How Did Ancient Wilderness Narratives Form Identities and Relationships with Nature? And Do They Still?I noted the publication of the book here.Ancient wilderness narratives from Mesopotamian, Jewish, and Christian traditions shaped religious identity by portraying wilderness not merely as chaotic or dangerous, but as a space for personal transformation, divine encounter, and critique of societal order. Rather than reinforcing dominion over nature, these stories often highlighted awe, humility, and kinship with the wild, forming a legacy of spiritual introspection that resonates with modern wilderness experiences and ecological reflection. In both past and present, such narratives foster what scholars now call “resonant self-world relations,” emphasizing nature’s uncontrollability as essential to human thriving.
See also Ancient Mythologies of the Wilderness: Narrative, Nature, and Religious Identity Formation from the Babylonians to the Late Antique Christians (Cambridge University Press, 2025).
By Laura Feldt
Associate Professor
Department of Archaeology, History, Cultural Studies and Religion
University of Bergen
August 2025
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