The Wisdom of Water
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Graduation Year
December 2021
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program Name
Humanities
Program Director
Judy Halebsky, PhD
First Reader
Chase Clow, PhD
Second Reader
George Faithful, PhD
Abstract
As theologian Sallie McFague writes “we cannot love something we do not know” (29). This is as true of the environment as it is of the people in our lives. Using personal narrative as the primary mode of expression, I explore ways of forming a deep connection with the natural world through self-examination and introspection as well as through research into the history, ecology and spirit of a place. Drawing on the wisdom of a multitude of writers whose respect for the land guides their philosophy and their treatment of it, I reflect on my own personal experiences of living near three different water-filled landscapes. Native writers including Jeannette Armstrong and Robin Wall Kimmerer, environmentalists such as Aldo Leopold and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and eco-spiritual thinkers such as Thomas Berry, Joanna Macy and Sallie McFague guide this work. All have challenged me to move from a position of observer of the natural world to participant within it. This work seeks to demonstrate that one can only make such a move when one understands and acknowledges the interconnectedness of all living things, which in turn leads to a greater sense of spiritual connection and a stronger sense of responsibility for the ecological communities of which we are a part.