Holy Ground: A Gathering of Voices on Caring for Creation

by Lyndsay Moseley (Editor), Carl Pope (Foreword), Sierra Club Books (Editor)

Religions worldwide celebrate creation’s gifts of beauty, abundance, and sustenance, and call on humankind to give thanks, practice compassion, seek justice, and be mindful of future generations. In Holy Ground, leaders from the world’s faith traditions, along with writers who hold the Earth sacred, share personal stories of coming to understand humankind’s unique power and responsibility to care for creation. In essays, sermons, and other short pieces written or gathered for this book, we hear from Pope Benedict XVI on the meeting of Heaven and Earth in the stable at Bethlehem, and from Wendell Berry on the Gospel of "abundant life." Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr writes about reconciling Islamic beliefs and natural science, and Rabbi Zoë Klein about the problem of God’s having made humans so powerful. Leading evangelical pastor Joel Hunter recalls a youthful experience of nature bringing him closer to God, and Terry Tempest Williams evokes her own childhood encounter with the sacred in a backyard wilderness. A score of other eloquent voices round out the list of distinguished contributors. A book to be treasured and shared widely, this landmark collection will bring together caring people of all faiths and all beliefs on common, holy ground.

Genres: Essays, Environment, Religion

264 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2008

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, readable, thought-provoking series of essays arguing that caring for the environment (or, the capital-C Creation) is a key religious calling. There is an admirable breadth of perspectives here, with contributions from the many varieties of Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Christian faiths (although for all that, very American in its outlook).

As is usual with these types of books the style and quality vary greatly, but I imagine that there are enough fresh perspectives, insights and sharp personal stories to keep most people turning pages.