A Question for the Spirit

Nordhaus and Shellenger, the authors of Death of Environmentalism and Breakthrough, awaken controversy when they speak of the high church of environmentalism. People don't like to think of environmental leaders as priests and environmental writers as prophets. I feel like that cuts particularly deep because we don't have a very positive image of a traditional church dynamic in our minds, and because we somehow believe in the modernist philosophy that people are becoming less religious and therefore less in need of churches or spiritual guidance.

Parts of all that are true, and we can recognize how environmentalists don't like the image of themselves as part of a flock. But we can also phrase that relationship between a shepherd and his flock as something very beautiful and very human. We all have certain skills we bring to bear on the situation, and an ability to create a space where the spirit can roam free is a contribution to a group the same way a teacher, a chef or a manager can do their jobs. All of these jobs can be done well or poorly, to be sure, and all these jobs are necessary.

Most of us do not react very strongly to observations of the similarity between the belief system of environmentalism and other belief systems. I think a lot of us know that there's enough of a connection there that it's not worth getting down into the details. I'm more curious about the people who do react very strongly against the notion that environmentalism does fill a spiritual need in many of our lives. What is it about the similarity is so disturbing? What would be bad about embracing that connection?

We are very aware of the somewhat delicate frame of reference upon which our identity as environmentalists rests. In the cultural back and forth of framing and re-framing that the intellectual leaders of our partisan social sphere engage in as if it were warfare, certain ways of looking at things begin to look dangerously like 'the enemy'. If certain words like religion and priest have the power to put us on edge, then we are not on a very stable keel. We are not going to right ourselves by moving further to one side of the cultural ship. We've probably already rocked it about as far as it can go. Lets start to come back, to find our balance and accept that we have spiritual needs which can be met in many ways.

I hope I haven't lost anyone on that little ramble. Typing is a lot harder than conversation, and I can't exactly check in to see if you're with me. However, if you are with me, then thank you.