Asherah in full bloom: an ecofeminist overview of the Sacred Tree Tradition
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Abstract
"Asherah in Full Bloom: an Ecofeminist Overview of the Sacred Tree Tradition," combines English, Women's Studies and Religious Studies to examine the role of trees in deity construction in women's understanding and experience of the sacred. I explore three ancient myths from the Middle East that depict sacred trees, investigate possible reasons for the worldwide use of the tree as a model deity and discuss the impact of classical dualism and knowledge construction for the women and trees dyad. A comparison between the Sacred Tree Tradition and salvation theologies is presented to underline the impact of grounding deity construction in nature. In conclusion, the role of science in the Sacred Tree Tradition is discussed to highlight the Sacred Tree Tradition as a model for global flourishing.