• Age: 15
• Grade: 10

This collection explores the unique spirituality and culture of Cascadia, which includes British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. Envied around the world, Cascadia is famous for its mountains, evergreens, and livable cities. Less well known is that Cascadia is home to the least institutionally religious people on the continent. Despite this, Cascadia: The Elusive Utopia argues that most of the region's 14 million residents feel deeply "spiritual." Many gain their sense of the sacred from the spectacular and imposing land.

Douglas Todd, editor of Cascadia: The Elusive Utopia, is one of the most honoured spirituality and ethics writers on the continent. He has won more than 60 journalism honours and educational fellowships. Working for the Vancouver Sun and other newspapers, he is a two-time winner of the Templeton Religion Reporter of the Year Award, which goes to the top spirituality writer in North Americaâ??s secular media. He has also received the leading commentary award from the American Academy of Religion, which represents 6,000 scholars of religion. In addition to winning National Newspaper Awards in Canada, Vancouver Magazine referred to him as â??arguably Vancouverâ??s most thoughtful journalist.â? Todd is the author of Brave Souls: Writers and Artists Wrestle With God, Love, Death and the Things that Matter.

Douglas Todd's profile page

Cascadia: The Elusive Utopia: Exploring the Spirit of the Pacific Northwest

This thought-provoking book presents a collection of essays that explore the unique spirituality and culture of Cascadia, which includes BC, Washington and Oregon. Although the majority of residents of this region do not participate in institutional religion, most feel deeply spiritual. The contributors, including American and Canadian notable historians, economists, scholars and writers, argue that this spirituality is derived from the spectacular land of mountains, trees and water. Each author, through a different lens, also tries to explain that this nature-based spirituality or “spirituality of place” could be a model for the planet. Includes demographic studies, philosophical discussions, and observations of perspectives relevant to religion and spirituality.