Overview

Believing in Place is the personal testimony of a scientist who discovers the divine in the land he has studied for decades. Geographer Richard V. Francaviglia recounts his own awakening to the spirituality of “place” as he suddenly sees the sacred dimension of science. The Great Basin is the focus of Francaviglia’s meditations. It is a huge, physically diverse, and often misunderstood region that lies between the Sierra Nevada and Wasatch Mountains. It is also an area that fills the author with awe. “I feel more closely connected to the universe here than in other places. That epiphany has made my many trips into the Great Basin since 1960 pilgrimages, for I never fail to come out of this region restored and reenergized. I at-tribute that to feeling closer to both creation and the creator here,” Francaviglia shares in his introduction. Wanting to understand the region’s hold on him and others, Francaviglia set out to determine what gives the Great Basin its genius loci. As a historical geographer, he felt the place itself—with its topography, vegetation, weather, and climate—could be a major factor in deciphering both the spirit of the place and the human spirit. By employing a broad definition of spirituality, Francaviglia demonstrates that many people in the Great Basin are in search of meaning that depends on, yet transcends, the environment.

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9781943859078

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Reviews

An exceptionally illuminating travelogue, Francaviglia's many-faceted inquiry reveals the genius loci of a unique and powerful place. -Booklist Richard V. Francaviglia has given us a nuanced and multidisciplinary reading of landscape as religious text, situating the Great Basin within the larger history of human spirituality. Believing in Place is not only an important addition to the literature of the region but an essential study of how we construct intimate places out of the great spaces of the American West. -- William L. Fox, author of The Void, the Grid, and the Sign: Traversing the Great Basine Great Basin may be one of the most underappreciated U.S. regions, but Francaviglia fills in what might appear 'blank' or 'desolate' to that traveler encountering it for the first time. Believing in Place has much to offer anyone interested in the processes by which place and belief commingle so as to inspire thoughts of the divine. -Rick Van Noy, ISLE In an era when spiritual concerns ranging from evangelical environmentalism to New Age revelations increasingly make their presence felt throughout society, Francaviglia's inquiry contributes to our understanding of how such concerns have shaped human perceptions and actions in the Great Basin and how they may influence other such encounters in other places. Its array of intriguing questions and answers deserves the thoughtful attention of many scholars. -Peter J. Blodgett, H-Net Reviews

Richard V. Francaviglia has given us a nuanced and multidisciplinary reading of landscape as religious text, situating the Great Basin within the larger history of human spirituality. Believing in Place is not only an important addition to the literature of the region but an essential study of how we construct intimate places out of the great spaces of the American West. --William L. Fox, author of The Void, the Grid, and the Sign: Traversing the Great Basin

Author Information

Richard V. Francaviglia is a professor of history and geography at the University of Texas, at Arlington, USA and serves as director for the Center for Greater Southwestern Studies and the History of Cartography. He is the author of seven books, including The Cast Iron Forest: A National and Cultural History of the North American Cross Timbers.

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