The Nature of Faith: The Interconnection of Religion and the Environment

Does ecology influence religious views? Do our beliefs depend on the landscapes that surround us and the animals we see? If Jesus had never seen lambs but only dealt with ostriches - would we know a completely different Christianity? Conversely, does ecology depend on religion? How do monotheistic religions influence global warming, and Zoroastrianism influence birds?
Through myths and stories, religious scholar Konstantin Mikhaylov explores why we believe what we believe, how the environment influences us, and how we influence it. Australian myths and South African rituals, Polynesian seafaring and the wars of Native Americans with colonizers - chapter by chapter, the author demonstrates how the formation of religion and the course of history are dependent on plants and animals, landscape and climate, and how major religions transform and change nature, helping us survive while at times destroying the environment.