Prof. Jacob J. Erickson has published a new book chapter in Thinking with Plants and Fungi: Interdisciplinary Explorations of Ecology, Mind, and the More-than-Human World (Harvard University Press, 2
026).
Edited by Rachael Peterson, Natalia Schwien Scott, and Russell C. Powell, This collection emerged from Prof. Erickson's presentation in a unique and interdisciplinary conference last year, "Thinking with Plants and Fungi." From their website: "Hosted by the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School from May 15–17, 2025, this three-day conference brought together scholars, scientists, artists, and practitioners to explore the evolving field of plant and fungal studies. With more than 350 in-person attendees and over 2,000 livestream viewers, the event featured keynote presentations by Monica Gagliano, Merlin Sheldrake, Banu Subramaniam, Jessica J. Lee, Michael Marder, Emanuele Coccia, Ned Friedman, and Giuliana Furci. The conference invited participants to consider how plants and fungi challenge dominant models of intelligence, agency, and interdependence—and how these life forms might inspire new ways of thinking, relating, and responding in a time of ecological crisis."
Prof. Erickson's chapter, "The Vegetal and the Manifold: Agnes Arber's Botanical Panentheism" engages the neglected philosophical writings of the Cambridge, UK, botanist and plant morphologist Agnes Arber (1879-1960) and argues that her final book, The Manifold and the One, is crucial to her integrated understanding of plants and metaphysics. Arber was the first woman to receive the Gold Medal from the Linnean Society of Londan, was the first female botanist to be elected Fellow of the Royal Society, and is an important figure in the emerging field of Critical Plant Studies. More information on the book can be found here: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674305113