Ruether, Rosemary Radford Gaia and God (Chp. 8, "Healing the World: The Convenantal Traditon." Chp. 9, "Healing the World: The Sacramental Tradition" Chp 10, "Creating a Healed World:Spirituality and Politics")
(http://www.cwsworkshop.org/pdfs/CARC/Overview/4_For_All_Those.PDF)
Shamara Shantu Riley "Ecology Is a Sistah’s Issue Too: The Politics of Emergent Afrocentric Ecowomanism"
Introduction:
These three articles all deal with the importance of harnessing spirituality and religion for the common good of the world, in particular its importance in the environmental sector. Whilst Ruether focuses intrinsically on the link between spirituality and the covenant as well as the sacraments, Smith mentions the importance of going back to our ancestors who may have been Indian in a former life with their traditions permeating everything around us. Finally Shamara Shantu Riley in ‘Ecology Is a Sistah’s Issue Too?” focuses on the emergence of the African woman in the context of today’s ecology and how these are affecting religious politics.
Spirituality as a force for good
The spirituality of the American Indian is often deriled or lambasted but the last few years has seen a considerable resurgence in the interest of white women in the topic. However Smith argues that Indian spirituality is not for sale as the relationship with the Earth is perhaps the most important part of all this and its proceedings. Notwithstanding the difficulties created by those who wish to contain Indians to reservations and other areas where they cannot talk about themselves or practise their own religion in public, the Americans are finally realizing that the Indian has a lot to offer in this respect.Smith also argues that white women want to become Indian without though holding themselves accountable to Indian communities which is something that is rather cowardly and hypocritical. The understanding of the earth’s powers by the Indians is most definitely something which has to be taken into account when reading this article.
Ruether is more to the point about the effects of spirituality on the ecology of the Earth. Here she argues that man has a covenant or agreement with the Earth where he is the guardian of all that goes on to make the land better, a covenant which unfortunately is not being kept in any sort of way. In ‘Creating a Healed World’, Ruether continues to argue on the importance of making the world a better place through spiritual intervention and a relationship with the land which after all is there for man’s own enjoyment and prowess. Sometimes this is not understood well enough and the consequences can be disastrous as may be seen with overdevelopment in developing regions.
Shantu Riley focuses on the emergence of the African woman as a force for good on the continent which perhaps is the more abused than most. Here she argues that woman with spiritual powers and prowess should continually involve themselves in politics as that is the only way in which they can advance themselves and bring the country forward especially with regard to ecological and environmental affairs.
All three articles focus on the importance of man’s relationship with the land which is not always an ideal one. However through spirituality, the land can yield its secrets accordingly and everything becomes clearer in this respect. Spirituality however is something which has to be understood well and is not for sale at any price.
