ABSTRACT
The vision of the earth as a sacred hierophany and material form of the divine is perhaps most dramatically displayed in Goddess theology, first crystallized in the 6th-century text called the Devī Māhātmya, or ‘Glorification of the Goddess’. This vision finds further expression in various puranic stories and culminates in the sophisticated systematization of the nature and functions of Śakti (the highest feminine principle) in the tantric tradition. Hindu Tantra, especially in its Śākta (Goddess-worshipping) strains, offers a rich and nuanced resource for the construction of an ecologically conscious spirituality. The chapter explores the ontology of Hindu Tantra as a viable source of inspiration for the development of a Hindu ecofeminist theological vision.
