Tim Flinders’ John Muir: Spiritual Writings captures the life of one of America’s foremost environmentalist. Was Muir a mystical pantheist? Was he a transcendentalist? Or was he a religious naturalist? From the selections of Muir’s writings one thing was clear, he deeply adored nature. Many of his descriptions of the landscape in the Southern United States, Yosemite’s valley and river, and Alaska Muir wrote passionately about nature. He sang praises not only of trees, streams, and mountains, but of valleys, rocks, and pebbles, and the wind and snow that swept across the American landscape.
But what was revealing was Muir’s recklessness and irresponsibility. Often he slept in the cold on slabs of rock, fasted throughout the night, had only bread and tea, suffered accidents - missed falling to his death, but still he persevered in embracing nature’s wildness in all its glory. To a contemporary mountaineer such ventures would be unadvisable to undertake without adequate safeguards. Yet Muir went against the advice of his mentor Mrs. Jeanne Carr, and others he met and worked with who advised him not to continue living a solitude life.
According to Flinders’ selections Muir was definitely not a pantheist. He never did consider nature to be God, as all in all. He seemed more to be a transcendentalist by how he related to nature with references to Jesus Christ. If one was to categorize Muir’s religious beliefs this would fall more along the lines of a religious naturalist, for he viewed nature as God’s manifestations in the world, the mountains as cathedrals with altars. ( )

Excerpts from Muir's journals with historical context provided by Flanders in italics. Good read for Gaia worshiping environmentalists on a back-to-nature hiking trip in the Sierras. Small enough book to fit in your nylon backpack next to your freeze dried plastic wrapped food, your satellite GPS, and your smart phone. ( )

This man has an amazing perspective on nature and spirituality. This is a must read for those who recognize the sacredness of nature and for whom the idea of being in nature attunes them to the indwelling Spirit. The book is well edited and well worth the read for the nature lover as well as the contemplative. ( )