Sigurd Bergmann Libri

Can aesthetics and ethics be integrated for the good of habitats, places, and spaces? How can the arts widen our perception of nature and deepen environmental ethics? Should the political meaning of a landscape be defined solely in terms of its economic and ecological values? Questions like these are explored from the angles of arts, environmental ethics, ecology, religious studies, theology, art history, and philosophy. The book prompts discussion about the aesthetic and spiritual dimension in the environmental humanities, and it offers transdisciplinary insights into the challenge of sustainability and ongoing changes in society and the environment. ( Studies in Religion and the Environment / Studien zur Religion und Umwelt - Vol. 7)

Focusing on the significance of images and their perception, this work encourages reflection on divine encounters through visual expressions in various historical and cultural contexts. It provides valuable insights for developing a cross-cultural art theology, emphasizing the intrinsic worth of imagery in understanding spiritual experiences.

The book explores the emergence of contextual theologies in the 1970s, highlighting how diverse cultural backgrounds shape the interpretation of Christian beliefs. It examines the global manifestations of these theologies, fostering international dialogue on their various expressions, methodologies, and theoretical frameworks. Through this lens, the text delves into the dynamic interplay between culture and faith, emphasizing the importance of context in theological discussions.

Drawing on methodologies from religious studies, cultural studies, art history and architecture, philosophy, environmental ethics and aesthetics, history, and theology, This book will be of great interest to all those concerned with studying the environment from a transdisciplinary perspective on weather and wisdom.

The past years have seen an ecological development in religions that is staggering. These efforts are responses to difficult local and global ecological problems, with an increased awareness that religions need to be alert, engaged and active partners in the work for a sustainable future. Ecological Awareness - with 17 authors from theology, religious studies, biology, sociology and philosophy - explores how religious practitioners have become increasingly aware of ecological challenges. The book considers aspects of ecological awareness: personal, social, political, religious and ecological. It sheds new light on an essential function of belief systems, which function not only as cognitive and moral systems, but emerge from and affect our human body and its mode of perceiving our milieu and ourselves within it. The book contributes to an increasing awareness of our embeddedness in larger life processes, as well as the awareness of life as a gift.

The understanding of nature is central to European self-awareness, while life and energy hold similar significance in Asia. Globally, numerous institutions prioritize environmental and climate protection. However, the lack of focus on the human and spiritual dimensions of these issues is notable. Environmental and climatic changes impact culture, politics, economy, and religion. Religious traditions are influenced by human ecologies and, in turn, shape our perceptions of nature and sociocultural practices. As life and religion undergo significant transformations, questions arise about how religion can effect change. How are religious and ecological processes gendered, and how can ecofeminism enhance our understanding of justice? What spiritual resources exist in both Eastern and Western traditions? How can Christian theology aid in the eco-cultural revolution we need? Furthermore, how can Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Christian spiritualities collaborate for a shared future? Scholars from Korea, Canada, and Scandinavia explore these questions, drawing from discussions at an international workshop held in 2007 in Yecheon and Seoul. This work represents the first volume in a series initiated by the European Forum for the Study of Religion and the Environment.

Given the increasing threats of environmental changes to human societies it is imperative to complement technological and economical problem solutions with alternative perspectives from the humanities and the arts. This pioneer book attempts to advance climate and environmental sciences by including religion as a microcosm of cultural response to environmental change. The authors are renowned in disciplines as diverse as hydrology, religious studies, theology, cultural studies, philosophy and visual arts. They exemplify how religion can contribute to sustainable mitigation of climate change and to creative adaption to its impacts, thus preparing for a deep cultivation of research on religion in environmental change.

Space is essential for life, viewed as a divine gift. The human need for built environments is as fundamental as our ecological, social, and spiritual orientations. These spaces encourage connections between traditionally separate realms: aesthetics and ethics, nature and mind, body and soul, the divine and the worldly, as well as social change and continuity. The text explores how to deepen the links between aesthetics, ethics, and religion in architecture, questioning the need for "less aesthetics, more ethics." It delves into the spirituality of space and place, the significance of built environments for experiencing the God of the Here-and-Now, and the spatiality of the sacred. Contributions from various fields—architecture, art, philosophy, and theology—offer insights into this interdisciplinary domain. The contents include discussions on the interplay of aesthetics and ethics in architecture, the role of religion in secular times, the relationship between place and sculpture, and the concept of habitability as a deep aesthetic value. Other topics cover urban welfare, ecotheology, and the fusion of the sacred with technology, alongside artistic expressions that facilitate prayer and meditation.