In Sacred Nature, Karen Armstrong brings a theological perspective to our impending climate crisis. She argues that we currently perceive God, humanity, and nature as three separate, essentially unrelated entities. When we see nature as separate from both humanity and God, it becomes easier to dominate and abuse. Armstrong, however, returns to the roots of some of our oldest religions – Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam – to find an earlier understanding of this relationship in which the creative life force some term God infuses both nature and humanity with humanity is integrally tied to nature. By seeing everything and everyone as infused with the sacred, Armstrong hopes we may find a path forward to avert the approaching climate disaster.

A former Catholic nun and author of numerous books on religion including The Case for God, A History of God, Islam, Buddha, and The Great Transformation, Armstrong presents a fascinating, well-researched, and cogent argument for rethinking our currently dominant, theological paradigm. Those readers concerned with the future of the human race can only hope Armstrong’s call for change will be heeded before it is too late.

(Originally published on Manhattan Book Review.)