Rewilding the Spirit

From the perspective of environmentalism, the concept of rewilding is a form of ecological restoration aimed at increasing biodiversity and restoring natural processes. It differs from ecological restoration in that rewilding aspires to reduce human influence on ecosystems. The history of the Abrahamic faiths has been principally shaped by patriarchal empires focused on legitimizing social authority of men. For example, by ascribing masculine gender to the Trinity, women and two-spirit people are harnessed with the burden of conformity within dominant culture expectations while the Sacred is subsumed into a domesticated entity locked inside of a box (a theological and literal tabernacle of authorized texts and contexts).

For those who identify as female or two-spirit, I believe that the journey of spiritual rewilding is vital to individual and communal spiritual health within the faith traditions that we have inherited. Many women and two-spirit people need the invitation of healing from spiritual abuse perpetrated by theologies that alienated them from unconditional love and harmed their sense of self-understanding and self-worth. These two workshop offerings will present historical information through presentations and will include creative activities designed to reduce the influence of patriarchal legacy on the spiritual environment of our faith by encouraging the restoration of an earlier Christian understanding of the human relationship with Creation in which women were valued leaders, wisdom bearers, and theological innovators. These sessions aspire to help restore the natural and creative life of the free-ranging Spirit in our faith, in our lives, and in our world.