Guest edited by Johan Roeland
Many of us love gardening: being outside, assisting in acts of creation, enjoying the beauty of fresh flowers, and becoming ecstatic over those first glimpses of new growth in the spring. At the same time, small-scale farming and local gardening can be activities for alternative socio-political action, as community gardens help people take some control of their own food sources, invest us with a sense of dignity, and create public spaces for communities. Meanwhile, religious traditions across the world have been invested in the mythology, ritual, and symbolism of gardens for several millennia.
CrossCurrents journal (https://www.aprilonline.org/crosscurrents-journal-overview/) is putting together a special issue on the topic of “Gardening as Social-Spiritual Practice,” and seeks essays along these lines. Contributions can include attention to practices of the body, social justice initiatives, personal spiritual betterment, alternative spaces, community building, and more. Essays will mix the personal and the political, the spiritual and the social, contributing to ways we might think through gardening practices in light of religious renewal, social justice, and public futures.
Length:
~3-5000 words, with notes and references
Deadlines:
May 15, 2023: First draft due
May – July: reviews and revisions
July 31, 2023: Final draft due
September 2023: Published as issue 73.3 and simultaneously released as a book
Please contact Johan Roeland [email protected] for further information. Please cc Brent Rodríguez-Plate ([email protected])
