Looking at the End or the Beginning?
Political Spirituality in an Age of Eco-Apocalypse: Communication and Struggle across Species, Cultures and Religions, James W. Perkinson (Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2015).
I have only read bits and pieces of the 1619 Project. I am amazed, however, at how it changed my perception and understanding of American history. No longer is it the advancement of freedom and democracy led by white males. Now it is the accumulation of wealth and power born on the backs of an enslaved people. Reading James Perkinson’s book, Political Spirituality: Communication and Struggle across Species, Cultures and Religions, had a similar effect on my outlook on human history. No longer is it a celebration of the advancement of humanity from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance, to the Industrial Revolution, to the Computer Age and beyond. Now I am aware of colonialism, the subjugation and annihilation of indigenous cultures and the establishment of a culture of growth and consumption that is unsustainable.
There are scores of books that have been published about the climate crisis and role of fossil fuels in global warming. None of them, in my opinion, paint as stark and as realistic a picture as does Perkinson in Political Spirituality. His words do not merely invite us to reflect on the mess that we have created. He goes further. Parkinson forces his readers to face the naked truth that we cannot continue consuming, polluting; living the way we live. To do so will cause our extinction. He challenges us to confront the sins from our past—to confess and learn from them. And there’s more. Parkinson dares us to examine ourselves and determine who we are and what is out relationship to humanity and creation.
I heartily recommend this book—with a warning. It is not an easy book to read. There are times when the light shines in the darkness that you don’t like what it reveals. Political Spirituality has some of that. The book is well researched and heavily footnoted. It takes time to work through all of the references. Finally, the book reads more like a textbook than a novel. It isn’t a page turner. If, however, you want to go beyond the sound bits of today’s environmental, social, political and religious discussions, then this is a book for you.
I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.