Resonances of Celtic Pantheism in Claire Keegan’s Walk the Blue Fields

The relationship between nature and religion has been a matter of philosophical and religious debate for centuries. Nature has been evaluated as a means of reaching God and is considered a reflection of creative power. Pantheism occurs as represented in particular narratives, exploring nature-human...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kubilay Geçikli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Karadeniz Technical University 2024-12-01
Series:Nalans
Subjects:
Online Access:https://nalans.com/index.php/nalans/article/view/1011
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850181540313563136
author Kubilay Geçikli
author_facet Kubilay Geçikli
author_sort Kubilay Geçikli
collection DOAJ
description The relationship between nature and religion has been a matter of philosophical and religious debate for centuries. Nature has been evaluated as a means of reaching God and is considered a reflection of creative power. Pantheism occurs as represented in particular narratives, exploring nature-human coexistence as a manifestation of God. This study aims to explore the elements of Celtic pantheism as a depiction of Christian perception of life, focusing on its attempt to find a reflection of God in nature. Drawing on the terminologies offered by Spinoza, the study analyses Keegan’s story Walk the Blue Fields within a conceptual framework of pantheism, associated with a long spiritual tradition that locates divinity within the natural world, challenging traditional Church doctrines and fostering a mutual relationship between nature and culture. The paper examines how the characters disappoint traditional conceptions by seeking God not within institutional organisations but in nature and the natural. Such an attitude revives the sensitivities of Celtic pantheism by blending natural elements with divine reflections and spiriting the material world with fancy and imagination. The paper also discusses how these stories offer new ethical considerations as to what is good or bad: naturalness. The study shows how the characters’ ‘natural life’ and ‘life in nature’ yield a genuine moral expression and perception through unmediated natural experience. The study concludes that envisaging nature as a potential realm of spiritual connection and reflective involvement brings creative power and healing cure.
format Article
id doaj-art-19dd6637b60a4a72a403baf1e7cf5d05
institution OA Journals
issn 2148-4066
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Karadeniz Technical University
record_format Article
series Nalans
spelling doaj-art-19dd6637b60a4a72a403baf1e7cf5d052025-08-20T02:17:53ZengKaradeniz Technical UniversityNalans2148-40662024-12-01122629831110.59045/nalans.2024.60962Resonances of Celtic Pantheism in Claire Keegan’s Walk the Blue FieldsKubilay Geçikli0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4154-1298Atatürk UniversityThe relationship between nature and religion has been a matter of philosophical and religious debate for centuries. Nature has been evaluated as a means of reaching God and is considered a reflection of creative power. Pantheism occurs as represented in particular narratives, exploring nature-human coexistence as a manifestation of God. This study aims to explore the elements of Celtic pantheism as a depiction of Christian perception of life, focusing on its attempt to find a reflection of God in nature. Drawing on the terminologies offered by Spinoza, the study analyses Keegan’s story Walk the Blue Fields within a conceptual framework of pantheism, associated with a long spiritual tradition that locates divinity within the natural world, challenging traditional Church doctrines and fostering a mutual relationship between nature and culture. The paper examines how the characters disappoint traditional conceptions by seeking God not within institutional organisations but in nature and the natural. Such an attitude revives the sensitivities of Celtic pantheism by blending natural elements with divine reflections and spiriting the material world with fancy and imagination. The paper also discusses how these stories offer new ethical considerations as to what is good or bad: naturalness. The study shows how the characters’ ‘natural life’ and ‘life in nature’ yield a genuine moral expression and perception through unmediated natural experience. The study concludes that envisaging nature as a potential realm of spiritual connection and reflective involvement brings creative power and healing cure.https://nalans.com/index.php/nalans/article/view/1011naturepantheismceltic pantheismreligionclaire keeganwalk the blue fields
spellingShingle Kubilay Geçikli
Resonances of Celtic Pantheism in Claire Keegan’s Walk the Blue Fields
Nalans
nature
pantheism
celtic pantheism
religion
claire keegan
walk the blue fields
title Resonances of Celtic Pantheism in Claire Keegan’s Walk the Blue Fields
title_full Resonances of Celtic Pantheism in Claire Keegan’s Walk the Blue Fields
title_fullStr Resonances of Celtic Pantheism in Claire Keegan’s Walk the Blue Fields
title_full_unstemmed Resonances of Celtic Pantheism in Claire Keegan’s Walk the Blue Fields
title_short Resonances of Celtic Pantheism in Claire Keegan’s Walk the Blue Fields
title_sort resonances of celtic pantheism in claire keegan s walk the blue fields
topic nature
pantheism
celtic pantheism
religion
claire keegan
walk the blue fields
url https://nalans.com/index.php/nalans/article/view/1011
work_keys_str_mv AT kubilaygecikli resonancesofcelticpantheisminclairekeeganswalkthebluefields