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Visions of a New Earth: Religious Perspectives on Population, Consumption, and Ecology
Filed under A New Earth1月 27Visions of a New Earth: Religious Perspectives on Population, Consumption, and Ecology
One of the most significant topics of our time is the current eco-crisis of overpopulation, overconsumption (often called “affluenza”), and environmental degradation. In Visions of a New Earth, eight world religion scholars and two creative international economists address these linked problems by bringing religious perspective into conversation with economics. They conclude that religion and other cultural forces must be mobilized to force humankind toward an epochal birthing of bio-reverence.
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One Response to “Visions of a New Earth: Religious Perspectives on Population, Consumption, and Ecology”
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Teacher S said on 1月 27th, 2012 at 11:15 PM
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Interfaith battle-cry against consumerism and globalization,July 5, 2001 ByTeacher S (Bay Area California) –This review is from: Visions of a New Earth: Religious Perspectives on Population, Consumption, and Ecology (Paperback)“If religions today stir the heart and produce experiences of enlightenment and joy but say nothing to our eco-crisis, they are tinkling brass and sounding cymbals.” “…to earn a place back in the movement of life, they must pass the most honest of intellectual tests, the so what? test.” And so begins this all out scholarly gang warfare attack on consumerism and the ecological crisis in Visions of a New Earth: Religious Perspectives on Populations, Consumption, and Ecology. By lucidly explaining and describing the present-day situation of our earth, this book offers the perspectives of all the major world’s religions (including African religions) regarding globalization, overpopulation, and the environmental degradation. The book is a compilation of about thirteen essays from scholars who are either experts about a specific religious tradition, or are experts about globalization and consumerism (the worship of consumable material goods). While the entire book is a must-read, the second chapter by David Loy entitled, “Religion of the Market Place” offers its readers the best and most passionate attack on the consumerism to date. Loy shows us that most Westerners have equated material with the sacred, and live as though it is material and the money which buys material which will offer us the salvation of “happiness.” However, he reminds us that the salvation of permanent happiness is never actually attained through consumable materials; they must always be replaced with newer and flashier models and thus put us consumers into a pathetic state of addiction and dissatisfaction. This book shows us, with blaring facts and prose, that the world we are living in today is in a crisis state in which 2.9 million people in Chicago consume more than 90 million people in Bangladesh, and where this religion of consumerism is being forcefully exported to the rest of the world through globalization. Furthermore, it leaves its reader which a sophisticated understanding about how the religious worldviews of the world’s religions regard these issues, how they have helped, and how their specific teachings can be used to help. Truly an outstandingly informative book and truly an inspiring battle cry to fight against the present abuses against the earth and all of its residents.
