About the Author

Max Oelschlaeger, professor of philosophy and religious studies at the University of North Texas, is also the author of the prizewinning book The Idea of Wilderness: From Prehistory to the Age of Ecology.

Reviews

Many environmentalists have blamed the Judeo-Christian religious teaching that humankind has dominion over the earth for the ecological crisis. Oelschlaeger, professor of philosophy and religious studies at the University of North Texas, challenges that argument with the thesis that belief in religion is a necessary condition for the resolution of the ecocrisis. He notes that religion has played a crucial role in national affairs; historically, religiously inspired social movements have had considerable political influence. Oelschlaeger sets out political goals for ecologically responsible Christians and suggests that the local church is the most likely forum for discussion of moral issues that overlap with politics. He explores creation stories to show how they might serve to unite all faiths in setting an environmental agenda. In a work of scholarship, Oelschlaeger provides fresh, valuable thoughts on how to inspire a mass ecological movement. (Apr.)