Ecologies of ecstasy mysticism, philosophy, and vegetal life Simone Kotva

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kotva, Simone, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Philosophy and religion.

Spiritualism (Philosophy).

Physical Description:

1 online resource

illustration

Place of Publication:

Columbia University Press (Lightning Source), 2026.

New York Columbia University Press [2026]

Summary:

"What might religious practice learn from plants? Recent years have seen the emergence of critical plant studies, and philosophers have found a radical mode of thought in vegetal life. Ecologies of Ecstasy recasts religious contemplation as a form of vegetal being, arguing that spiritual practice is rooted in the generation of life on earth. Simone Kotva explores the role of vegetal life in the history of Christian mysticism and the practice of contemplation, demonstrating its significance to the concept of mystical union, which rests on the loss of distinction between self and world. She shows that plants, animals, and other creatures were once understood to exist by virtue of contemplation and examines how religious orthodoxies suppressed this idea. Ecologies of Ecstasy provides fresh readings of texts by figures such as Plotinus, Evagrius of Pontus, Hildegard of Bingen, Marguerite of Porete, the Helfta mystics, and Jeanne Guyon in light of contemporary philosophies of vegetal life and critical plant studies. It brings together feminist, queer, and ecocritical readings of Christian mysticism with continental philosophy and the works of Michael Marder, Emanuele Coccia, and Luce Irigaray. Entwining Christian contemplation with philosophies of vegetal life, this book offers new ways to understand mysticism and spiritual practice"-- Provided by publisher

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from digital title page (JSTOR platform, viewed April 13, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version Kotva, Simone. Ecologies of ecstasy

ISBN:

9780231560122

0231560125

0231564775

9780231564779

OCLC:

1569364769

Publisher Number:

CIPO000326441

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license