Spirit Of The Environment

The book "Spirit of the Environment" is a compilation of essays discussing the spiritual aspects of nature. Contributors come from a variety of disciplines, including philosophy, comparative religion, education, and social anthropology. Some of the essays focus on religious or spiritual traditions, while others propose new ways of thinking about our relationship to nature. The book is divided into three sections: "Religion and the Environment," "Nature as a Source of Wonder," and "Non-Instrumental Values and the Environment." Overall, the book is a welcome compilation that blends both indigenous and classical religious experience with more contemporary philosophical inquiry into the place of spirit in nature.

There are many people today for whom the most important questions about human beings' relationship to the natural world do not easily fit under such labels as scientific, ecological, or even moral. For some people, the most central questions belong to religion - such as Was nature created by God for our use? , and if so, are there limits to our justifiable use of it? For other, not necessarily religious people, it is nevertheless the spiritual aspects of nature which should be a central dimension of environmental thinking. This text examines the environmental attitudes of the major religions and other important traditions of religious thought, such as pantheism. Also, there are chapters on art and nature, nature as a source and object of wonder, the Gaia hypothesis and on non-instrumental values which have inspired environmental concern. The contributors come from a variety of disciplines including philosophy, comparative religion, education and social anthropology. Some are commentating on religious or spiritual traditions while others propose new ways in which our relationship to nature might be regarded. Some reflect on central concepts which shape our thinking about that relat Review: This is awelcome anthology, . . . blending both indigenous and classical religious experience with more contemporary philosphical inquiry into the place of spirit in nature. -Holmes Rolston III, Distinguished Professor, Colorado State University