Religion & the order of nature
Book Description
In a world grappling with environmental devastation, scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr presents a profound examination of how humanity's relationship with the natural world has fundamentally shifted throughout history. This thoughtful exploration reveals how modern secular science's mechanistic worldview has contributed to our current ecological predicament by stripping nature of its inherent sacredness.
Nasr guides readers through the historical transformation that led Western civilization to abandon the understanding of nature as sacred, replacing it with a perspective that positions humans as separate from and superior to the natural world. Rather than viewing nature as a living, sacred reality, modern thinking has reduced it to mere machinery awaiting human manipulation and control.
The author demonstrates how the world's great religious traditions have long recognized nature's sacred dimension, developing sophisticated cosmologies and sacred sciences that honor the divine order within creation. Each tradition offers unique insights and accumulated wisdom about humanity's proper relationship with the natural realm.
By challenging the exclusive claims of reductionist science, Nasr opens pathways for rediscovering these ancient understandings. He envisions how different religious traditions might share their ecological wisdom, creating opportunities for mutual enrichment and collaborative healing of our wounded planet.
This work invites readers to reconsider their fundamental assumptions about nature, spirituality, and humanity's place within the cosmic order, offering hope for a more harmonious future.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~9 hours)
📄 Length: 310 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Reconnect with nature spiritually
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects of Nature
- ✓ Explore Nature, religious aspects
- ✓ Understand ecological consciousness
- ✓ Explore Human ecology, religious aspects
- ✓ Explore The Holy
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects
- ✓ Explore Holy, the