The culture of the Pacific Northwest is formed by and around its natural environment. Cultural descriptions of the region usually highlight its spectacular scenery, its rich natural resources, and the connection that many residents feel with the land. Often, this connection takes on a spiritual quality, prompting some to identify a culture of nature religion in the region: a culture in which participants consider the natural world sacred, ordering their lives around its protection and conceptualizing their own welfare as inextricably tied to that of the environment. This thesis attempts to chronicle the development of such a culture of eco-spirituality from European exploration to present, locating today's reality firmly in a historical context. I argue that the region's history as a last frontier, dependence on natural resource extraction, and relative lack of institutional religious presence paved the way for a fusion of environmentalist activism and New Age spirituality in the 1980s. As spiritual concern infused environmentalism with ideological power, political battles intensified, publicity increased, and a new culture of eco-spirituality emerged to stamp itself indelibly on the face of the Pacific Northwest. / A Thesis submitted to the Program of American and Florida Studies in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. / Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2009. / Date of Defense: August 11, 2009. / 1980s, Environmentalism, Shibley, New Age, Environment, Nature Spirituality, Religion, Region, Washington, Oregon, Pacific Northwest / Includes bibliographical references. / Amanda Porterfield, Professor Directing Thesis; John Corrigan, Committee Member; Neil Jumonville, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_168721 |
| Contributors | Eller, Mara Kaitlin (authoraut), Porterfield, Amanda (professor directing thesis), Corrigan, John (committee member), Jumonville, Neil (committee member), Program in American and Florida Studies (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
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