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.
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.