Annotated Bibliography

Posted by

Ruth Herrera (she/her) on December 9, 2024

Jos, P. H. (2012, July). Fear and the spiritual realism of Octavia Butler’s Earthseed. Gale Literature Resource Center. https://go-gale-com.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/ps/i.do?p=LitRC&u=cuny_hunter&id=GALE%7CA312617984&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon&aty=ip

In this article, Jos explains that Earthseed, a fictional belief system in a dystopian world, offers a way to think about spirituality that focuses on human survival and social change. In a chaotic, fear-driven world, Earthseed gives both ideas and practical advice for facing future challenges. It highlights the importance of being flexible, taking control of one’s own life, and constantly growing as people..

2. Ruffin, K. T. (2005, Winter). Parable of a 21 st Century Religion: Octavia Butler’s Afrofuturistic Bridge between Science and Religion. JSTOR – Persistent Links for Library Resources – Research Guides at University of Oregon Libraries. https://researchguides.uoregon.edu/persistentlinks/jstor

In this article, Ruffin situates Octavia Butler‘s Earthseed within theinnovative, Afrofuturist religion that melds science, spirituality, and social critique. With its focused attention on the transformative powers of change and the imperatives of common survival, Earthseed presents a compelling plan for spiritual and social renovation in the 21st century. Ruffin considers Butler‘s work an important contribution to religious thought in her time because it deals with the complex intersections of race, science, religion, and social justice in ways that remain deeply relevant today.

3.Nakayama, M. (2019, July). Influence of Religion, Culture and Education on Perception of Climate Change, and its Implication. fuji press. https://www.fujipress.jp/main/wp-content/themes/Fujipress/pdf_subscribed.php

This article supports that perceptions about climate change do not rely on scientific knowledge but are carved by religious, cultural, and educational factors. These need to be understood in order to construct effective strategies of action on climate change by including them into policies and programs of education. By interpreting the various ways people understand climate change, the authors believe communities can develop much-needed skills to navigate the complexity brought on by a shifting climate and create more inclusive, culturally sensitive, and locally relevant climate solutions.

4. Johnston, Lucas F. “Sustainability as a Global Faith? The Religious Dimensions of Sustainability and Personal Risk.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion, vol. 82, no. 1, 2014, pp. 47–69. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24488024. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

In this article Johnston concludes by asserting that sustainability, in its global, ethical, and personal dimensions, is increasingly taking on characteristics of a global faith—a framework for meaning and action in response to climate change and ecological degradation. Like a religion, it provides a vision of salvation, calls for moral action, and demands personal sacrifice for the greater good. However, he emphasizes the importance of making sustainability practices inclusive, acknowledging both the personal risks involved and the diverse cultural and religious contexts in which sustainability must be adopted.

5. Pihkala, Panu. “ECO-ANXIETY, TRAGEDY, AND HOPE: PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.” Wiley Online Library, 2018, onlinelibrary-wiley-com.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/doi/full/10.1111/zygo.12407.

In his paper “Eco-Anxiety, Tragedy, and Hope: Psychological and Spiritual Dimensions of Climate Change“, Panu Pihkala examines the emotional and mental effects of climate change, especially the growing feeling of “eco-anxiety.” Anxiety about the future from this perspectiveis a product of concern for the future of the planet, leading to stress, grief, and feelings of helplessness. Pihkala says that eco-anxiety is not solely about worry; it links to deeper emotional and spiritual struggles about what the climate crisis means for the world.