Spiritual Exercises and Community Building

Abstract

Community building is perhaps an overused notion but it nevertheless represents an important driver in green Christian networks and activist networks more widely. As I have showed in previous chapters, many environmental organisations, like the transition towns movement, are predicated on building sustainable communities. The present chapter will investigate some of the experiments with community building in green Christian circles, and the way these ideals are reflected during collective events. Alongside community building the present chapter will examine a variety of spiritual practices green Christians experiment with, from praying through painting to meditative walks and gardening. I will show here that inside the green movement there has been a departure from a spirituality for the self to a more aggregated spirituality that can (or at least aims to) serve a community. I will show here that environmental Christians who find themselves outside their home own churches and in the green movement must find other models of community, during retreats and festivals. Furthermore, I will investigate artistic and dramatic expression as a common spiritual currency among the networks.