David Kinsley's textbook "Ecology and Religion" will be a welcome resource for both teachers and students. Lucidly written, well illustrated, and supplemented by an extensive bibliography and index, "Ecology and Religion" makes for an excellent introduction to this new field of study. The text is divided into four majors divisions that present the intersections of ecology and religion in cross-cultural and historical perspective, as well as describing a variety of modern movements and activists who are deeply concerned about this issue. This balance between cross-cultural, historical, and contemporary study should give students a balanced understanding of the problems and proposed solutions.

The first section of the text, "Traditional Cultures," looks at three very different cultures and three different views of the natural world. The first section, "Mistassini Cree: Hunting as a Religious Ritual," tracks this northern Canadian people's attitudes towards the hunt. Sections on the relationship between myth, the ritualization of space, the three stage hunting journey, and the ritual relations between the hunter and animal killed were especially insightful and thought provoking. This is followed by a section on Australian Aboriginal religion and the sacralization of the land, the Ainu peoples of northern Japan, and the concept of the reciprocity between humans and animals. Very nicely, Mr. Kinsley takes these three themes of hunting as a sacred occupation, rapport with animals, and rapport with the land, and looks at their application in Native American religion. This approach is a great way to synthesize earlier learning.

The second section, "Asian Religious Traditions," looks at ecological themes, motifs, and basic concepts in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Chinese religions. This type of clear delineation works very well for students who are either knowledgeable or not concerning these religious traditions. The Hinduism sections focused on core topics such as ahimsa (non-violence) and reincarnation, sacred geography as embodied in pilgrimages, India herself as holy, an organic vision of the world, and the deification of natural forces and objects. The section of Chinese Religions looks at central philosophical notions of the harmonious and shifting balance of yin and yang, landscape painting, the organic nature of reality, and persistent themes of continuity, wholeness, and dynamism that are so central to Chinese religious conceptions. Mr. Kinsley also spends time discussing Neo-Confucian concepts of the interrelatedness of all life and Taoist notions of wu-wei (effortless action). The section on Buddhism picks up its Indian origins, reiterating the notion of ahimsa, self-mastery vers mastery over others, the bodhisattva ideal, and Mahayana conceptions of "buddha-nature."

The third section, "Background to the Contemporary Discussion of Ecology and Religion," begins by looking at how Christianity has been both ecologically harmful and helpful. This balanced representation should help students neither romanticize nor demonize Christianity. Looking at how Christianity has been harmful in our relationship to the natural world, Mr. Kinsley focuses on the themes of desacralization of nature, domination of nature, and the degradation of nature and matter. After a general explanation of these themes he moves to illustrate them with textual citations from Origen, Thomas Aquinas, St. Bonaventure, Luther, and Calvin. Looking at how Christian voices have had a much more positive attitude towards the natural world takes us into the realms of Irenaeus, Augustine, Francis of Assisi, and Albert Schweitzer. After these contexts have been set, the book moves into the modern disenchantment with nature. I found these pages to be absolutely chilling and astonishing. After a thorough description of the thoughts of Bacon, Descartes, and Newton, Mr. Kinsley summarizes the impact of this thinking on western culture by saying, "The disenchantment of nature, viewing nature as primarily matter in motion, as mechanical, as soulless, led to the disengagement of human beings from nature. Nature has been objectified. Lacking subjecthood, the various nonhuman species are reduced to objects to be studied, manipulated, modified, and exploited for various purposes (pg 130)." Further topics covered in this section include how the notions of progress, a wilderness that needs to be tamed, Darwinian notions of nature as violent and morally blind, and an increased insulation from nature as a result of technology have all contributed to current social attitudes towards the natural world. This section of the text ends with the work of the first American pioneers in the area of an ecological spirituality, Thoreau, Muir, and Leopold.

The fourth section of the text looks at the contemporary discussion of ecology and religion. He starts this section by introducing us to some of the contemporary ecotheologians and summaries of their thought. Creating this context makes it very easy for teachers to supplement the reading here with additional material. In particular I was struck by his analysis of Thomas Berry and Sallie McFague. From there we move on to a discussion of animal rights and the whole field of deep ecology. What is so great about this textbook is how Kinsley introduces readers to subjects that will most likely be new for them. The presentation is clear, not overly burdened with technical terms, and organized so that readers understand the basics. This is certainly true for the material on deep ecology. The chapter continues with materials on ecoactivism, a subject of great interest to students, and follows with material on ecofeminism.

Finally, the text ends with four portraits of very different ecovisionaries. I particularly like this way of ending the book. We need to see what people are doing about these severe problems. Making the connection between theory, practice and solutions is essential.

"Ecology and Religion" is a text that can certainly be used in junior and senior high school courses. Clearly written and well organized the text introduces students to the basic issues in the new and important field of ecology and religion.

review ©2000 Tom Collins and RSiSS

 

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