroom) where the central instructors and counselors are much more diverse and expansive than humans. Wild things and natural laws become our fundamental teachers and guides. This radically inclusive vision encompasses science, psychology, philosophy, physics, art, and every human quest for knowledge, meaning, and interrelationship, as we open to a deeper interconnection with the world and the greater cosmos. While we may still seek wisdom from religious teachers, we primarily pay attention to the wise voices of scientists, naturalists, and those who investigate our secular world, the only real home we know …”

Note: Since I am not theistic in any sense, I don’t identify as a pantheist. I do, however, respect the approach of the Universal Pantheist Society expressed in their stated “reverence for the Earth and a vision of Nature as the ultimate context for human existence; and to take appropriate action toward the protection and restoration of the Earth.”