Invited essay ecology, culture, and spirituality in the nebraska sandhills

Abstract

This essay explores the Nebraska Sandhills from the point of view of three college professors—working from three different academic backgrounds—who nonetheless attempt to speak with one voice about this important landscape. A theologian, a scholar of communication studies, and a biologist explore the contours of what one might call “a spirituality of the Sandhills” that is at once biological and cultural, emerging from the plants and peoples who have inhabited that place. Along the way, the authors reflect upon the scientific and historical importance of this grassland, its unique culture, and its ecological significance. In addition, the authors argue that the Sandhills offers ecological lessons to the human community beyond the region as they attempt to imagine more sustainable ways of living.