Thoreau’s critique of formal religion was matched only by his rapturous encounters with the divine in nature. He fled the church only to pursue a deeper communion with a presence he felt at the heart of the universe. He called this illimitable presence many names, but he often called it God. Thoreau remained a harsh critic of the “respectable” Christianity of his day, but he was also a mystic who, while firmly attached to the earth, was on a lifelong quest to commune with a divine mystery. His eclectic, experiential spirituality still resonates with spiritual seekers in America today. Author Richard Higgins will discuss his new book Thoreau’s God, which explores the riddle of Thoreau’s spiritual life.
Richard Higgins is a writer, book editor and the author or editor of five books, including, most recently, Thoreau’s God, from the University of Chicago Press, and Thoreau and the Language of Trees (U. of California Press, 2017). He is also the coauthor of Portfolio Life and a volume editor of the essay collection Taking Faith Seriously from Harvard University Press. A staff writer for The Boston Globe for 20 years, Richard lives in Concord and is a member of the Thoreau Society board. A graduate of Holy Cross College, Columbia Journalism School, and Harvard Divinity School, Richard has written for The New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Century, American Scholar and other publications.