You're not the only person who has wondered what nature religion is. Many believe that nature is the embodiment and source of spiritual power, divinity, or sacredness. Many of these people believe in nature's ability to heal, cleanse, restore, and renew the soul. Although there are many nature religions out there, they all have some common features.
Modern forms of nature religion
Many areas of American culture have modern forms of nature religion. While their rhetoric is positive and friendly, nature religions often have a tendency to want to control and master the natural world. Some academics believe that even rationalistic deism from early America was inspired by a desire to master and control nature.
Historical development
Nature religion has been used to describe nature's sacred religion since the 1970s. Nature religion is a controversial concept that has been in dispute for centuries.
Critics
Critics of nature religion are not confined to religion itself. To understand the psychological roots behind religious practices, they have worked in many disciplines, including philosophy and physical cosmology. These individuals reject the notion of a creator and believe in no God. Moreover, they believe that belief in a god leads to violent and irrational behavior. They often believe that ridicule best demonstrates the absurdity religion.
Anastasianism
Anastasianism is a nature-based religion in which the individual seeks to communicate with the divine through nature. This belief holds all life on this planet is the product of God's thoughts. Therefore, the creation of trees, grass, and animals is a manifestation of the divine. To commune with nature one can experience esoteric knowledge and communicate with God. Anastasians believe nature is a way to experience and view the natural world in a new way.
Polytheism
Polytheism can be described as a religious belief that acknowledges many gods. Each god is unique and has its own personality. These gods do not have one supreme God. Instead, they participate in human affairs and are motivated often by rituals. Because of this, they are often considered to be important and relevant to human lives.
Shamanism
Shamanism, a religion that is focused on healing and nature, is called Shamanism. Its basic premise is that invisible forces exist in the visible world. These forces impact the lives all living beings. A spiritual healer known as the shaman works to destroy these forces and heal people through both spiritual and practical methods. For instance, a shaman may cure someone by banishing an infectious spirit.
Deep ecology
Deep ecology is a philosophy which combines philosophy and science to foster a holistic view of nature. It is influenced by the work of Dutch philosopher Baruch de Spinoza and Indian spiritual leader Mohandas Gandhi, among others. The philosophy is based in the belief that everything can be connected and that individuality is an illusion. This ecological perspective will lead to a metaphysical and ecophilosophical view of interconnectedness.