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At Home in Nature: Modern Homesteading and Spiritual Practice in America
Motivated variously by the desire to reject consumerism, to live closer to the earth, to embrace voluntary simplicity, or to discover a more spiritual path, homesteaders have made the radical decision to go "back to the land," rejecting modern culture and amenities to live self-sufficiently and in harmony with nature. Drawing from vivid firsthand accounts as well as from rich historical material, this gracefully written study of homesteading in America from the late nineteenth century to the present examines the lives and beliefs of those who have ascribed to the homesteading philosophy, placing their experiences within the broader context of the changing meanings of nature and religion in modern American culture.
Rebecca Kneale Gould investigates the lives of famous figures such as Henry David Thoreau, John Burroughs, Ralph Borsodi, Wendell Berry, and Helen and Scott Nearing, and she presents penetrating interviews with many contemporary homesteaders. She also considers homesteading as a form of dissent from consumer culture, as a departure from traditional religious life, and as a practice of environmental ethics.
Rebecca Kneale Gould investigates the lives of famous figures such as Henry David Thoreau, John Burroughs, Ralph Borsodi, Wendell Berry, and Helen and Scott Nearing, and she presents penetrating interviews with many contemporary homesteaders. She also considers homesteading as a form of dissent from consumer culture, as a departure from traditional religious life, and as a practice of environmental ethics.
382 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 14, 2022
Excellent book overviewing north american homesteading literature of the last couple of centuries, and some on site visits to modern homesteaders, from the lens of homesteading as a spiritual outlet.
For those unsatisfied with modernity and contemporary organized religion in favour of being close to nature and finding God through simplicity of daily activities.
Rather interesting and can see parallels between her analysis of modern homesteading and the hermits of old.
Lots of references and potential books to explore based on her references.
I'm interested in a more broad analysis as well that encompasses other pioneers. And indeed we can see the same spiritual leanings in the early colonists of North America.
For those unsatisfied with modernity and contemporary organized religion in favour of being close to nature and finding God through simplicity of daily activities.
Rather interesting and can see parallels between her analysis of modern homesteading and the hermits of old.
Lots of references and potential books to explore based on her references.
I'm interested in a more broad analysis as well that encompasses other pioneers. And indeed we can see the same spiritual leanings in the early colonists of North America.
August 9, 2019
There are many reasons why people decide to go "back to nature." This book is about homesteaders who choose to live there, build homes and farms, and do so with deliberation and purpose. From Thoreau to John Burroughs and the Nearings, Rebecca Gould discusses these movements from several angles. Very well researched.
March 13, 2024
Advisor’s book. Fire. “I want to explore how one category of meaning-making (making the self) can interfere with or render irrelevant another category (sacralizing nature). In Sal's case, the process of being available to what nature has to teach, a process that led him into a self-consciously low-impact, unordered style of homesteading, became sufficiently fulfilling to take him out of nature and into a different setting for practical and spiritual educa-tion. The external practice of living close to nature became subordinate to the internal practices of honing perception and nurturing a sense of connection to other people and things, practices that Sal interprets in the language of spiritual growth and psychological maturity.� 57
June 13, 2019
Engrossing history of homesteading movements, the participants of which view nature as their constant reference point. Homesteading is usually an attempt to escape from consumer culture and organized forms of religion. Gould does a great job of showing how leftists and political conservatives alike can engage in homesteading practices.
March 15, 2009
This was interesting, but a bit too dense for the casual read I was looking for. It had lots of really interesting ideas about the implications of homesteading values - but I ultimately did not find myself returning to read more that often. I read the first few chapters and gained some insight into how working the land and striving for self-reliance is a spiritually based journey - usually with god="nature" euphemisms - but then I was satisfied and didn't read more. Also, it was overdue.
January 15, 2008
This book is excellent and inspirational. It takes a unique viewpoint about the way nature is constructed in the eyes of homesteaders. I hope that my own scholarly work can be this engaging and relevant.
June 13, 2012
Good so far, scholarly but informational and well-organized.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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