Included in this session are four lectures presenting studies of nature and ecology from the angles of philosophy, mysticism and magic. The session was part of the 7th annual conference of the Israeli Association for the Study of Religions (IASR), held at the Open University in Ra'anana, on 10 June, 2024. The annual conference was dedicated to the topic "Religion and Environment".
The relation to nature and the environment in religions is a fascinating subject, and it takes a new and surprising form these days - with the rise of the ecological discourse, and in light of the apocalyptic fears of an imminent ecological disaster. Some of the new religions place a special emphasis on the sanctification of nature (such as neo-shamanism). In the popular spiritual discourse the concept of nature adoration and caring for the environment feature, in the context of spiritual values. In this session, four studies dealing with ecology and nature in contemporary spiritualities are presented.
How is the Holy Land perceived and shaped by thinkers of new religions? In this session, at an international conference that dealt with new religions, four researchers (from the USA, Scotland and Israel) presented different religious approaches: by Freemasonry, channelers, Jewish and Christian groups. The session was moderated by Prof. Marianna Ruah-Midbar Shapiro, at a conference of CESNUR (Center for Studies on New Religions), and the lectures were videotaped.
This unique conference brought together research and practice in the innovative field of spiritual Jewish psychotherapy in Israel. It took place within the framework of the research project led by Prof. Marianna Ruah-Midbar Shapiro and Prof. Ofra Mayseless, as part of an international and multicultural research project in the field of spiritual psychotherapy. (See links on the page.) Introductory lectures and a summary panel were held at the seminae, which were recorded on video. There were also discussion circles.
The connection to the land and nature of Israel is at the core of the Zionist ideology, and is closely related to ideological concepts of the conquest of the wilderness, the renewal of Jewish sovereignty, inhabiting the land, continuity of the people of Israel, and more. In alternative spirituality, on the contrary, there is a different ideological array, which also leads to different kind f practices, for example in regards to the relationship with the place/nature, national/personal identity, loyalty to the establishment. Naturally, this leads to conflicts between the bodies of the establishment and those communities. Therefore, it is convenient for such communities to operate in the periphery, such as the Galilee. A three-lecture session organized by Prof. Marianna Ruah-Midbar Shapiro dealt with these issues, in the framework of a conference at Tel Hai College in the spring of 2022.
This panel concluded the 9th Israeli Conference (and the last one - 2018) for the Study of Contemporary Spiritualities. It included four Israeli spiritual teachers who examined contemporary society, in Israel in particular, and its challenges, from the spiritual aspect they are occupied with.
This fascinating session, organized and chaired by Prof. Marianna Ruah-Midbar Shapiro, dealt with deities in Neo-Paganism, Occultism and the New Age.
This conference dealt with the space between spiritual, alternative, and contemplative education. It had workshops demonstrating these kinds of education, as well as research presentations of support (and criticism) on them. "Contemplative Education" is an umbrela term for education, teaching and learning approaches that turn the gaze into the mind and soaul of the individual, and to their deep link to life, other humans, and the world. Contemplative Education stems from a humanistic perceptionof human nature and the goals of education. It stresses the advancement of personal development and realization of the higher human potential, bot among students and teachers.
A multifaceted and broad field of phenomena is created at the crossroads of the rise of digital culture and the religious realm. This conference session, held at a conference in 2006, indicates the initial directions formed in the study of this emerging fascinating field.
What is the appropriate way for a sceintific study on issues of spirit and spirituality? In a session organised by Ruah-Midbar in the annual conference of the Israel Soceity for the History and Philosophy of Sceince, six speakers from different disciplines dealt with this question.