Diskussion | Lectures
Out of the Box #1 Nature & Spirituality
In the first issue of OUT-OF-THE-BOX, we ask: What changes when we view nature not merely as a resource, a piece of land or a backdrop, but as part of a living web of relationships to which we ourselves also belong? And what role do notions of meaning, responsibility, connectedness and creation play in this?
We talk a great deal about crises: the climate crisis, species extinction, social polarisation, mental health and the loss of social cohesion. We rarely ask what links all these developments together. Perhaps we are experiencing not only an ecological crisis, but also a crisis of relationships – with nature, with other people and with ourselves. With ‘Out-of-the-Box’, we are creating a space for encounters that rarely take place in everyday life. People from different walks of life come together and explore what emerges when perspectives that would otherwise hardly ever meet collide. Not a talk show, not a debate, not a networking event – but an evening fuelled by curiosity, full of unexpected connections, productive friction and fresh ideas. Supported by the Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment.
The first edition of OUT-OF-THE-BOX: Nature & Spirituality. What changes when we view nature not merely as a resource, a piece of land or a backdrop, but as part of a living web of relationships to which we ourselves also belong? What do we lose when this connection fades? And what role do notions of meaning, responsibility, connectedness and creation play in this? Discussing these topics are:
- Hannah Becker, shepherd and agricultural scientist,
- Mathias Grote, historian of science and biologist,
- Jörg Lange, cross-country skiing instructor,
- Andrea Richter, theologian
- Moderator: Maike Weißpflug.
This isn’t about quick answers or reaching a consensus by the end. Rather, it’s about bringing different perspectives into dialogue with one another, being open to questions and developing new ideas together. After all, the way we think about nature also shapes the way we live in and shape society. Resilience does not arise solely from knowledge or consensus. It grows where people are able to tolerate differences, listen to one another and forge new connections – with others, with the environment and with themselves.
For everyone who has remained curious. For everyone who would like to step outside their own bubble from time to time. And for everyone who believes that social change begins where genuine encounters become possible.