Spiritual Literacy | Blog | Spirituality & Practice

Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on April 3, 2017

Wendell Berry has been writing and living a life of limits, simplicity, and letting go for many years. For Ragan Sutterfield, Berry is a model of Christian renunciation. He quotes him in his American Catholic blog post "Learning to Live Poorer: A Meditation for Lent":

"We all live by robbing nature, but our standard of living demands that the robbery shall continue."

These words, Sutterfield adds, "ring in me like the words of John the Baptist: repent, for the kingdom of God has come near."

The 40 days of the penitential season of Lent are a good time to confess that because of our practice of conspicuous consumption, we "drive too much, buy too much, use too much." The drastic changes in weather signal that climate change is already with us; it "pits the excesses of human life against the whole of creation." The alternative, says Berry, is to "waste less, spend less, use less, want less, need less."

Sutterfield has posted this Berry quote on his refrigerator: "We must achieve the character and acquire the skills to live much poorer than we do." This transformation can come through establishing new habits that reverence the good earth and the objects which accompany us on our spiritual journey.

An Internet Sabbath

Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on March 17, 2017

Here's something to think about. Could you stay offline for a day – perhaps by taking an Internet Sabbath? Could you still do your job? Would your family and friends worry about you? How would you use your extra time?

Rachel Nuwer in an article for the BBC . . .

John Berger, R.I.P.

Posted by Frederic Brussat on February 2, 2017

John Berger, a world-famous polymath — critic, artist, screenwriter, novelist, poet, dramatist, artist, commentator, and storyteller — died January 2, 2017, in the Paris suburb of Antony at the age of 90. His 1972 book Ways of Seeing was a watershed work for those interested in art and other matters such as sexism, advertising, materialism, and the image-saturation of the modern world; it was made into a four-part BBC series.

"I wanted to write about . . .

A Positive Look Ahead

Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on January 23, 2017

There is a dark spirit alive in the consciousness and conversations of the American people. Although many participated in the women's marches and were elated by the turnout and the solidarity of those who were proclaiming the ideals of peace, justice, and economic equality, the challenges of the New Year seem plentiful and whatever the Trump administration may do sounds onerous. Trump's inaugural address was full of dismal images.

Still, the always unconventional . . .

On Reading

Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on January 9, 2017

These past weeks we have been shelving in our library the books we reviewed in 2016 and organizing the ones that have come in for review in 2017. So the subject of how reading helps us find meaning and purpose in our lives is on our minds. In an elegantly written essay for The Wall Street Journal online, Will Schwalbe pays tribute to the art of reading.

He points to how busy we are . . .

Seeking Forgiveness from Native Americans

Posted by Frederic Brussat on December 16, 2016

Wes Clark Jr., the son of retired U.S. Army general and former supreme commander at NATO Wesley Clark Sr., was part of a group of veterans who went to the Sioux reservation in Standing Rock, North Dakota, in early December 2016. They were there to stand with the Native tribes acting as Water Protectors protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The veterans joined in the celebration when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied an easement for construction of the pipeline under the Missouri River.

Lakota spiritual leader and medicine man . . .

Coexisting with Robots

Posted by Frederic Brussat on December 8, 2016

In an article on NewScientist.com, Aviva Rutkin writes about hitchBOT, a robot put out on the road as a hitchhiker. Then one day, it was found on the ground, with no head and its arms ripped out. The media picked up the story of hitchBOT's demise. The response was an "outpouring of affection" for the robot.

Rutkin notes that these technological tools . . .

The International Word of the Year

Posted by Frederic Brussat on November 30, 2016

Oxford Dictionaries has chosen "post-truth" as its international word of 2016. It is an adjective "relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief." The spike in its usage is "in the context of the European Union referendum in the United Kingdom and the presidential election in the United States."

the runner up for the title . . .

The Reframing of Zeitgeist

Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on November 10, 2016

In an article on Slate.com, Katy Waldman recalls how the term "Zeitgeist" used to carry meaning and depth: "A zeitgeist was a formidable thing. Matthew Arnold coined the term in 1848 to capture the spirit of social unrest that suffused Victorian England."

That understanding of cultural shifts . . .

Bob Dylan Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature

Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on November 1, 2016

Bob Dylan has always impressed us with the lyrics to his songs. From his beginnings as a folk singer in 1961, he mixed folk songs with protest ballads. Critics have been amazed by the different styles in Dylan's repertoire. In 1965, he adapted a rock style, followed by a turn to songs with Christian imagery, and most recently savored the pop style associated with Frank Sinatra.

Now he has been awarded . . .

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About This Blog

Spiritual literacy is the ability to read the signs written in the texts of our own experiences. It is recommended and practiced in all the world's religions. Whether viewed as a gift from God or a skill to be cultivated, this facility enables us to discern and decipher a world full of meaning. More

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