Whitney Bauman
Whitney A. Bauman is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Florida International University in Miami, FL. He is also the Co-Founder of a non-profit think tank, Counterpoint: Navigating Knowledge, in Berlin, Germany. His research interests lie at the intersection of religion, nature, and globalization. He is the author of several books and articles including Religion and Ecology: Developing a Planetary Ethic (Columbia 2014), and with Kevin O’Brien, Environmental Ethics and Uncertainty: Wrestling with Wicked Problems (Routledge 2019).
Phone: 305-348-2186
Address: Florida International University
University Park Campus, DM 301A
Miami, FL 33199
USA
Phone: 305-348-2186
Address: Florida International University
University Park Campus, DM 301A
Miami, FL 33199
USA
less
Related Authors
InterestsView All (7)
Uploads
Papers by Whitney Bauman
article argues that the current truth-regimes we now live by are always
and already “hybrid” and that we need new methods for understanding
meaning-making practices in an era of globalization and climate
change than comparative approaches allow. Following the works of
such thinkers as physicist Karen Barad, political philosopherWilliam
Connolly, and eco-critic Timothy Morton, this article develops the
idea that an event or an object-oriented approach better captures our
hybrid meaning-making practices. Not only that, but it also provides
a lens through which to understand traditions as polydox (rather than
orthodox) and the rise of “Modern” science as itself a planetary (rather
than a Western) phenomenon.
referring to the current geological era as the anthropocene, this article argues that there are
some problems with this trope and the narrative that emerges from it. First, responsibility
for the current era of climate weirding is not shared equally, some humans are way more
responsible than others. Second, the claim of the anthropocene works rhetorically to
maintain a sense of human exceptionalism from the rest of the evolution of life on the
planet. Third and finally, the suggestion that this geological era be named the anthropocene
suggests that the problem and the solution to our ecological crisis lie with Homo sapiens.
Does this not re-create the sense of mastery that has fueled contemporary planetary ills in
the first place? This paper argues that the idea of agency must be reconfigured and
redistributed throughout the planetary community in order to deal with the wicked
problems arising from climate weirding and an uncertain future.
article argues that the current truth-regimes we now live by are always
and already “hybrid” and that we need new methods for understanding
meaning-making practices in an era of globalization and climate
change than comparative approaches allow. Following the works of
such thinkers as physicist Karen Barad, political philosopherWilliam
Connolly, and eco-critic Timothy Morton, this article develops the
idea that an event or an object-oriented approach better captures our
hybrid meaning-making practices. Not only that, but it also provides
a lens through which to understand traditions as polydox (rather than
orthodox) and the rise of “Modern” science as itself a planetary (rather
than a Western) phenomenon.
referring to the current geological era as the anthropocene, this article argues that there are
some problems with this trope and the narrative that emerges from it. First, responsibility
for the current era of climate weirding is not shared equally, some humans are way more
responsible than others. Second, the claim of the anthropocene works rhetorically to
maintain a sense of human exceptionalism from the rest of the evolution of life on the
planet. Third and finally, the suggestion that this geological era be named the anthropocene
suggests that the problem and the solution to our ecological crisis lie with Homo sapiens.
Does this not re-create the sense of mastery that has fueled contemporary planetary ills in
the first place? This paper argues that the idea of agency must be reconfigured and
redistributed throughout the planetary community in order to deal with the wicked
problems arising from climate weirding and an uncertain future.
Grounding Religion examines the central concepts of ‘religion’ and ‘ecology’ using analysis, dialogical exchanges by established scholars in the field, and case studies. The first textbook to encourage critical thinking about the relationships between the environment and religious beliefs and practices, it also provides an expansive overview of the academic field of religion and ecology as it has emerged in the past forty years.
The contributors introduce students to new ways of thinking about environmental degradation and the responses of religious people. Each chapter brings a new perspective on key concepts such as sustainability, animals, gender, economics, environmental justice, globalization and place. Discussion questions and contemporary case studies focusing on topics such as Muslim farmers in the US and Appalachian environmental struggles help students apply the perspective to current events, other media, and their own interests.
As he outlines his planetary ethic, Bauman concurrently develops an environmental ethic of movement that relies not on place but on the daily connections we make across the planet. He shows how both identity politics and environmental ethics fail to realize planetary politics and action, limited as they are by foundational modes of thought that create entire worlds out of their own logic. Introducing a postfoundational vision not rooted in the formal principles of "nature" or "God" and not based in the idea of human exceptionalism, Bauman draws on cutting-edge insights from queer, poststructural, and deconstructive theory and makes a major contribution to the study of religion, science, politics, and ecology.