Sacred custodians of the earth?: women, spirituality, and the environment

Literature on women, development and environment is abundant. The relationship between women and ecology has been analyzed by various disciplines, by specialists from the North as well as the South. This book offers a new perspective, specifically to challenge the assumption that women have a special affinity with the Earth and therefore a historic mission for the care of the environment. The book explores spiritual, religious and philosophical beliefs concerning women and ecology, and whether women are truly "sacred custodians" of the Earth. This concept has evolved from ideas developed by eco-feminists. Whether and how different belief systems can be put to use to create an awareness to protect, preserve and improve ecological conditions is discussed. The collection of papers demonstrates the complexity of the issues and the variations and vulnerability of the assumed relationship between women and the environment in different cultural and political contexts. The book challenges policy solutions which are devised to be on a global scale and to create unrealistic global aspirations, and the value of targeting women in a particular attempt to achieve environmentally sustainable development

Literature on women, development and environment is abundant. The relationship between women and ecology has been analyzed by various disciplines, by specialists from the North as well as the South. This book offers a new perspective, specifically to challenge the assumption that women have a special affinity with the Earth and therefore a historic mission for the care of the environment. The book explores spiritual, religious and philosophical beliefs concerning women and ecology, and whether women are truly "sacred custodians" of the Earth. This concept has evolved from ideas developed by eco-feminists. Whether and how different belief systems can be put to use to create an awareness to protect, preserve and improve ecological conditions is discussed. The collection of papers demonstrates the complexity of the issues and the variations and vulnerability of the assumed relationship between women and the environment in different cultural and political contexts. The book challenges policy solutions which are devised to be on a global scale and to create unrealistic global aspirations, and the value of targeting women in a particular attempt to achieve environmentally sustainable development

Introduction -- Alaine Low and Soraya Tremayne -- PART I -- THE CURRENT DEBATE -- Gender, Nature and Trouble with Anti-Dualism -- Cecile Jackson -- PART II -- THE SACRED -- Sacred Landscapes: Religion and the Natural Environment in the Classical World -- Elena Kingdon -- Aboriginal Women and Sacred Landscapes in Northern Australia -- Veronica Strang -- The Separation of the Sexes Among Siberian Reindeer -- Herders Piers Vitebsky and Sally Wolfe -- Priestesses and Environment in Zimbabwe -- Terence Ranger -- Rice, Women, Men, and the Natural Environment among the Kelabit of Sarawak -- Monica Janowski -- PART III -- THE GREAT RELIGIONS -- Ecology and Christian Hierarchy -- Anne Primavesi -- Text and Practice: Women and Nature in Islam -- Tahera Aftab -- Soil as the Goddess Bhudevi in a Tamil Hindu Women's Ritual: The Kolam in India -- Vijaya Rettakudi Nagarajan -- Nature and Gender in Theravada Buddhism -- Sandra Bell -- Nature, Holism and Ecofeminism: A Chinese Worldview -- Stewart McFarlane -- PART IV -- NEW TRENDS -- Children of the Gods The Quest for Wholeness in Contemporary Paganism -- Amy Simes.

Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Preface -- Contributors -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- Part I. The Current Debate -- Chapter 2. Gender, Nature and Trouble with Anti-Dualism -- Part II. The Sacred -- Chapter 3. Sacred Landscapes -- Chapter 4. Aboriginal Women and Sacred Landscapes in Northern Australia -- Chapter 5. The Separation of the Sexes Among Siberian Reindeer Herders -- Chapter 6. Priestesses and Environment in Zimbabwe -- Chapter 7. Rice, Women, Men and the Natural Environment among the Kelabit of Sarawak -- Part III. The Great Religions