Religion/worldview/base philosophy and Wendell Berry

There was a post about Joel Salatin and a commentor said that their regard for him changed because he promoted president Trump. I am not sure of the details of how exactly he did promote him.. I understand that Joel is a Libertarian and would more align with conservative verses liberal politics. I do not understand how political affiliation would make the truth of what he says, less true, if that is the concern.

I had no "religion or worldview" until I was in my 30's. Up until that. I mainly worked towards being successful along the lines of cultural standards (maybe that was my worldview). I found myself in and out of different groups where one common belief was Gnosticism. The aspect of Gnosticism that was so present was a disregard for the creation. Land, plants, animals, resources, etc. So, the groups were primarily conservative, libertarian, so the speak. They were religious, local church types. I doubt any would ever admit to the Gnostic tendencies but they were there.

I started reading Wendell Berry and he really helped me develop my worldview further and understand that right stewardship of this creation is needed along with a focus on community.

I am finding that having a solid world view helps me to be more consistent in my thoughts and actions. I really enjoyed his book Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community. And then there is his more popular book on The Unsettling of America.

What books or people seemed to come in at the right time in your life and helped you get to where you are now? As far as having the common desire to take care of our land and communities.

Everyone has a worldview, but not everyone thinks about the fact that it shapes their actions based on what they believe or don't believe.

To answer your question, a book that came into my life that increased the common desire to take care of our land and communities? The Bible.

According to the Bible, God created this world, and then gave dominion or stewardship of the earth to humans. I think it is summed up in the phrase, use it, but don't abuse it. I believe the Bible teaches a middle ground that we don't see too often. We are to use the incredible resources around us for the betterment of mankind. This is different than many people who teach that humans should just stay out of it and not touch anything. The Bible also teaches that we should be taking care of the land in a proper manner so that it is not wasted or abused. I do not believe that we should be killing animals for no reason or killing too many that they are no longer around. Any resource gathering should be done in the least destructive way, and then restored afterwards. People that believe in the Bible should be the greatest champions of taking care of the earth.

Imagine someone loaned you their pickup truck so that you could move... and you parked it in a garage, shut the door and didn't touch it. Do you think that was their intention when they let you borrow the truck?

Imagine someone loaned you their pickup truck so that you could move... and you tossed all your stuff in the back, broke the back window, broke the tailgate, dented the sides loading and unloading, then took it for a trip across country and back, broke a headlight, and bring it back without fixing anything, and with an empty gas tank. Do you think this was their intention when they let you borrow the truck?

Those analogies are like the two extremes I see people have with this earth. What the Bible teaches, and what I believe we are supposed to do... is to use it AND take care of it.

Masanobu Fukuoka absolutely! I keep seeing the truth of what he wrote more and more deeply every year.

Braiding Sweetgrass is another one, and so are the books of Martin Prechtel.

Masanobu Fukuoka’s One Straw Revolution was compared to the basic indigenous worldview common to most indigenous societies and said to be more evidence for the universality of those values, and the latter two are by indigenous writers of some people or another.