Table of Contents

Foreword (Bron Taylor), ix

Prologue, xiii

1. What’s in a Tree?, 1

I. Roots, 7

1. Enchanted Nature, Animism, 9
2. The Original Spiritual Ecologists, Indigenous Peoples, 13
3. Ecologically Noble or Ignoble?, 21
4. Natural Wisdom and Action, The Buddha, 31
5. Medieval Radical, Saint Francis ofAssisi, 43

II. Trunk, 49

1. The Spirit of Walden, Henry David Thoreau, 51
2. Wilderness Disciple, John Muir, 57
3. Spiritual Science, Rudolf Steiner, 65

III. Branches, 69

1. Nature as Thou, Martin Buber, 71
2. Challenging Christians, Lynn White, Jr., 75
3. Supernovas, 83

IV. Leaves, 99

1. Can a Poet Save Nature? W. S. Merwin, 101
2. Reconnecting, Joanna Macy, 107
3. Green Patriarch, Bartholomew I, 115

V. Flowers, Seeds, and Fruits, 121

1. To Plant a Tree, Wangari Maathai, 123
2. Desert Spirituality, Burning Man, 131
3. Avatar, Opening Pandora’s Box, James Cameron, 137

VI. Hazards, 147

1. Atheist Spiritual Ecology, Donald A. Crosby, 149
2. Natural Theology, AlisterE. McGrath, 155
3. Secularization of the Sacred, His Holiness the 14th

Dalai Lama of Tibet, 161

Epilogue, 169

Notes, 173

Appendix: Selected List of Contributors to Spiritual Ecology, 205

Bibliography, 207

Index, 277

Author