Maiden Mother Matriarch with Louise Perry cover image

Maiden Mother Matriarch with Louise Perry

The Collapse of the Human Empire - Paul Kingsnorth | Maiden Mother Matriarch 102

Aug 7, 2024
Paul Kingsnorth, an author known for 'Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist' and contributions to The Abbey of Misrule, shares his transformative journey from radical environmentalism to Orthodox Christianity. He discusses the contradictions in modern ideologies and the spiritual crisis that underpins political and environmental challenges. The conversation dives into modernity's limits, the relationship between declining birth rates and wealth, and the impact of technology on society. Kingsnorth critiques how environmentalism can inadvertently exacerbate class divisions.
55:50

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Paul Kingsnorth's transition from radical environmentalism to Orthodox Christianity underscores the limitations of modern ideologies amidst fears of civilizational collapse.
  • The conversation critiques the reliance on technology as a misguided solution to environmental issues, emphasizing community-led approaches as essential for sustainable change.

Deep dives

Transition from Environmentalism to Spirituality

The guest discusses his evolution from a radical environmentalist to an Orthodox Christian, highlighting a common theme of recognizing the limitations of modernity. Initially motivated by a passion for nature, he notes that his early activism sought to challenge and reverse the damage caused by industrialization and fossil fuel consumption. Over time, he observed that mainstream environmentalism was becoming increasingly unrealistic, as it tried to sustain modernity through superficial fixes like renewable energy. His shift towards spirituality offered a broader perspective on the supposed inevitability of environmental collapse, hinting at a deeper moral and cultural crisis in modern society.

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