Landscapes of Christianity: Destination, Temporality, Transformation

This book explores how Christianity intersects with nature to create unique religious landscapes, examining the entangled forms of agency between nature and culture. Case studies range from the Mormon Trail to St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, advancing the spatial turn in the study of religion and contributing to the anthropology of religion and global Christianities.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 18 April 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This book delves into the intricate interplay between Christianity and nature, exploring how it shapes unique religious landscapes. Through a series of case studies, contributors examine the complex forms of agency between nature and culture as Christians engage with land in various ways. From the Mormon Trail in the United States, which attracts thousands of pilgrims annually, to the Catholic devotional cult of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, the book showcases the diverse ways in which Christianity intersects with nature.

The contributors analyze the entangled processes of agency that occur as Christians produce, consume, experience, imagine, inhabit, manage, and struggle over land formations. By focusing on Christian engagements with land in the early 21st century, the book contributes to the spatial turn in the study of religion, expands our understanding of global Christianities, and deepens our comprehension of the relationship between Christianity, space, and place.

The book explores how Christianity has historically and continues to shape the physical landscape, including sacred sites, pilgrimage routes, and agricultural practices. It examines the ways in which Christians have interpreted and negotiated their relationship with nature, considering the influence of environmentalism, science, and technology on their beliefs and practices. The book also explores the social-economic-political conditions that surround exchanges between religion and nature, including issues of land ownership, resource management, and environmental degradation.

Through its comprehensive analysis, this book offers valuable insights into the complex and multifaceted relationship between Christianity and nature, shedding light on the ways in which religion and the natural world interact, influence, and shape each other. It will be of interest to scholars and researchers in the fields of religion, anthropology, geography, and environmental studies.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350341814