Mikaela Martinez Dettinger: Habitus in Wirzba

"In other words, for God to die, all that is necessary is for people to imagine and implement a world in which God is an unwelcome, unnecessary, or unimaginable hypothesis."

    In Norman Wirzba's first chapter there is a parallel between God the Creator and God's Creation. The parallel drawn is specifically that between the death of Creation and the death of the Creator. Wirzba, however, does not intend death to be taken in the literal sense of burials and graves. Rather, it is a metaphorical death brought about by the inability of a distracted mankind to interact with the Divine through nature. When the appreciation and care for Creation diminishes, so does the presence of the Creator. 

    This connects to the concepts of Habitus and dwelling we have learned about thus far. Habitus is defined (for the purpose of this class) as "the ritualized way of perceiving reality" and it is done by dwelling. Dwelling  is defined for this class as "to conduct oneself in accordance to a custom or habit that draws meaning from the particularities of the environment." (Solar of Fierce Landscapes,9). In summation, Habitus can be understood to mean  the ritualized act of dwelling in a particular place. This act of Habitus allows a connection to the world as it exists in a way that creates a depth of understanding within the connection. 

    When related to Wirzba's parallel between Creation and Creator it becomes apparent that the parallel exists within this concept of habitus. Without dwelling in the environment in a ritualized or almost sacramental way, one cannot connect or realize the Creator. Creator, in Wirzba's sense, most refers to the God in the Christian Scriptures referenced within the book. It is important to note this because in Christianity there is a profound connection between God the Creator and His Creation. The connection here is made through the intervention of humankind as stewards of this Creation. If the stewards turn away from the natural world bestowed into their care then their connection to both Creator and Creation withers. Consequently, Creator and Creation wither with it. 

Wirzba, Norman. From Nature to Creation (The Church and Postmodern Culture) (p. 7). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

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