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3 - From Disenchantment to Enchantment

Mind, Nature, and the Divine Spirit

from Part I - Concepts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2022

By
Jörg Lauster
Edited by
Alexander J. B. Hampton  and
Douglas Hedley
Alexander J. B. Hampton
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Douglas Hedley
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
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Summary

Disenchantment is doubtless a serious part of a modern attitude to nature. Even Lucretius’ ancient materialism gave good reasons for celebrating nature as a random interplay of forces without seeking a deeper meaning within. In addition, experiences of a silent nature and personal accounts by the deaf have become common. Nevertheless, human consciousness exhibits phenomena that allow us to speak of a voice of nature; closer examination of these phenomena of resonance and empathy provides good reasons for an idealistic understanding of the enchantment of nature. In the human mind, the spirit of the universe awakens unto itself.

Keywords

SpiritMindMaterialismVoice of NatureResonanceTeleology
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Companion to Christianity and the Environment , pp. 31 - 47
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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References

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