There has been a growing sense of a new spirituality today. This new wave of interest in finding an alternative spirituality indicates that the ends of definite progress and prosperity, which modern spirituality has promised to us, is an unrealistic a...
There has been a growing sense of a new spirituality today. This new wave of interest in finding an alternative spirituality indicates that the ends of definite progress and prosperity, which modern spirituality has promised to us, is an unrealistic and, at best, unsustainable goal for our biotic community. Ironically, this hoped-for techno-centric utopia of unlimited expansion instead now leads to the fear of humanity about the possible mass destruction of the earth community. Recognizing the seriousness and urgency of the ecological crisis, this paper first finds the root cause of the global disaster in the religious and cultural ideology of modern spirituality. It then searches for an alternative spirituality as a solution to this crisis, that is, ecofeminist spirituality.
In opposition to the patriarchal spirituality which justified social systems of domination, ecofeminist spirituality suggests an earth-based egalitarian spirituality. To this end, this paper examines the need for a new spirituality as a way to discover and overcome the interconnected nature of the various forms of oppression of women and nature. It further examines the background and development of ecofeminist spirituality as combining the spiritualities of women, nature and the oppressed. In the end, this paper reconstructs major concepts of ecofeminist spirituality such as the universal wel-being of creation, theology of embodiment, the interconnectedness of all forms of life, the transience and value of humanity, human responsibility and care for creation.