Ecofeminism and the Sacred

by Carol J. Adams (Editor)

"An outstanding introduction to the issues and problems of ecofeminist spirituality." -Choice

Genres: Feminism, Religion, Nonfiction, Nature, Environment, Ecology, Philosophy

352 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1993

About the author

Carol J. Adams is a feminist-vegetarian theorist and author of books on eco-feminism and the links between species oppression and gender oppression.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of women of colour included in this anthology, including an excellent scathing article about white women appropriating Native spirituality to avoid confronting their own whiteness.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars, rounding up to four. This is rather more what I expected Longing for Running Water to be like, albeit in retrospect. The mix of feminism, religion, and environmentalism is still one that’s largely alien to me, as my own lack of religion means that large swathes of the experiences described here are unfamiliar – but that’s fine, the reason I read books like this is to learn things. And credit where it’s due, this collection has brought together a wide range of approaches from a variety of different women and different religions. The effect is one of commonality across borders, as it were, as the need for sustainable living and respect for nonhuman life is prioritized in reaction to a world where that prioritization is not always evident. Most of the essays were interesting and accessible; I think the one that made the biggest impression was the one on sexual imagery as it relates to the atom bomb, which was not a topic I expected to find here, and which was bizarrely compelling.

[Pchu · Rating 4 out of 5]

FINALLY FINISHED!

This book was dense and academic at times, but the biggest reason it took me so long to finish was that I often felt so despairing - this book was published in 1993 and arguably all of its warnings about the need to end extractive and environment-destroying practices could apply today (and indeed, in many cases some things are much worse now than "predicted" or assumed in 1993).

Still, I'm very glad I read it and I am left with lots to ponder.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In general, I think Carol Adams has put together a pretty good collection of academic articles on the subject of ecofeminism and ethics. While the title suggests an emphasis on theology as well, religious topics do not necessarily dominate...I would say many of the pieces are more concerned with matters of ethics rather than theology. While I do think some topics get a great deal more attention than others, there is still a fairly broad range of ideas to consider...The pieces on the ethics of vegetarianism were among the most interesting to me, as well as those that analyzed issues of race alongside those of gender and a respect for the natural world.

[Mia]

"When patriarchal sprituality associates women, body, and nature, and then emphasizes transcending the body and transcending the rest of nature, it makes oppression sacred" (1). Good stuff.

[Lucie Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it quickly, to nourish a term paper I poured my heart, soul, and ire into. Interesting approach, a first wave of American ecofeminism.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to ecofeminism for beginners. Carol Adams does a great job as an active editor and I feel like there were many different perspectives published in this book. So many different issues to explore and see how they have developed to today. Great read, still relevant.

[Chandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent selection of ecofeminist literature!

[Bethany N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

pp. 204-227. Outstanding read. Thought-provoking and a text every American should read.