Pantheism -- once an obscure philosophy touted only by the rare intellectual -- is currently weighing in again on the spiritual scene, thanks to the Internet. The World Pantheist Movement (www.pantheism.net), founded in 1998, now claims 2,000 members in 56 countries, with active local groups in San Diego, Calif., London, Cleveland and other cities.
But founder Paul Harrison of Calabasas, Calif., believes there are many more out there who are pantheists and just don't know it.
"I've talked to many, many people who said, `I've felt this way all along but didn't know there was a name for it," said Harrison.
"Do you feel a deep sense of peace and belonging in the midst of nature?" the site asks. If so, "then you will feel thoroughly at home in the World Pantheist Movement." The site quotes the pantheistic philosophies of Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan, Henry David Thoreau, and Mikhail Gorbachev, who said: "To me, nature is sacred. Trees are my temples and forests are my cathedrals."
Seeing the universe as a profound unity, pantheists turn to nature for spiritual inspiration. Harrison spends time every day in nature, meditating on a star-filled night or watching the waves at the seashore. In practical terms, a pantheist expresses devotion by caring for the environment.
Katherine Peil, a Seattle psychologist and member of the World Pantheist Movement, believes pantheism offers hope for avoiding clashes among people of different religions. "If any religion can be global, it's pantheism, because it's based on nature, something we all have in common," she said.
"Almost everyone has a profound love of nature," said Harrison."Even people who call themselves Christians, for example, might have stronger feelings about nature than about traditional religious teachings."
Harrison, an ecologist, found a kind of salvation in pantheism. A professed atheist, he fell into a black depression, until a job on a farm led him to spend time in nature every day. "I shifted from seeing life in negative to extremely positive terms," he said. "For me, the whole pantheism thing is emotional."
Ignorance of the word pantheism poses the group's biggest obstacle, but Harrison is hopeful because he sees acceptance of pantheistic ideas in the popularity of films like the "Star Wars" series (Says Harrison: "When someone calls on the Force, they are not calling on God, they are calling on the universe") and in animated films such as "Pocahontas" and "The Lion King." He also sees pantheism in the writings of many environmentalists, including Al Gore's book, "Earth in the Balance."
To their dismay, evangelical Christians are seeing pantheism in pop culture, too. Google the word "pantheism" and the search engine turns up many sites like Plugged In, a Web site and magazine analyzing films and music from a Christian perspective. Editor Bob Smithouser points out pantheistic elements in animated films like "Spirited Away" and "The Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within," calling the latter "the slickest presentation of eco-pantheism since Pocahontas."
Pantheism's emphasis on caring for nature promotes benign values, Smithouser says, but it rejects the notion of God as a separate, personal being, as understood by Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Christian doctrine labels pantheism heretical; according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "The church has repeatedly condemned the errors of pantheism."
But, counters pantheist Katherine Peil, without a personal notion of God, people can experience the divine more freely. "We see God in all of nature, which liberates religion and eliminates the need for intermediaries," said Peil, a Seattle psychologist. "You don't need Scripture, or popes, or channelers, and you don't need devils."
And, some pantheists would add, you don't need a formal organization. Organizing pantheists has proved a challenge because many pantheists, by definition, are wary of all forms of organized religion. To complicate the issue, pantheism overlaps with other spiritual traditions -- Shinto, Zen, Taoism, pagan and other earth-based spiritualities espouse pantheistic views of the universe. Some pantheists believe in reincarnation; others don't. The World Pantheist Movement adopted a credo, but, hoping to avoid the pitfalls of more dogmatic religions, doesn't require assent to it for members to join.
Despite these issues, Harrison believes it's important for pantheists to organize for fellowship and unified action. Working through the Web site, members have set aside more than 44 acres of land for nature preserves, a tangible expression of the group's spirituality. Said Harrison: "If you just sit under a tree and commune with nature, you might feel isolated."
