The Wounding of the Earth: The Presence of the Ontological Rift and Eco-Dissonant Spiritualities

In this article, I argue that the climate crisis is a symptom of dissonant eco-subjects and relations that are, in part, produced by Abrahamic religious/spiritual traditions—traditions that function as apparatuses of the ontological rift between human and other-than-human animals. The argument begins by addressing the relation between Abrahamic traditions and apparatuses of the ontological rift. This sets the stage for explicating what is meant by spiritualities of eco-dissonant subjects. To further understand the features of eco-dissonant spiritualities, I turn to the philosophical notion of self-deception and the psychoanalytic notion of weak dissociation, which help explain our resistance to becoming aware of our contributions to the sufferings of other species and the wounding of the Earth, as well as our resistance to change.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Religions
Published
2025-12-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16121571
Primary Topic
Theological Perspectives and Practices
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

The Wounding of the Earth: The Presence of the Ontological Rift and Eco-Dissonant Spiritualities

Ryan LaMothe
Religions
Theological Perspectives and Practices
article

The Wounding of the Earth: The Presence of the Ontological Rift and Eco-Dissonant Spiritualities

Ryan LaMothe
article en

Abstract

In this article, I argue that the climate crisis is a symptom of dissonant eco-subjects and relations that are, in part, produced by Abrahamic religious/spiritual traditions—traditions that function as apparatuses of the ontological rift between human and other-than-human animals. The argument begins by addressing the relation between Abrahamic traditions and apparatuses of the ontological rift. This sets the stage for explicating what is meant by spiritualities of eco-dissonant subjects. To further understand the features of eco-dissonant spiritualities, I turn to the philosophical notion of self-deception and the psychoanalytic notion of weak dissociation, which help explain our resistance to becoming aware of our contributions to the sufferings of other species and the wounding of the Earth, as well as our resistance to change.

ReligionsVol. 16(12)
Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 51%
Theological Perspectives and Practices
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.