OA encourages 'outdoor spirituality'

A dinner discussion at the Center for Jewish Life yesterday kicked off a collaboration between Outdoor Action and the Office of Religious Life to explore the relationship between nature and spirituality.

Outdoor Spirituality — a program founded by Outdoor Action (OA) director Rick Curtis '79, Presbyterian minister Peter Hazelrigg and Associate Dean of Religious Life Paul Raushenbush — aims to reach out to students who are not directly involved with religious groups on campus. The discussion was the first of the group's four planned events.

"The natural world is the place where I feel the greatest connection to something much larger than myself," Curtis said. "This unique program is a way to focus attention on our critical relationship with the natural world."

At the event yesterday, students from a variety of faiths — including Presbyterians, Hindus, Roman Catholics and Jews — shared their opinions and traditions with each other in small groups. The students met in a sukkah, a three-walled structure open to the sky where Jews traditionally eat their meals during the holiday of Sukkot.

Though the Religious Life Council (RLC) is not directly involved in planning Outdoor Spirituality's overall program, Hazelrigg invited RLC member Owen Fletcher '08 to help organize yesterday's discussion.

"I agreed [to help organize it] because I think fully experiencing and connecting with our environment is an essential part of being spiritual," Fletcher said. "I think it's a great starting point for the cultivation of interpersonal relationships and understanding across religious boundaries."

"I hope that Outdoor Spirituality is able to contribute to the cause of bringing people of all faith backgrounds or no faith background together," Fletcher added. "Not to get everyone to agree on everything, but rather so that they can understand and appreciate each other as people despite their disagreements."

The program's second event will feature a lecture by religion professor emeritus and rock climber John Gager, while the third will involve a screening of "Baraka," a film that touches on creation themes and environment issues through visual and audio footage of nature.

The program will culminate in an interfaith retreat to Princeton-Blairstown Center on Alexander Street the first weekend after fall break. The center offers activities including rock climbing, hiking and a ropes course. Participating students will also have time for private reflection, a group sharing session and prayer.

While staying in either tents or cabins, students will have an opportunity to explore how religious observance is different in close proximity to nature.

"There is something inherently spiritual about the outdoors," Hazelrigg, who is also a former wilderness instructor, said.

"It's hard to put a figure to the number of people who will attend," he said. "But my feeling with talking to students in a number of settings is that there are a lot of interested people."