The Sublime and Wonder

doi:10.1017/9781108860666.015

14 - The Sublime and Wonder

from Part III - Engagements

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 July 2022

Emily Brady

Edited by

Alexander J. B. Hampton and

Douglas Hedley

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Alexander J. B. Hampton: Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Douglas Hedley: Affiliation:
University of Cambridge

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Summary

The concepts of the sublime and wonder have a long and significant history in philosophy, literature and the arts, religion, and the history of science. These concepts identify kinds of human attitudes and responses to the natural world and to cultural practices and artifacts. This chapter will focus on the contemporary relevance of the sublime and wonder to questions and issues within the context of nature, environment, aesthetics, and religion. I begin with a brief, recent history of sublimity before examining the contemporary sublime in relation to environmental thought and “other-regarding attitudes” toward nature. I then consider recent cross-disciplinary discussions of the varieties of wonder and show how this attitude invites receptivity in relation to the more-than-human world. In the concluding section, I offer a comparison of the sublime and wonder to show, further, the different ways in which they may support sympathetic, ethical attitudes toward nature.

Keywords

Sublime wonder environment nature aesthetics

Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge Companion to Christianity and the Environment , pp. 217 - 230

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108860666.015 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2022

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