Deep Ecology and World Religions: New Essays on Sacred Ground (Suny Series, Radical Social & Political Theory) [Paperback]

David Landis Barnhill (Editor), Roger S. Gottlieb (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0791448843 | ISBN-13: 978-0791448847

Examines the relationship between spiritual disciplines and the natural world.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Deep ecology, a valuation of the ecosystem or the whole system of life that does not necessarily involve a god, serves as the focal point of the 13 religious essays featured in this collection. As the editors point out, deep ecology suggests a moral, political, and spiritual stance that challenges religions to respond, out of their specific traditions, to the complex phenomenon of environmental philosophy, religious cosmology, and public policy. Barnhill (intercultural and religious studies, Guilford Coll.) and Gottlieb (philosophy, Worcester Polytechnic Inst.) excel at assembling disparate voices from a variety of world traditions, from Hinduism and Confucianism to Christian ecofeminism and New Age spirituality, and they present their concerns in a straightforward manner. Some contributors struggle openly with deep ecology's issues, some find harmony, and others embrace ecocentrism over religion, hoping to locate a sense of the divine in the process. Overall, this is a satisfying discussion that showcases the complexities of thoughtful human engagement with our natural environment. Sandra Collins, Duquesne Univ. Lib., PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover

Bringing together thirteen new essays on the important relationship between traditional world spirituality and the contemporary environmental perspective of deep ecology, this landmark book explores parallels and contrasts between religious values and those proposed by deep ecology. In examining how deep ecologists and the various religious traditions can both learn from and critique one another, the following traditions are considered: indigenous cultures, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism, Christian ecofeminism, and New Age spirituality.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press (January 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791448843
• ISBN-13: 978-0791448847
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #384,903 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Roger S. Gottlieb is professor of philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He is the author or editor of sixteen books and more than 100 articles on environmentalism, religious life, contemporary spirituality, political philosophy, ethics, the Holocaust, femin-ism, and disability. He is internationally known for his work as a leading analyst and ex-ponent of religious environmentalism, for his passionate and moving account of spiri-tuality in an age of environmental crisis, and for his innovative and humane description of the role of religion in a democratic society. He is editor of six academic book series, on the editorial boards of several journals, and contributing editor to Tikkun Magazine.
Gottlieb's writings have appeared in top academic journals such as the Journal of Philosophy, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Conservation Biology, and Ethics; in popular publications such as E Magazine online, The Boston Globe, and Orion Afield; and in anthologies celebrating the best of Jewish writing, environmental ethics, religious life, spirituality, the Holocaust, and disability. Widely respected for his unique range of interests, combination of personal and political passion, clarity of writing, and originality, he is probably the only American intellectual to be reviewed or interviewed in publications as disparate as San Francisco Chronicle, Environmental Ethics, the Boston Globe, Christianity Today, Philosophical Review, Journal of Harvard Divinity School, New Age Journal, Socialism and Democracy, Discover, Chronicle of Higher Education, Sierra Club Magazine, Shambhala Sun, and The American Prospect.
For the last fifteen years Gottlieb has concentrated on the religious, spiritual, and eth-ical dimensions of the environmental crisis and on the place of religion in a democratic society. His anthology This Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, Environment is known inter-nationally as the first comprehensive collection on the topic. His 1999 book, A Spirituali-ty of Resistance: Finding a Peaceful Heart and Protecting the Earth was called by Prot-estant theologian John Cobb "a true spiritual guide for our day," and excerpted in Tikkun and Orion Afield. His 2002 book Joining Hands: Politics and Religion Together for Social Change received advance praise from Harvey Cox and Bill McKibben.
Gottlieb's recent work on religious environmentalism, A Greener Faith: Religious En-vironmentalism and our Planet's Future and The Oxford Handbook on Religion and Ecology establishes him as the leading commentator and exponent of this unprece-dented political, environmental, and religious movement. Bob Edgar, head of the Na-tional Council of Churches, said A Greener Faith provided "a bright picture of the faith community's capacity for caring for God's creation" and that following Gottlieb's lead would help us "go a long way toward being more effective stewards of our fragile pla-net." Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, called it a "seminal book examin-ing the emerging debate on environmental ethics among the world's great faith tradi-tions." Thomas Berry, one of the world's leading ecotheologians said it offers "superb insight" and is a "most needed guide."
Gottlieb newest work is Engaging Voices: Tales of Morality and Meaning in an Age of Global Warming a collection of related but distinct short stories in which Gottlieb ex-plores moral, political, intellectual, and spiritual dilemmas provoked by the environmen-tal crisis; and asks how, in the face of powerful emotions and deeply contested views, we can live and talk to each other. [Read the Introduction to Engaging Voices.]
As a speaker Gottlieb combines intense analytic intelligence, a personal and humo-rously engaging style, and an inspiring message of personal responsibility, social change, and spiritual vision. Audiences from universities, churches, synagogues, and community and environmental organizations have found him a riveting presenter whose message resonates long after his formal presentation is done and can lead people to act as well as think and feel.
He lives in Boston with his wife, noted psychotherapist and author Miriam Greenspan, and shares in the care of his daughters, Anna and Esther. The spiritual and political di-mensions of his relation to Esther, who has multiple disabilities, forms part of Chapter 8 of Joining Hands.