Many Heavens, One Earth Readings on Religion and the Environment

by Cain, Clifford Chalmers

• ISBN13: 9780739172957
• ISBN10: 0739172956
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-01-12
• Publisher: Lexington Books

Summary

Many Heavens, One Earth is a collection of first-person voices from nine of the world religions. In fifteen articles, devotees and scholars reveal the contributions these traditions make to informing and motivating an ecological response to the environmental issues that beset planet earth. The spiritual messages of world religions have an indispensable and decisive role to play in addressing these environmental problems, for, at their root, these ecological issues are spiritual problems: Unless greed is replaced by moderation and sharing, materialism by spiritual insights and values, consumerism by restraint and simpler living, exploitation by respect and service, and pollution by caring and protection, nature's hospitality will be foolishly rebuffed, and therefore our descendants will inherit a polluted and depleted earth. Religion can be, and must be, a part of this replacement. Since at least 90% of the world's people claim allegiance to various major world religious traditions, religion can exert a crucial and transforming influence.

Author Biography

Clifford Chalmers Cain is professor of religious studies at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction to article by Paul Brockelman	p. 1
"With New Eyes: Seeing the Environment as a Spiritual Issue"	p. 3
Introduction to article	p. 15
"Nature as Subject: Human Obligation and Natural Community"	p. 17
Introduction to article	p. 31
"The Land Is Mine and You Are Only Tenants: Earth-Keeping and People-keeping in the Old Testament"	p. 33
Introduction to article	p. 51
"Stewardship as a Work of Art"	p. 53
Introduction to article	p. 63
"The Orthodox Church and the Environmental Movement"	p. 65
Introduction to article	p. 81
"Religion and the Resacralization of Nature"	p. 83
Introduction to Letter attributed to Chief Seattle	p. 99
"Letter Attributed to Chief Seattle"	p. 101
Introduction to article	p. 105
"Native American Religion"	p. 107
Introduction to article	p. 115
"The Land Looks After Us"	p. 117
Introduction to article	p. 121
"Ecological Nonviolence and the Hindu Tradition"	p. 123
Introduction to article by His Holiness the Dalai Lama	p. 131
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "A Buddhist Perspective on Nature"	p. 133
Introduction to article	p. 143
"Rethinking Buddhism and Development: The Emergence of Environmentalist Monks in Thailand"	p. 145
Introduction to article	p. 153
"Our Environment and Us: A Sikh Perspective"	p. 155
Introduction to article	p. 163
"Ecosophical Concerns in the Sikh Tradition"	p. 165
Introduction to article	p. 171
"Ecological Themes in Taoism and Confucianism"	p. 173
List of Contributors	p. 181
Index	p. 183
About the Editor	p. 187
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