ABSTRACT

The moral values and interpretive systems of religions are crucially involved in how people imagine the challenges of sustainability and how societies mobilize to enhance ecosystem resilience and human well-being.

The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Ecology provides the most comprehensive and authoritative overview of the field. It encourages both appreciative and critical angles regarding religious traditions, communities, attitude, and practices. It presents contrasting ways of thinking about "religion" and about "ecology" and about ways of connecting the two terms. Written by a team of leading international experts, the Handbook discusses dynamics of change within religious traditions as well as their roles in responding to global challenges such as climate change, water, conservation, food and population. It explores the interpretations of indigenous traditions regarding modern environmental problems drawing on such concepts as lifeway and indigenous knowledge. This volume uniquely intersects the field of religion and ecology with new directions within the humanities and the sciences.

This interdisciplinary volume is an essential reference for scholars and students across the social sciences and humanities and for all those looking to understand the significance of religion in environmental studies and policy.

part I|32 pages

Introducing religion and ecology

chapter 1|10 pages

The Movement of Religion and Ecology

Emerging field and dynamic force

chapter 3|11 pages

Whose Religion? Which Ecology?

Religious studies in the environmental humanities

part II|74 pages

Global traditions

chapter 4|8 pages

Hinduism

Devotional love of the world

chapter 5|9 pages

Buddhism

A mixed Dharmic bag: Debates about Buddhism and ecology

chapter 6|8 pages

Confucianism

Confucian environmental virtue ethics

chapter 7|10 pages

Judaism

chapter 8|9 pages

Christianity

An ecological critique of Christianity and a Christian critique of ecological destruction

chapter 9|9 pages

Islam

Norms and practices

chapter 10|9 pages

Bahá'í

chapter 11|10 pages

Mormonism

Mormon views of environmental stewardship

part III|62 pages

Indigenous cosmovisions

chapter 12|11 pages

Africa

African heritage and ecological stewardship

chapter 13|9 pages

Asia

An indigenous cosmovisionary turn in the study of religion and ecology

chapter 14|9 pages

Pacific Region

In search of harmony: Indigenous traditions of the Pacific and ecology

chapter 15|10 pages

North America

Native ecologies and cosmovisions renew treaties with the earth and fuel indigenous movements

chapter 16|10 pages

Arctic

Ontology on the ice: Inuit traditions, ecology, and the problem of categories

chapter 17|11 pages

Latin America

Indigenous cosmovision

part IV|40 pages

Regional landscapes

chapter 18|10 pages

India

chapter 19|9 pages

China

Landscapes, cultures, ecologies, religions

chapter 20|9 pages

Latin America

chapter 21|10 pages

African Diaspora

African American environmental religious ethics and ecowomanism

part V|28 pages

Nature spiritualities

part VI|108 pages

Planetary challenges

chapter 25|10 pages

Climate Change

Varieties of religious engagement

chapter 26|8 pages

Biodiversity

An inordinate fondness for living things

chapter 27|8 pages

Oceans

chapter 28|10 pages

Conservation and Restoration

chapter 29|10 pages

Food and Agriculture

chapter 30|9 pages

Water

chapter 31|10 pages

Animals

chapter 32|12 pages

Population

chapter 33|10 pages

Consumption

chapter 34|10 pages

Gender Injustice

chapter 35|9 pages

Environmental Justice

part VII|75 pages

Disciplinary intersections

chapter 36|8 pages

History

chapter 37|9 pages

Literature

chapter 38|10 pages

Philosophy

chapter 39|9 pages

Art

chapter 40|10 pages

Policy

chapter 41|9 pages

Law

Religious influences on environmental law

chapter 42|10 pages

Economics

Economism and ecological crisis

chapter 43|8 pages

Ecology