This is a video of a lecture I gave almost two years ago at the University of Iowa. The lecture covers the relationship between theology and literature and the role death and dying in Walcott’s view of nature.
Home Waters: A Blog
In Praise of the Ordinary
I think it is typical to imagine that there are two types of beauty—the natural beauty that the world offers as is and the invented, enhanced pleasures of art. The former is a kind of rawness that surprises us precisely because it does not seem to be made. It has no intention necessarily of being beautiful. It just is. In this category, we might think of the shape of Half Dome in Yosemite or the curvilinear red rock of The Wave in southern Utah. The latter more artificial beauty, of course, very much intends to catch the eye because it anticipates and solicits a viewer. It is constructed for such an encounter. In this category, we might think of something like Frank Lloyd Wright’s house, Falling Water, or Mont St. Michel. [Read more…] about In Praise of the Ordinary
On the Ideologies and Theologies of the Earth: Reprise
In honor of the conclusion of 2012, I thought I would post one of my previous posts, this one from April 20. I chose this post because these issues continue to haunt the land where I live, and I hope it is useful for those who share my concerns for the land to revisit the question of how easily ideology disrupts the logic, ethics, and values that should follow from belief. I don’t pretend to have all the answers or to be immune to the seductions of ideology, but I at least think I know the difference between the sound of clear thinking and ideological static. [Read more…] about On the Ideologies and Theologies of the Earth: Reprise
Review of The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life by Terryl and Fiona Givens
This is a terrific and beautifully written book, one I intend to recommend for many years to come, especially to anyone looking for a thoughtful and well reasoned articulation of the Mormon view of life. Its advantage is that it is not defensive, insular, or triumphal in its tone. It is a view that is offered with a kind of deference to a skeptical reader that somehow manages to not sound patronizing. It is an honest and genuine reflection on the reasonableness and satisfactions of Mormon belief. Unlike so many other books, it does not ask for a conclusion that must concede the truth but creates a challenging and ongoing dialogue in honest and mutual respect. [Read more…] about Review of The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life by Terryl and Fiona Givens
Do We Harm the Earth Out of Indifference or Resentment?
One of the most important premises of environmental thought seems to be that we do damage to the earth because of indifference, ignorance, and apathy, and that the solution, therefore, is to rekindle affections for places, for natural beauty, and for the simple pleasures of the outdoors. In the hands of more romantic thinkers, this formula becomes a kind of quasi-spiritual journey and an argument for a renewed form of animism. If we just paid nature closer attention, it would reveal its spirit to us and its inherent goodness, and we would discover, almost inevitably, our reasons for caring. [Read more…] about Do We Harm the Earth Out of Indifference or Resentment?
In Memoriam: Kenny Handley, April 13, 1960-December 16, 1982
Today is the 30th anniversary of the death of my wonderful brother, Kenny, who tragically took his own life at the young age of 22. The most difficult writing I have ever done was for the chapter in Home Waters that provides an account of his death and its impact on my family. I won’t revisit those details here, but I do wish to pay him special tribute and to reflect for a moment about what his death has meant. [Read more…] about In Memoriam: Kenny Handley, April 13, 1960-December 16, 1982