God and Gaia explores the overlap between traditional religious cosmologies and the scientific Gaia theory of James Lovelock. It argues that a Gaian approach to the ecological crisis involves rebalancing human and more-than-human influences on Earth by reviving the ecological agency of local and indigenous human communities, and of nonhuman beings.
Human impact on Earth has been increasing since the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions. We started seeing ourselves as the main force in the world, which led to a gap between us and nature. This gap harms ecosystems, reducing species diversity and causing local climate changes. It even puts Earth’s stability at risk. This book explores old beliefs about the universe across eight chapters. It looks at ideas from Indian Vedas to Medieval Christianity. It also includes examples from places like Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, and Great Britain. The book talks about deep time, genetic engineering ethics, and how we can better manage our environment.
Prof. Dr. Northcott argues that an ontological turn that honours the differential agency of indigenous humans and other kind, and that draws on sacred traditions, will make it is possible to repair the destabilising impacts of contemporary human activities on the Earth System and its constituent ecosystems. This book will be of considerable interest to students and scholars of the environmental humanities, history, and cultural and religious studies.
(Book: ISBN: 9780367627751, Paperback: ISBN: 9780367627744, E-book: ISBN: 9781003110750)
Northcott, Michael. God and Gaia: Science, Religion and Ethics on a Living Planet. Routledge Environmental Humanities. New York: Routledge, 2023.