Agrarian Spirit: Cultivating Faith, Community, and the Land

This is an inspiring synthesis of current ecological thought and spiritual reflection in the Christian tradition. Wirzba (Christian theology, Duke Divinity Sch.; This Sacred Life) draws on many sources to create a clear, persuasive argument for a sensitive, deep recognition of the natural world that moves beyond use and profit. The word “agrarian” is not just about farming; it’s used to emphasize the necessity of humanity living in interconnectedness with nature and seeing itself as a dependent knot in the interlacing web of creation, not an objective outsider to the environment. Wirzba acknowledges the difficulties in constructing this vision alongside the spotty record of ecological care in Christianity’s past, yet he still finds possibilities within the tradition to create a framework that draws on religious meaning and energy to advocate a holistic, responsively ecological way of living.