Kleier, Catherine

English

epublications@Marquette

Conversations on Jesuit Higher EducationVolume 49 Jesuit Higher Education in a GlobalContext Article 31September 2016Natura Revelata The Importance of Nature in theJesuit University: Reflections on EnvironmentalBiology, the Liberal Arts, and Laudato Si'Catherine KleierFollow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversationsRecommended CitationKleier, Catherine (2016) "Natura Revelata The Importance of Nature in the Jesuit University: Reflections on Environmental Biology,the Liberal Arts, and Laudato Si'," Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education: Vol. 49 , Article 31.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol49/iss1/31                                                                                                                                                                                                                 7The observation and study of nature can be a useful path-way for engaging spirituality and understanding habits ofthe scholarly mind. These habits of attention to nature mir-ror the critical thinking skills so fundamental to the liberalarts. In “Laudato Si’,” Pope Francis asks us to privilege theEarth the way we privilege the poor. Developing a relation-ship with nature will help us all live out the pope’s call. Therevelation that nature provides can give our lives meaningand help us to live more deeply in our own habitats. In an America article in 2000 entitled, “How to BeCatholic in a Jesuit Context,” Howard Gray, S.J., asked, “Isthere an ecumenical process that is both deeply religiousbut genuinely acceptable to those of other beliefs or no for-mally religious belief?” Then he outlines a Jesuit approachthat first involves focus and then attention, reverence, anddevotion. Finding spiritual union implies that we must lookinward, but I propose that an outward focus on nature canalso bring spiritual revelation. Natura Revelata, or nature re-vealed, can be the ecumenical process to bring us to union.This process of focus, attention, reverence, and devo-tion is very much the pathway the liberal arts exalt withinthe disciplines. Teaching this process not only helps stu-dents in Jesuit universities to embrace union but may alsohelp to model an approach to the life of the mind that wewish to inspire in our students. The Latin verb revelaremeans: to unveil, uncover, lay bare; disclose, reveal. Al-though the word revel may not be the same root, the addedmeaning of revel, or celebration, is equally appropriate toNatura Revelata. Thinking about nature in this way, we canalso see a similarity to the process that all scholars engageon their path to truths in their disciplines. In science, observations elucidate nature’s patterns. Inorder to observe at all, though, one must focus, which is thefirst part of Father Gray’s suggestion. Focusing our attentionrequires discipline, but like anything that requires work, thereis usually a payoff. With focus and observation comes therecognition of a pattern. Such a recognition is a “eureka mo-ment,” or a revelation. For scientists, this movement towardsNatura RevelataThe importance of nature in the Jesuit UniversityReflections on Environmental Biology, the Liberal Arts, and Laudato Si’By Catherine Kleier1Kleier: Natura Revelata The Importance of Nature in the Jesuit UniversityPublished by e-Publications@Marquette, 20168 CONVERSATIONS ON JESUIT HIGHER EDUCATION                                                                                                                                          the eureka moment may be a slow, plodding march, but usu-ally that slog is followed by a frenzied flow of thought and un-derstanding. I find nature a useful pathway for my studentsbecause it requires so little background knowledge. It’s a goodthing too that nature can be approachable without formalknowledge, because few people know anything about thenatural history of where they live. Modern science views natu-ral history as archaic and many universities don’t even teachnatural history any more.To illustrate my point about the paucity of natural historyknowledge, consider if you can answer the following: Whatphase is the moon in tonight? What constellations are visiblein tonight’s night sky? Name five native birds that are residentyear round. Name five native non-tree plants in your home.Name five insects native to your home.Natural history in our immediate physical place is the gate-way to Natura Revelata. Understanding and observing localplants and animals can lead to the formation of patterns in themind, which can be revelations and eureka moments, not just inscience but also in faith and in emotional and physical aspects oflife. Nature is no less a wonder for the nonbeliever as for the be-liever, and the moments and discernments nature provides areavailable to everyone. To study nature, to understand nature oranything in the world, one can rely upon intuition, and one canalso focus one’s attention to make observation.Sometimes students will ask me how I knew what Iwanted to study. If we are introspective enough, we will un-derstand that we didn’t actually choose. More often, the sub-ject matter chooses us. Like the eureka moment, there is aslow advance in observation, then some research, reading, ex-perimentation, until there is some understanding. Possibly,even answers are revealed, and this is thrilling. Before we haverealized it, we are in love. Like falling in love with a person, thisis not the sort of thing that happens overnight, but if youstudy anything with enough perseverance, it reveals its mys-tery, and you begin to revel in your love. Nature provides aneasy gateway to observation and study because it is tangibleand all around us. I believe the study and love of nature has not been ex-plicit in the Jesuit university. To be sure, “finding God in allthings” certainly echoes an implication of God in nature. Yet,focusing intentionally on nature provides a way of living thatis indicative of “How ought we to live?” Nature forces us tothink outside of ourselves. There is much documentation thatAs active members of the Sustain-ability Committee at Regis, we cre-ate programs that implementsustainability practices. This aca-demic year we have worked withour cafeteria vender to decrease theamount of food waste. For a weekduring lunch, committee membersstood at the dish rack and askedpeople to clear their plate into abucket, placed on a scale so theysaw how much waste they con-tributed. By the end of the week theamount of waste decreased from 120to 80 pounds.        Our committee also initiatedtwo composting, work-study posi-tions, because having students leadcomposting efforts is the most effec-tive strategy. Approved by the ad-ministration, student employeeswork with local businesses and BonAppetit (on campus) to compost.        Sustainability is also integratedinto our Integrative Core classes. Inone class entitled “Modeling Sus-tainability,” students created theComposting, Food Waste, and Trust the TapBy Isabella Kaser and Jake Gilchrest Dudley2Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, Vol. 49, Iss. 1 [2016], Art. 31http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol49/iss1/31                                                                                                                                                                                                                 9Far left: Maggie Lacy and ErinMecaller in front of SustainabilityCommittee information.Above left: Colleen Lopp adds herfood waste to the scale.Above: Grace Corrigan reviews thefood waste challenge information.nature soothes our minds and relieves our stress. Emerson andThoreau wrote about a returning to nature to gain access tothe human spirit. Nature, though, is not apart from us. Natureis intrinsically part of the human being. To observe this naturethough and celebrate it as God’s creation or simply as a path-way to the life of the mind is Natura Revelata.What might Natura Revelata look like in our liberal artscourses? If we look at any discipline, surely we are creativeenough to see how nature, particularly one’s immediate place-based natural history, can relate to everything. Many writershave touched upon the link between natural history and cul-tural history, providing a connection to the fields of history,politics, and sociology. Studies also reflect that nature relievesstress and provides feelings of happiness, which can be con-nected to psychology and economics, which has recentlybeen engaged in happiness studies. Nature provides manyways of viewing mathematics: fibonacci series and the con-structual law of nature are but two examples. Certainly, art isinfluenced by local habitat, and music might be as well,though this is less defined. Nature writing and nature poetryform the genre of ecocriticism, and philosophical writingsabout our relationship with and our responsibility to natureare abundant. Thus, no matter our disciplinary silo, could wenot involve our students in the stories of plants and animalson some small level to instill Natura Revelata?I believe that we could coax place-based, local, natureknowledge into our courses, and that by doing so, strengthenour university identity as an institution rooted to this placeand branching up to a global level. This message of creating arelationship with nature as a connection to God and a connec-tion to humanity forms an antidote to what Pope Francis calls“the rapidification of life” and our “throwaway culture.” Place-based, local, nature knowledge will inspire Natura Revelataand help our students fortify their relationship with God orsimply fortify their relationship with the world and add mean-ing to their lives. Catherine Kleier, an associate professor, is chair of the department of biology at Regis University, Denver.Photograph of a raindrop, page 7, by Chris Kalinko, Seattle University.“Trust the Tap” project to increase thenumber of water bottles reused oncampus by having refill stations in-stalled around campus.       The committee also educated theRegis community about conservation,food justice, E-waste, and other aspectsof sustainability during “Earth Week.”The highly passionate committee haseffectively motivated the student bodyand Regis community towards sustain-able living and consumption.Isabella Kaser and Jake Gilchrest Dudleyare both members of the class of 2016,Regis University.3Kleier: Natura Revelata The Importance of Nature in the Jesuit UniversityPublished by e-Publications@Marquette, 2016

Natura Revelata The Importance of Nature in the Jesuit University: Reflections on Environmental Biology, the Liberal Arts, and Laudato Si\u27

Conversations on Jesuit Higher EducationVolume 50 Article 59-1-2016Natura Revelata The Importance of Nature in theJesuit University: Reflections on EnvironmentalBiology, the Liberal Arts, and Laudato Si'Catherine KleierFollow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversationsRecommended CitationKleier, Catherine (2016) "Natura Revelata The Importance of Nature in the Jesuit University: Reflections on Environmental Biology,the Liberal Arts, and Laudato Si'," Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education: Vol. 50 , Article 5.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol50/iss1/5                                                                                                                                                                                                                 7The observation and study of nature can be a useful path-way for engaging spirituality and understanding habits ofthe scholarly mind. These habits of attention to nature mir-ror the critical thinking skills so fundamental to the liberalarts. In “Laudato Si’,” Pope Francis asks us to privilege theEarth the way we privilege the poor. Developing a relation-ship with nature will help us all live out the pope’s call. Therevelation that nature provides can give our lives meaningand help us to live more deeply in our own habitats. In an America article in 2000 entitled, “How to BeCatholic in a Jesuit Context,” Howard Gray, S.J., asked, “Isthere an ecumenical process that is both deeply religiousbut genuinely acceptable to those of other beliefs or no for-mally religious belief?” Then he outlines a Jesuit approachthat first involves focus and then attention, reverence, anddevotion. Finding spiritual union implies that we must lookinward, but I propose that an outward focus on nature canalso bring spiritual revelation. Natura Revelata, or nature re-vealed, can be the ecumenical process to bring us to union.This process of focus, attention, reverence, and devo-tion is very much the pathway the liberal arts exalt withinthe disciplines. Teaching this process not only helps stu-dents in Jesuit universities to embrace union but may alsohelp to model an approach to the life of the mind that wewish to inspire in our students. The Latin verb revelaremeans: to unveil, uncover, lay bare; disclose, reveal. Al-though the word revel may not be the same root, the addedmeaning of revel, or celebration, is equally appropriate toNatura Revelata. Thinking about nature in this way, we canalso see a similarity to the process that all scholars engageon their path to truths in their disciplines. In science, observations elucidate nature’s patterns. Inorder to observe at all, though, one must focus, which is thefirst part of Father Gray’s suggestion. Focusing our attentionrequires discipline, but like anything that requires work, thereis usually a payoff. With focus and observation comes therecognition of a pattern. Such a recognition is a “eureka mo-ment,” or a revelation. For scientists, this movement towardsNatura RevelataThe importance of nature in the Jesuit UniversityReflections on Environmental Biology, the Liberal Arts, and Laudato Si’By Catherine Kleier1Kleier: <em>Natura Revelata</em> The Importance of Nature in the Jesuit UPublished by e-Publications@Marquette, 20168 CONVERSATIONS ON JESUIT HIGHER EDUCATION                                                                                                                                          the eureka moment may be a slow, plodding march, but usu-ally that slog is followed by a frenzied flow of thought and un-derstanding. I find nature a useful pathway for my studentsbecause it requires so little background knowledge. It’s a goodthing too that nature can be approachable without formalknowledge, because few people know anything about thenatural history of where they live. Modern science views natu-ral history as archaic and many universities don’t even teachnatural history any more.To illustrate my point about the paucity of natural historyknowledge, consider if you can answer the following: Whatphase is the moon in tonight? What constellations are visiblein tonight’s night sky? Name five native birds that are residentyear round. Name five native non-tree plants in your home.Name five insects native to your home.Natural history in our immediate physical place is the gate-way to Natura Revelata. Understanding and observing localplants and animals can lead to the formation of patterns in themind, which can be revelations and eureka moments, not just inscience but also in faith and in emotional and physical aspects oflife. Nature is no less a wonder for the nonbeliever as for the be-liever, and the moments and discernments nature provides areavailable to everyone. To study nature, to understand nature oranything in the world, one can rely upon intuition, and one canalso focus one’s attention to make observation.Sometimes students will ask me how I knew what Iwanted to study. If we are introspective enough, we will un-derstand that we didn’t actually choose. More often, the sub-ject matter chooses us. Like the eureka moment, there is aslow advance in observation, then some research, reading, ex-perimentation, until there is some understanding. Possibly,even answers are revealed, and this is thrilling. Before we haverealized it, we are in love. Like falling in love with a person, thisis not the sort of thing that happens overnight, but if youstudy anything with enough perseverance, it reveals its mys-tery, and you begin to revel in your love. Nature provides aneasy gateway to observation and study because it is tangibleand all around us. I believe the study and love of nature has not been ex-plicit in the Jesuit university. To be sure, “finding God in allthings” certainly echoes an implication of God in nature. Yet,focusing intentionally on nature provides a way of living thatis indicative of “How ought we to live?” Nature forces us tothink outside of ourselves. There is much documentation thatAs active members of the Sustain-ability Committee at Regis, we cre-ate programs that implementsustainability practices. This aca-demic year we have worked withour cafeteria vender to decrease theamount of food waste. For a weekduring lunch, committee membersstood at the dish rack and askedpeople to clear their plate into abucket, placed on a scale so theysaw how much waste they con-tributed. By the end of the week theamount of waste decreased from 120to 80 pounds.        Our committee also initiatedtwo composting, work-study posi-tions, because having students leadcomposting efforts is the most effec-tive strategy. Approved by the ad-ministration, student employeeswork with local businesses and BonAppetit (on campus) to compost.        Sustainability is also integratedinto our Integrative Core classes. Inone class entitled “Modeling Sus-tainability,” students created theComposting, Food Waste, and Trust the TapBy Isabella Kaser and Jake Gilchrest Dudley2Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, Vol. 50, Iss. 1 [2016], Art. 5http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol50/iss1/5                                                                                                                                                                                                                 9Far left: Maggie Lacy and ErinMecaller in front of SustainabilityCommittee information.Above left: Colleen Lopp adds herfood waste to the scale.Above: Grace Corrigan reviews thefood waste challenge information.nature soothes our minds and relieves our stress. Emerson andThoreau wrote about a returning to nature to gain access tothe human spirit. Nature, though, is not apart from us. Natureis intrinsically part of the human being. To observe this naturethough and celebrate it as God’s creation or simply as a path-way to the life of the mind is Natura Revelata.What might Natura Revelata look like in our liberal artscourses? If we look at any discipline, surely we are creativeenough to see how nature, particularly one’s immediate place-based natural history, can relate to everything. Many writershave touched upon the link between natural history and cul-tural history, providing a connection to the fields of history,politics, and sociology. Studies also reflect that nature relievesstress and provides feelings of happiness, which can be con-nected to psychology and economics, which has recentlybeen engaged in happiness studies. Nature provides manyways of viewing mathematics: fibonacci series and the con-structual law of nature are but two examples. Certainly, art isinfluenced by local habitat, and music might be as well,though this is less defined. Nature writing and nature poetryform the genre of ecocriticism, and philosophical writingsabout our relationship with and our responsibility to natureare abundant. Thus, no matter our disciplinary silo, could wenot involve our students in the stories of plants and animalson some small level to instill Natura Revelata?I believe that we could coax place-based, local, natureknowledge into our courses, and that by doing so, strengthenour university identity as an institution rooted to this placeand branching up to a global level. This message of creating arelationship with nature as a connection to God and a connec-tion to humanity forms an antidote to what Pope Francis calls“the rapidification of life” and our “throwaway culture.” Place-based, local, nature knowledge will inspire Natura Revelataand help our students fortify their relationship with God orsimply fortify their relationship with the world and add mean-ing to their lives. Catherine Kleier, an associate professor, is chair of the department of biology at Regis University, Denver.Photograph of a raindrop, page 7, by Chris Kalinko, Seattle University.“Trust the Tap” project to increase thenumber of water bottles reused oncampus by having refill stations in-stalled around campus.       The committee also educated theRegis community about conservation,food justice, E-waste, and other aspectsof sustainability during “Earth Week.”The highly passionate committee haseffectively motivated the student bodyand Regis community towards sustain-able living and consumption.Isabella Kaser and Jake Gilchrest Dudleyare both members of the class of 2016,Regis University.3Kleier: <em>Natura Revelata</em> The Importance of Nature in the Jesuit UPublished by e-Publications@Marquette, 2016

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\u3cem\u3eNatura Revelata\u3c/em\u3e The Importance of Nature in the Jesuit University: Reflections on Environmental Biology, the Liberal Arts, and Laudato Si\u27

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