Contemplation and the Natural World

Catalog description

The course begins with an examination of contemplative practices in select Buddhist and Christian contexts and their associated goals, values, and worldviews. Particular emphasis will be placed on the significance of nature as a context for or object of contemplative practices. The course then turns to modern Western naturalists and nature writers to uncover the contemplative dimensions to their craft. Throughout, the course investigates how human relationships to the natural world are defined and influenced by the cognitive, perceptual, and emotional dimensions of human experience. The course includes contemplative practice labs and field trips to the natural world.