Spiritual Ecology and Sustainability

"Spiritual Ecology and Sustainability" is suitable for an upper-level undergraduate or early graduate level, within disciplines such as Environmental Studies, Religious Studies, Philosophy, or Interdisciplinary Humanities.


📘 Course Title: Spiritual Ecology and Sustainability

  • Course Code: SES-401
  • Level: Upper Undergraduate / Graduate
  • Credits: 3
  • Prerequisites: Introduction to Environmental Studies or Philosophy of Religion (or instructor approval)


📜 Course Description

This course explores the interconnection between ecological sustainability and spiritual worldviews. It investigates how religious, indigenous, and philosophical traditions frame the human-nature relationship, and how these perspectives can inform sustainable practices in the face of global environmental crises. Integrating ecological science, ethics, and contemplative traditions, students will examine diverse spiritual ecologies and their role in shaping a regenerative and relational understanding of the Earth.


🎯 Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Understand the key concepts of spiritual ecology and ecological sustainability.
  2. Analyze religious and indigenous cosmologies concerning the Earth and environmental stewardship.
  3. Evaluate contemporary ecological crises through the lens of spiritual ethics and values.
  4. Engage in contemplative practices that cultivate ecological awareness and interbeing.
  5. Develop integrative projects linking ecological action with spiritual or ethical worldviews.


🗂️ Course Modules

Module 1: Foundations of Spiritual Ecology

  • Defining spiritual ecology
  • Historical roots: Earth-based traditions, animism, and sacred geography
  • Interdependence and the “web of life” concept

Module 2: Religious and Indigenous Ecologies

  • Christianity, Islam, and Judaism on stewardship and creation
  • Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism on interconnectedness and harmony
  • Indigenous ecological knowledge systems and land-based spirituality

Module 3: Deep Ecology and Ecophilosophy

  • Arne Naess and the deep ecology movement
  • Gaia theory and systems thinking
  • Ecofeminism and spiritual activism

Module 4: Contemporary Crises and Ethical Responses

  • Climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecological grief
  • Sacred activism and spiritual resistance (e.g., Standing Rock, Laudato Si’)
  • Ecopsychology and inner sustainability

Module 5: Practices of Ecological Consciousness

  • Mindfulness, meditation, and nature connection
  • Pilgrimage, ritual, and ecological rites of passage
  • Permaculture, bioregionalism, and place-based living

Module 6: Integration and Regenerative Futures

  • Designing spiritual-ecological projects
  • Case studies in eco-villages, intentional communities, and green temples
  • Envisioning post-anthropocentric futures


📚 Sample Readings

  • Joanna Macy & Chris Johnstone – Active Hope
  • Thomas Berry – The Great Work
  • Robin Wall Kimmerer – Braiding Sweetgrass
  • Vandana Shiva – Earth Democracy
  • David Abram – The Spell of the Sensuous
  • Pope Francis – Laudato Si’
  • Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee – Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth


📊 Assessment Breakdown

  • Participation and Discussion – 15%
  • Reflective Journals (Weekly) – 20%
  • Midterm Essay (Comparative analysis) – 25%
  • Field Practice Report or Contemplative Project – 15%
  • Final Project (Paper or creative synthesis) – 25%


🧘 Optional Field/Experiential Components

  • Local ecology walk and observation journals
  • Visit to an indigenous-led ecological site or center
  • Group ritual or earth-honoring ceremony (with consent and respect)