Worldviews 16 (2012) 50–72 © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2012 DOI 10.1163/156853511X617812 brill.nl/wo WORLDVIEWS 1) The author would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers who offered insights about and constructive criticisms of this submission. Any remaining errors are of course my own. 2) Glacken (1967: 285). “The Production of Post-Supernaturalistic Mythopoesis in Contemporary Nature Religion” Todd LeVasseur College of Charleston, Department of Religion, 66 George Street Charleston, SC 29424, USA levasseurtj@cofc.edu Abstract Are there new, emerging forms of nature reverencing religion? If so, what might these look like? This paper seeks to answer this question by drawing on both Bron Taylor’s Dark Green Religion (and especially his nature religion schema found therein that includes the category of “Gaian Earth Religion”) and the work of environmental philosopher Donald Crosby (and his category of “religion of nature”). I argue that science writers like Edward Wilson and Carl Sagan, along with ecopoets like Mary Oliver, are creating a new mythopoesis of post- supernaturalistic nature religion. I also look at the complex interaction of religion/science and the role reverence for nature plays in this dialogue. I argue that the nature religion schema put forth by Taylor and the “physisology” put forth by Crosby can help us better theorize emerging strands of post-supernaturalistic religious-like sentiments and narratives that continue to grow 150 years after Darwin’s theory revolutionized both science and religion. Keywords mythopoesis, Gaian Earth Religion, science, post-supernaturalistic The Production of Post-Supernaturalistic Mythopoesis in Contemporary Nature Religion 1 “In the poetry of almost all ages, one ijinds evidence of the popularity of environmental ideas.” —Clarence Glacken 2 This paper will build on the above insight about poetry offered by the envi- ronmental geographer Clarence Glacken. I maintain that the nature poetry 0001491225.INDD 50 0001491225.INDD 50 12/20/2011 1:56:09 PM 12/20/2011 1:56:09 PM