Experiencing Nature, with Bob Gilbert
13 June 2026 @ 3:00 pm - 19 June 2026 @ 9:00 am
Experiencing nature: exploring a spirituality of the environment.
Through direct experience of the natural world on Iona, and an exploration of the place of nature in Christian tradition, we will seek to explore an eco-spirituality appropriate for our times.
At a time of deepening climate and biodiversity crisis we are in need of a new environmental spirituality. A spirituality that recognises the presence of God in all creation, that can underpin our political and social action and sustain us in the face of eco-despair.
During this week we will discover some of the plants and birds around Iona Abbey and on pilgrimage. And we’ll hear the stories that have been woven around them. We will also explore the role of the natural world in Christian tradition.
Above all, we will reflect on how we can take these experiences home with us. We’ll find ways to be in closer relationship with the natural world, wherever we happen to be, even in the most unpromising surroundings.
Programme leader
Bob Gilbert is an environmental writer and broadcaster, his books include ‘The Green London Way, ‘The Missing Musk‘ and ‘Ghost Trees’. His work for BBC Radio 4 includes ‘The Sussuration of Trees‘, and ‘The Passion: a Pilgrimage in Plants’. An Associate Member of the Iona Community, Bob is a Quaker living in London.
Costs
6 Nights: £870 or £435 concession
USA North East