Mapping the Path to Ecological Reparation: An Ecopsychological Reading of the Epic of Gilgamesh and Its Implications for the Study of Religion
By offering a reading of the Epic of Gilgamesh as a psychological map of the process by which one journeys from ecological wrongdoing, through eco-guilt, to reparation, this article makes a case for the value of ecopsychology, a branch of psychology, to religious studies scholars working on projects...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2022
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| In: |
Journal of the American Academy of Religion
Year: 2022, Volume: 90, Issue: 1, Pages: 86-120 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Gilgamesh epic
/ Ecological psychology
/ Eco-ethology
/ Guilt feelings
/ Text analysis
/ Literature
/ Science of Religion
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| IxTheo Classification: | AA Study of religion AG Religious life; material religion NCG Environmental ethics; Creation ethics ZD Psychology |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | By offering a reading of the Epic of Gilgamesh as a psychological map of the process by which one journeys from ecological wrongdoing, through eco-guilt, to reparation, this article makes a case for the value of ecopsychology, a branch of psychology, to religious studies scholars working on projects related to ecology or nature-human relationships. The article focuses on the relationship between Gilgamesh’s deforestation of the Cedars of Lebanon and the eco-guilt that emerges as a direct consequence of his actions, a guilt that Gilgamesh must reconcile before he can make reparations. Reading Gilgamesh’s journey through the lens of ecopsychology highlights the importance of eco-guilt in his transition from an ego-driven king to one "wise in everything" and enhances the impact of this classic story on a modern audience for whom ecological wrongdoing and the need for reparation are at the center of a world-wide debate regarding our planet’s future. |
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| ISSN: | 1477-4585 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: American Academy of Religion, Journal of the American Academy of Religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1093/jaarel/lfac020 |