Introduction
Introduction to The Dionysian Naturalist
(November 2024)
In Praise of Sacred Nature: Reimagining Reverence, Ritual, and Revolution
As the environmental crisis deepens and humanity’s disconnection from the natural world widens, the call for a renewed reverence for “sacred nature” becomes more urgent. This vision of nature transcends its utility as a resource, honoring it as an inherently sacred force—a living presence that envelops, sustains, and compels us toward awe and accountability. To approach nature with reverence is to see it not as other, but as kin and collaborator, a partner in the unfolding dance of existence. It asks of us humility, responsibility, and an open heart to its mysteries.
The Dionysian Naturalist: Ecstatic Roots in Sacred Ecology
The figure of the Dionysian Naturalist rises in response to this call. Rooted in the soil of Religious Naturalism, it germinates into a wilder, more insurgent spirituality, enriched by the ecstatic energies of Dionysus. Where much of contemporary Religious Naturalism leans toward the Apollonian—rational, structured, and restrained—Dionysian Naturalism embraces the untamed, intuitive, and transformative forces of life. This is a path of vitality and liberation, a spirituality grounded in nature’s chaos and creativity, celebrating ecstasy as a sacred act of renewal.
Sacred Science: A Union of Awe and Understanding
Religious Naturalism has long offered a framework for weaving together science and spirituality. Pioneering thinkers such as Ursula Goodenough, Jerome Stone, and Wesley Wildman demonstrate how the cosmos, understood through science, can also inspire profound reverence and belonging. This perspective treats the universe itself as sacred, urging us to see science as a way of deepening our connection to the natural world.
Yet the Apollonian lens through which Religious Naturalism often views the cosmos—focused on reason, order, and control—risks overlooking the ecstatic, transformative forces that Dionysus embodies. Dionysian Naturalism steps into this space as an insurgent counterpart, honoring the wild, chaotic vitality of nature. It invites us to experience nature not only as a system of elegant laws but as a living, dynamic presence that inspires both wonder and surrender.
Dionysus as Guide: Ecstasy, Transformation, and Liberation
Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, ecstasy, and rebirth, serves as a guiding archetype for Dionysian Naturalism. His myth speaks to the wild, unrestrained energies of life—energies that break boundaries, dissolve hierarchies, and inspire radical transformation. To walk this path is to embrace both the joys and terrors of nature, seeing them as necessary parts of life’s sacred rhythm. Through communal rituals, entheogenic practices, and sacred celebrations, Dionysian Naturalism reconnects us with the Earth, fostering a spirituality that is both ecstatic and grounded.
This insurgent spirituality challenges conventional norms, offering a sacred dance that unites reverence with rebellion. It sees ritual as a transformative act, a way of stepping into life’s elemental truths and celebrating the interconnectedness of all things. In its embrace of the ecstatic and the corporeal, Dionysian Naturalism provides a vital counterbalance to the overly rational tone of much contemporary spirituality.
Key Explorations in Dionysian Naturalism
Foundational Principles: Essays like “Steps Toward a Dionysian Naturalism” and “Enchanting Naturalism” establish the ethos of this path, blending eco-theology, Religious Naturalism, and Dionysian spirituality. These writings outline a worldview that sees nature not as an object of study but as a sacred partner in the journey of existence.
Ecstasy and Ritual: In works such as “Dancing with Dionysus” and “Tripping with the Gods,” the role of ecstasy and entheogens in reconnecting with nature is explored. These practices are framed as essential tools for personal and communal transformation, offering glimpses into life’s deeper mysteries.
Re-Sacralization of Life: Essays like “The Wheel of the Year and Sacred Cycles of Nature” examine the power of seasonal rituals to restore our relationship with the land, reorienting daily life as a sacred communion with the Earth.
Social and Ecological Justice: Pieces such as “Nature Religions and Revolutionary Social Change” call for a spirituality that is as activist as it is contemplative, advocating for systemic change to address ecological and social injustices.
Dionysian Naturalism: A Hybrid Approach
Dionysian Naturalism stands at the crossroads of three traditions: Religious Naturalism, Paganism, and Druidry. From Religious Naturalism, it inherits a scientific understanding of the cosmos and a commitment to philosophical rigor. Paganism contributes its practical, mythopoetic approach—seasonal rituals, sacred symbols, and embodied practices. Druidry brings an intimate connection to local ecosystems, a deep reverence for nature, and a commitment to environmental activism. Together, these threads weave a spirituality that is both grounded and transcendent, rational and wild.
Mystery, Magic, and Transformation
At its heart, Dionysian Naturalism honors the mystical and shamanic dimensions of spirituality. It celebrates altered states of consciousness—whether through meditation, ritual, or entheogens—as windows into the numinous. This is not a path of detached observation but one of passionate engagement, where reason and intuition, science and art, come together in a dynamic interplay. It calls for a spirituality that reflects the wholeness of life, embracing both its beauty and its shadows.
A Call to Radical Reverence
In these times of ecological crisis, Dionysian Naturalism offers more than a philosophy; it is a call to action. It challenges us to see nature as sacred and to live in alignment with that vision. This is not a quiet reverence but an insurgent one—a spirituality that demands boldness, creativity, and resistance to systems that harm the Earth. Through rituals of re-sacralization and acts of ecological justice, Dionysian Naturalism seeks to transform not only our relationship with nature but the very structures of society.
Toward a New Religion of Nature
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Dionysian Naturalism emerges as a vital force in the growing field of Nature Religions. It offers a spirituality that is both intellectually rigorous and wildly alive, blending the Apollonian clarity of science with the Dionysian ecstasy of the sacred. In its vision, we find a path to reconnect with the Earth, honor life’s mysteries, and embrace the transformative power of the natural world. Here, nature is not merely a backdrop to human existence but a sacred partner in the dance of life—a force that calls us to reverence, responsibility, and radical joy.
OLD INTRODUCTION (2020)
In the face of the unfolding environmental crisis and a pervasive cultural sense of disconnection from the natural world, the call for a renewed reverence for “sacred nature” is more urgent than ever. This perspective sees nature as not only valuable for its resources but as an inherently sacred force—a living presence that we are inextricably part of and accountable to. To approach nature with this reverence is to see it as a partner in life’s journey, urging us toward ecological responsibility, humility, and awe.
The Dionysian Naturalist arises from this call, dedicated to exploring a spirituality that is both deeply grounded in the natural world and enriched by Dionysian energies—an ecstatic, insurgent approach to sacred life that challenges conventional spiritual and social structures. While much of contemporary Religious Naturalism, a movement that seeks to find spiritual meaning in a scientifically understood cosmos, veers toward the rational and Apollonian—favoring order, reason, and structure—Dionysian Naturalism embraces a wilder, less restrained spirituality. It is a path that celebrates the liberatory power of nature, ritual, and ecstasy, viewing life’s vitality as both sacred and transformative.
Science, Religion, and the Path of Religious Naturalism
In many ways, Religious Naturalism has paved the way for this merging of science and spirituality, providing an interpretive framework for understanding the universe as sacred without invoking supernatural explanations. Religious Naturalists such as Robert Corrington, Donald Crosby, Ursula Goodenough, Jerome Stone and Wesley Wildman have contributed to a rich body of thought that recognizes the sacred dimensions of a scientifically understood universe. This path insists that awe, reverence, and a sense of belonging within the cosmos can be nurtured through our scientific knowledge of the universe.
Yet, as vital as this perspective is, I find that Religious Naturalism often leans too heavily on the Apollonian—a mode of engagement characterized by rationality, structure, and control. While it illuminates the cosmos, it can sometimes feel restrained, overlooking the ecstatic, unpredictable, and transformative forces that Dionysus represents. This is where Dionysian Naturalism enters: as an insurgent form of Religious Naturalism, it invites us to experience nature as dynamic, chaotic, and profoundly alive.
The Insurgent Spirit of Dionysian Naturalism
Dionysian Naturalism is inspired by Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, ecstasy, and transformation, who stands as an archetype of nature’s wild, untamed spirit. This path honors Dionysus as an expression of life’s creative and ecstatic forces, celebrating the liberation that comes from engaging with life’s mysteries. It draws us into an intimate relationship with the Earth, seeing nature as a source of wisdom, joy, and a catalyst for personal and collective transformation.
This insurgent path challenges the boundaries of conventional spirituality, inviting practitioners into a sacred dance with nature that is unbound, joyous, and often radical. Through rituals, communal gatherings, and entheogenic practices, Dionysian Naturalism brings us back to life’s elemental truths, fostering a spirituality that embraces both ecstasy and reverence. In this way, it provides a dynamic counterpoint to the structured rationality of Apollonian spirituality, encouraging us to celebrate the untamable spirit within ourselves and the world.
Topics Explored on The Dionysian Naturalist
In The Dionysian Naturalist, I delve into a range of themes that blend eco-theology, ritual practice, insurgent spirituality, and personal transformation. Here’s an overview of the key topics explored in this blog:
Foundational Essays on Dionysian Naturalism
“Steps Toward A Dionysian Naturalism” (2015): This foundational essay outlines the principles of Dionysian Naturalism, merging elements of Religious Naturalism with Dionysian spirituality, eco-theology, and nature-based rituals.
“Enchanting Naturalism” (2015): A meditation on the enchanted worldview within Dionysian Naturalism, highlighting the importance of wonder, ecological consciousness, and a deep respect for life’s interconnectedness.
“Dancing With Dionysus: Ecstasy and Religion in the Anthropocene” (2016): Explores the role of ecstasy and communal rituals in reconnecting with the Earth, framing these experiences as essential for developing a meaningful ecological spirituality.
“Tripping with the Gods: On Entheogenic Spirituality” (2020): Examines the role of entheogens in spiritual practice, focusing on how these substances foster transformative experiences that deepen our bond with the natural world.
Science, Religion, and Sacred Nature
“Our Universe is a Sacred Living System” (2015): Presents a vision of the cosmos as a sacred, interconnected whole, combining scientific insight with a sense of awe and reverence for the universe’s complexity.
“Nature Religions and Revolutionary Social Change” (2016): Discusses how Nature Religions can serve as catalysts for social and ecological transformation, advocating for a spirituality that is as activist as it is contemplative.
“Doing Eco-Theology in the Anthropocene” (2020): Reflects on the urgent need for an eco-theology that responds to today’s environmental crises, calling for a spirituality that aligns with ecological ethics and activism.
Rituals of Re-Sacralization in Dionysian Naturalism
“The Wheel of the Year and Sacred Cycles of Nature”: This piece explores seasonal celebrations and their power to reconnect us with nature’s rhythms, offering practical guidance for integrating these cycles into spiritual practice.
“Rituals of Re-Sacralization in Dionysian Naturalism”: An exploration of ritual practices that restore our relationship with the land, helping to reframe everyday life as a sacred experience in communion with the natural world.
Personal Transformation and the Journey of the Soul
“The Journey of the Soul: Archetypal Psychology and the Hero’s Path”: Draws from archetypal psychology to explore personal transformation within Dionysian Naturalism, framing it as a journey that connects individuals with the soul’s innate connection to nature.“Exploring Entheogenic Mysticism and Psychonautic Practices”: Discusses the use of entheogens in accessing mystical states, viewing these experiences as powerful tools for exploring the psyche and connecting with nature on a profound level.
Conclusion
The Dionysian Naturalist serves as both a resource and an invitation—a place where the sacred nature of the Earth is celebrated, the insurgent spirit of Dionysus is embraced, and the boundaries between science and spirituality are explored. Here, you’ll find an evolving journey into the depths of eco-theology, Religious Naturalism, and Dionysian spirituality, each lens offering a way to reconnect with the natural world and honor it as sacred.
This blog reflects a vision of life as a celebration of interconnection, a call to remember the wild, the ecstatic, and the unrestrained forces that animate our world. I invite you to explore these writings as an entry point into a path that celebrates nature’s mysteries, embraces personal transformation, and strives for a life lived in deep, sacred relationship with the Earth.
Old Introduction
[originally drafted 8/11/20 and updated 11/2/24
Dionysian Naturalism is a hybrid of three types of contemporary, western Nature Religions--Religious Naturalism, Paganism and Druidry. It hopes to have the philosophical sophistication of Religious Naturalism, with their well-articulated metaphysics, methodological rigor and nuanced conception of Nature, the practical and real-world theological nuts and bolts of Paganism, such as using the Wheel of the Year (the solstices, equinoxes and cross-quarter days) as seasonal holidays. and the up-close engagement with local ecosystems, close study of Nature and environmental activism of Druidry.
Because human nature, like Nature herself, is complexly ambiguous, containing beauty and ugliness, creative and destructive potentials, both orderly and chaotic possibilities, with both demonic depths and self-transcendence, we need a theology that is Dionysian as well as Apollonian. In contrast to many other forms of Religious Naturalism, which overemphasize the role of logic and reason in human affairs, Dionysian Naturalism attempts to temper those Apollonian concerns with concerns for the sensual, spontaneous, and emotional aspects of human nature.
Through mystical experiences, such as those derived through the sacramental use of entheogens, humans make contact with their wildest natures and with wild Nature itself. This direct experience of Ultimate Reality, the numinous dimension of our world, allows people to "wake up" to their "true nature", gaining liberation and freedom from the limits of ordinary life.
On Religious Naturalism: A New Religion of Nature
Because human nature, like Nature herself, is complexly ambiguous, containing beauty and ugliness, creative and destructive potentials, both orderly and chaotic possibilities, with both demonic depths and self-transcendence, we need a theology that is Dionysian as well as Apollonian. In contrast to many other forms of Religious Naturalism, which overemphasize the role of logic and reason in human affairs, Dionysian Naturalism attempts to temper those Apollonian concerns with concerns for the sensual, spontaneous, and emotional aspects of human nature.
Through mystical experiences, such as those derived through the sacramental use of entheogens, humans make contact with their wildest natures and with wild Nature itself. This direct experience of Ultimate Reality, the numinous dimension of our world, allows people to "wake up" to their "true nature", gaining liberation and freedom from the limits of ordinary life.
On Religious Naturalism: A New Religion of Nature
Religious Naturalism has a long history. Naturalist movements exist in all religions, reacting to the superstitions and irrationality found in our human spiritual yearnings with theological foundations solidly ground in reason and science. These religious naturalists (no caps) tend to be the skeptics within mainstream religions, who want to probe and critique the implausible excesses of their own tradition’s theological thinking, which often veer into the fantastic, the improbable and even the insanely delusional. While these forms of religious naturalism are ancient and ubiquitous, today we are witnessing the birth of Religious Naturalism (with caps) as a separate freestanding religion of nature ground in a scientific worldview, inspired by environmentalism and having a somewhat Pagan ethos.
For the past six years I have been doing theological explorations at the interface of religion and science in an age of ecological crisis. My embrace of Nature Religions, including naturalist versions of Paganism, Wicca and Druidry, and my insistence that Nature is sacred, are strategic interventions in a hyper-consumerist world that is killing so many species and ruining so many ecosystems. For close to thirty years we’ve known that our planet is dying, yet have done so little to address the root causes.
For me Religious Naturalism is a Nature Religion which is grounded in a scientific conception of Nature. In insisting that Nature is sacred I acknowledge that it is too complex to be approached by science alone. Because we can only ever experience fragments of our natural world, we need metaphors, models and theories. To understand Nature we need an approach that draws upon all areas of human investigation--art, poetry and philosophy, as well as science.
Religion and science are just two ways our species tries to make sense of our world. They each have different areas of focus. Science is a way of studying “what things are”. It requires evidence and tests for ideas to be accepted as true. Religion is focused on “what things matter”. It affirms values, encourages community, and offers guidelines on how to live (cf. Loyal Rue). To determine what things matter we need an accurate understanding of what things are.
Today most people think of facts and values as distinct and separate things—one derived from culture, the other derived from nature. We continually attempt to keep them separate in our lives— consider how we place factually-based news on one page while opinions are placed on others. Yet facts and values are deeply related to each other through the emergence of human culture—the array of norms, values and ways of acting employed by humans. Culture itself is a part of nature. We must challenge the idea that the natural environment is something that “surrounds” humans and human culture.
At each stage in human evolution our understanding of what things are must be answered anew. Our understandings of the universe and of the nature of reality have significantly changed in the last 100 years and increasingly all traditions are questioned in light of changing knowledge. The old world views was shaped by 19th century science with its bold claims to objectivity rooted in materialism, reductionism and determinism and re-enforced by its supposed divorce from spirituality.
Today a new science is emerging, shaped by quantum physics and other recent discoveries that is holistic, non-deterministic, non-reductionist and filled with enchantment. Increased dialogue between religion and science is one result. I will call this new science "enchanted naturalism" and have an essay exploring that theme on this blog.
Until recently many important factually accurate understandings of what things are was impossible. Without certain technologies we could not grasp the scale and the speed at which the real world operates. Most humans are still guided by outdated and inadequate maps of reality. Our understanding of what things are is often factually inaccurate. There is a mismatch which lead us to try to answer questions of value with an outdated map of reality.
Religious Naturalists are people who want a religion that is informed by the best of modern science. They are the skeptics and critical thinkers who couldn’t swallow the hocus locus, the woo woo and fantastical excesses of many religions.
The dialogue between religion and science has altered and they are increasingly viewed as potentially logically compatible, complementary, and mutually supportive.
Religious Naturalism, in all it emerging versions, rejects the supernatural, insisting that everything that exists exists in Nature. It maintains that science is a good way to understand Nature and that the scientific story of the evolution of the universe and of life (often referred to as “the Epic of Evolution”) is worthy of using as a base for our central organizing myth, cosmology and worldview.
For me Religious Naturalism is a Nature Religion which is grounded in a scientific conception of Nature. In insisting that Nature is sacred I acknowledge that it is too complex to be approached by science alone. Because we can only ever experience fragments of our natural world, we need metaphors, models and theories. To understand Nature we need an approach that draws upon all areas of human investigation--art, poetry and philosophy, as well as science.
Religion and science are just two ways our species tries to make sense of our world. They each have different areas of focus. Science is a way of studying “what things are”. It requires evidence and tests for ideas to be accepted as true. Religion is focused on “what things matter”. It affirms values, encourages community, and offers guidelines on how to live (cf. Loyal Rue). To determine what things matter we need an accurate understanding of what things are.
Today most people think of facts and values as distinct and separate things—one derived from culture, the other derived from nature. We continually attempt to keep them separate in our lives— consider how we place factually-based news on one page while opinions are placed on others. Yet facts and values are deeply related to each other through the emergence of human culture—the array of norms, values and ways of acting employed by humans. Culture itself is a part of nature. We must challenge the idea that the natural environment is something that “surrounds” humans and human culture.
At each stage in human evolution our understanding of what things are must be answered anew. Our understandings of the universe and of the nature of reality have significantly changed in the last 100 years and increasingly all traditions are questioned in light of changing knowledge. The old world views was shaped by 19th century science with its bold claims to objectivity rooted in materialism, reductionism and determinism and re-enforced by its supposed divorce from spirituality.
Today a new science is emerging, shaped by quantum physics and other recent discoveries that is holistic, non-deterministic, non-reductionist and filled with enchantment. Increased dialogue between religion and science is one result. I will call this new science "enchanted naturalism" and have an essay exploring that theme on this blog.
Until recently many important factually accurate understandings of what things are was impossible. Without certain technologies we could not grasp the scale and the speed at which the real world operates. Most humans are still guided by outdated and inadequate maps of reality. Our understanding of what things are is often factually inaccurate. There is a mismatch which lead us to try to answer questions of value with an outdated map of reality.
Religious Naturalists are people who want a religion that is informed by the best of modern science. They are the skeptics and critical thinkers who couldn’t swallow the hocus locus, the woo woo and fantastical excesses of many religions.
The dialogue between religion and science has altered and they are increasingly viewed as potentially logically compatible, complementary, and mutually supportive.
Religious Naturalism, in all it emerging versions, rejects the supernatural, insisting that everything that exists exists in Nature. It maintains that science is a good way to understand Nature and that the scientific story of the evolution of the universe and of life (often referred to as “the Epic of Evolution”) is worthy of using as a base for our central organizing myth, cosmology and worldview.
All of the traditions I draw upon have theologies of immanence. This means that they locate the sacred in this world and not in some other imaginary realm. Spinoza used the phrase "Deus sive Natura" ("God or Nature") in his theory of immanence, arguing that there is no transcendent principle or external cause to the world, and that the process of life production is contained in life itself.
Regarding models of ultimate reality or "God", I advance a pluralist and agnostic point of view. In my own thinking I have been a theist, atheist, pantheist and panentheist. I find that all of those stances say more about the nature of ultimate reality than we can be certain of and now accept that uncertainty. Thus, I am an agnostic finding mystery at the heart of the Universe and I am a pluralists because because I accept all other approaches as valid and do not feel that I necessarily have the one right answer.
Advocates of Religious Naturalism as a religion of nature based on a sophisticated understanding of science emphasize the sacredness of nature. Their assessments of the world’s sacredness is closely linked to their assessment of its ecological importance. Nature includes the interdependent web of life of which humans are just a part. An explicitly “systems perspective” is articulated in which each part of the system is seen as functional to the whole, with no parts seen as expendable or without worth.
Insurgent Nature Religions and Eco-Activism
Our planet is dying, and nicely asking those in power to do something is not working. Bolder steps are required. We need a massive protest movement that will challenge the systems of power that are killing our planet. Changes in individual lifestyles are not enough. The "greening of religion" is largely a failure as recycling programs and solar panels on church roofs do not change our relationship with the natural world. Replacing one consumer choice with another will not do. We need to think institutionally and not personally. Any people who see Nature as sacred in these times of ecological crisis must come to Her defense and embrace a radical environmentalism. Thus, Dionysian Naturalism is an insurgent Nature Religion.
On Dionysian Naturalism
My embrace of the modifier “Dionysian” comes from my overall critique of much of existing Religious Naturalism (RN), which I find to be excessively Apollonian in character. Many Western cultural critics have invoked this dichotomy, most notably Friedrich Nietzsche and his followers. In Greek mythology, Apollo and Dionysus are both sons of Zeus. Apollo is the god of the sun, of order and rational thinking and appeals to logic, purity and prudence. Dionysus is the god of wine and ecstasy, of dance and irrationality, and appeals to the instincts, the senses and emotions.
As a body of spiritual writings, existing Religious Naturalist texts are highly philosophical, creating a sophisticated intellectual system filled with abstract theological thinking, often technical in construction. It is not only Apollonian in style it is Apollonian in content, stressing beliefs over practices. An Apollonian Religion emphasizes reason to an excess and downplays the irrational, the sensual, the emotional and instinctive. Focused on constructing a systemic architecture on solid foundations, it can be philosophically elaborate, inaccessibly intellectual and filled with jargon.
Unlike most forms of Religious Naturalism, Dionysian Naturalism emphasizes the emotions, the passions, the instincts, the wild, the sensual, and the body. Frenzied, ecstatic and pleasurable experiences are highly valued. Importantly, there is a return to the traditional use of altered states of consciousness as a spiritual practice, including those derived from entheogenic (or drug-induced) experiences. Dionysian Naturalism is thus centered on the mystical, the esoteric and the shamanic.
The Dionysian form of naturalism that I am advancing does not fetishize Enlightenment rationality nor consider the scientific method as the only way to garner knowledge about the world. I hope to maintain a healthy role for the passions and the emotions in spiritual life and hope to rethink the conventional wisdom concerning human nature and the imposition of reason as the central trait of our species being.
Following Friedrich Nietzsche I accept the impulses and instincts of human beings and celebrate our passions. Moreover, these base instincts are related to sacredness. We must affirm the deepest parts of our animal natures by finally realizing the wholeness of our minds and not be content with a caricature of Enlightenment thinkers’ ideal of what humans should be. Dionysian Naturalism has a religious anthropology stressing what we are, rather than what we should be, one dissolving the gap found in the social sciences between systematic models of utilitarian, calculating, goal-oriented and rule-governed behavior, and our more nuanced, more integral, caring selves.
While Dionysian Naturalism is also ground in a scientific worldview and acknowledges the vital role of reason and science in our search for truth and meaning, it adds several explicitly Dionysian elements. DN acknowledges the shamanic origin of religion and the primal place that altered states of consciousness potentially played in early religions. Other Dionysian elements include a deep concern for embodied spiritual practices, including music and movement, and meditation.
Our planet is dying, and nicely asking those in power to do something is not working. Bolder steps are required. We need a massive protest movement that will challenge the systems of power that are killing our planet. Changes in individual lifestyles are not enough. The "greening of religion" is largely a failure as recycling programs and solar panels on church roofs do not change our relationship with the natural world. Replacing one consumer choice with another will not do. We need to think institutionally and not personally. Any people who see Nature as sacred in these times of ecological crisis must come to Her defense and embrace a radical environmentalism. Thus, Dionysian Naturalism is an insurgent Nature Religion.
Modernity has failed and it must be crushed. We need to engage in a sustainability revolution in which we create a whole new way of being on this planet, changing our economic system of industrial capitalism, but also changing our relationship with the other being with which we share this fragile planet. The time is short and the tasks before us are huge.
Being “a radical” means not just having a critical analysis based on understanding the power structure of our country, but means embracing the role of disruption in bringing forth social change. When people collectively refuse to cooperate in the institutional relationship that constitutes society, they can create a mass protest movement that can alter or abolish the institutions that organize power.
Being “a radical” means not just having a critical analysis based on understanding the power structure of our country, but means embracing the role of disruption in bringing forth social change. When people collectively refuse to cooperate in the institutional relationship that constitutes society, they can create a mass protest movement that can alter or abolish the institutions that organize power.
Is Religious Naturalism Too Apollonian?
As an emerging religion of nature contemporary Religious Naturalism has a content and a style that reflects the contexts out of which it developed. These contexts were very highly intellectual and composed of people with strong interests in modern science, western philosophical tradition and Unitarian Universalist theology. Predominantly these were white males seeped in rationalistic approaches to approach divinity, often using abstract thinking, highly logical arguments with a neatly defined concepts creating an elaborate theological system. With a focus on beliefs up in the head, there were less concerns for the emotions, the corporeal, the intuitive. Certainly there was little attention paid to the ecstatic, the mystical or the magical.
My early explorations into Religious Naturalism were concern to balance things out a bit, and to offset its Apollonian content and style with a strong dose of the Dionysian. Any viable religion must have both Apollonian and Dionysian appeal, and to ignore one side of the equation can jeopardize the whole enterprise.
Dionysian Naturalism is an insurgent Nature Religion not just focused on a sustainability revolution but concerned with eliminating all forms of oppression, including those of race, gender, ability, age, etc. It is hoped that as we build an economic system based on sustainability we will address the massive levels of economic inequality found on our planet and work to eliminate oppressions based in race and ethnicity, gender and sexual identity, age, etc.
On Dionysian Naturalism
My embrace of the modifier “Dionysian” comes from my overall critique of much of existing Religious Naturalism (RN), which I find to be excessively Apollonian in character. Many Western cultural critics have invoked this dichotomy, most notably Friedrich Nietzsche and his followers. In Greek mythology, Apollo and Dionysus are both sons of Zeus. Apollo is the god of the sun, of order and rational thinking and appeals to logic, purity and prudence. Dionysus is the god of wine and ecstasy, of dance and irrationality, and appeals to the instincts, the senses and emotions.
As a body of spiritual writings, existing Religious Naturalist texts are highly philosophical, creating a sophisticated intellectual system filled with abstract theological thinking, often technical in construction. It is not only Apollonian in style it is Apollonian in content, stressing beliefs over practices. An Apollonian Religion emphasizes reason to an excess and downplays the irrational, the sensual, the emotional and instinctive. Focused on constructing a systemic architecture on solid foundations, it can be philosophically elaborate, inaccessibly intellectual and filled with jargon.
Unlike most forms of Religious Naturalism, Dionysian Naturalism emphasizes the emotions, the passions, the instincts, the wild, the sensual, and the body. Frenzied, ecstatic and pleasurable experiences are highly valued. Importantly, there is a return to the traditional use of altered states of consciousness as a spiritual practice, including those derived from entheogenic (or drug-induced) experiences. Dionysian Naturalism is thus centered on the mystical, the esoteric and the shamanic.
The Dionysian form of naturalism that I am advancing does not fetishize Enlightenment rationality nor consider the scientific method as the only way to garner knowledge about the world. I hope to maintain a healthy role for the passions and the emotions in spiritual life and hope to rethink the conventional wisdom concerning human nature and the imposition of reason as the central trait of our species being.
Following Friedrich Nietzsche I accept the impulses and instincts of human beings and celebrate our passions. Moreover, these base instincts are related to sacredness. We must affirm the deepest parts of our animal natures by finally realizing the wholeness of our minds and not be content with a caricature of Enlightenment thinkers’ ideal of what humans should be. Dionysian Naturalism has a religious anthropology stressing what we are, rather than what we should be, one dissolving the gap found in the social sciences between systematic models of utilitarian, calculating, goal-oriented and rule-governed behavior, and our more nuanced, more integral, caring selves.
While Dionysian Naturalism is also ground in a scientific worldview and acknowledges the vital role of reason and science in our search for truth and meaning, it adds several explicitly Dionysian elements. DN acknowledges the shamanic origin of religion and the primal place that altered states of consciousness potentially played in early religions. Other Dionysian elements include a deep concern for embodied spiritual practices, including music and movement, and meditation.
RN + Paganism + Druiidry = My Hybrid
If Religious Naturalism is the theoretical backbone of contemporary Nature Religions with philosophical sophistication and systematic exposition, contemporary Paganism is the nuts-and-bolts real-world application of those ideas in terms of embodied rituals and ceremonies, liturgical calendar, mythopoetic content, and use of symbols. Druidry adds a deep animistic attunement to the natural world, a passion for detailed knowledge of local ecosystems and their protection, and an activist orientation to environmental ethics.
Finally, DN draws upon the Western Esoteric Traditions with its emphasis on gnosis, the journey of the soul, divination and magic. Personally, I have learned much through the use of Tarot cards and am a practitioner of Chaos Magick. Of course, each of these esoteric notions becomes naturalized in Dionysian Naturalism. If much of existing RN is “up in the head”, abstract and hyper rational DN is embodied, down-to-earth and filled with passion, ecstatic frenzy and intoxication. Mystery, magic and mysticism are prominent features in Dionysian Naturalist liturgies, rituals, hymns, prayers. Poetic expression shall dominate over intellectual prose.
Finally, DN draws upon the Western Esoteric Traditions with its emphasis on gnosis, the journey of the soul, divination and magic. Personally, I have learned much through the use of Tarot cards and am a practitioner of Chaos Magick. Of course, each of these esoteric notions becomes naturalized in Dionysian Naturalism. If much of existing RN is “up in the head”, abstract and hyper rational DN is embodied, down-to-earth and filled with passion, ecstatic frenzy and intoxication. Mystery, magic and mysticism are prominent features in Dionysian Naturalist liturgies, rituals, hymns, prayers. Poetic expression shall dominate over intellectual prose.
This blog contains writings from 2012 onward. One set of materials specifically on the New Religion of Nature that is emerging focuses on Religious Naturalism, Naturalistic Paganism and Dionysian Naturalism and were published in Naturalistic Paganism. These were published or are planned to be published in the order that follows.
I am imagining assembling my essays exploring my personal theology into a book entitled:
THE NEW AMERICAN RELIGIONS OF NATURE:
DIONYSIAN NATURALISM AS AN INSURGENT ECOTHEOLOGY HELPING TO LAUNCH
THE SUSTAINABILITY REVOLUTION
0. Introduction
1. Steps Towards a Dionysian Naturalism
2. Enchanting Naturalism
3. Our Universe is a Sacred Living System
4. Dancing with Dionysus: Ecstasy, Naturalism and Religion in the Age of the Anthropocene
5. Nature Religions and Revolutionary Social Change: Advancing a Practical Theology for Spritual Activism
6. Bearing Witness to Social Injustice as a Spiritual Practice
7. Tripping with the Gods: On Entheogenic Spirituality
8. SERIES: The New American Religions of Nature
Introduction part 1: Doing Eco-theology in the Anthropocene
part 2: Walking the Earth Path:
Exploring the Spiritual Common Core of Nature Religions
Includes 14 separate essays on Wicca, Druidry, Reconstructionist Paganism,
Shamanism and Core Shamanism, Religious Naturalism,
Dionysian Naturalism, Green Witchcraft, Naturalistic Paganism,
Eclectic Paganism, Feminist and Goddess Spirituality, Asatru / Heathenry, Slavic Reconstructionism, Unitarian Universalism, Ecofeminism,
Deep Ecology and Gaianism
The Sacred Rebellion: Synthesis and Implications
9. A Religious Anthropology for Dionysian Naturalism (in process)
10. Dionysian Naturalism and the Western Esoteric Tradition (in process)
11. The Elementary Forms of Ritual Life: The Use of Ritual in Dionysian Naturalism (in process)
12. On the Epic of Evolution
13. Becoming a Druid
14 The New Saint Peter: Hakim Bey and Dionysian Naturalism
Most of the other articles were published in Noozhawk in 2012-2018. While none of them is explicitly theological, several of them express my interests in "praxis for social justice", environmentalism, homelessness and have spiritual overtones.
Eventually I want to assemble these materials into a book-length anthology.
An Archive of Theological Sources
Dionysian Naturalism draws upon Religious Naturalism and Paganism to create a new religion of Nature that is ground in a scientific worldview.
Beginning in September 2020 I began posting key sources for my project, including articles and texts I especially like and will use for future writing.
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