Under the Sign of Jonah: Studying Spirituality in a Time of Ecosystemic Crisis

In Matthew’s “Sign of Jonah” text, Jesus went down “into the heart of the Earth” at the time of his transformation. The current global ecosystemic crisis represents an urgent call to reclaim the centrality of this solidarity with the Earth. Several decades ago, Gregory Bateson articulated key aspects of the radical change of human consciousness that is demanded by the crisis of the Earth. By reading John of the Cross through this lens, Bateson’s insights can be connected to Christian traditions of contemplative spirituality. The essay proposes that this contemplative interiority provides the ultimate critical principle for prophetic participation in ecosystemic adaptation.