Animals and Religion by Aftandilian, Dave; Ambros, Barbara R.; Gross, Aaron S.;

Short description:

This volume demonstrates how animals have played key roles in every known religious tradition and how animals have crucially shaped how we understand ourselves, the other living beings around us, and our relationships with them.

Long description:

What do animals—other than human animals—have to do with religion? How do our religious ideas about animals affect the lives of real animals in the world? How can we deepen our understanding of both animals and religion by considering them together? Animals and Religion explores how animals have crucially shaped how we understand ourselves, the other living beings around us, and our relationships with them.

Through incisive analyses of religious examples from around the world, the original contributions to this volume demonstrate how animals have played key roles in every known religious tradition, whether as sacred beings, symbols, objects of concern, fellow creatures, or religious teachers. And through our religious imagination, ethics, and practices, we have deeply impacted animal lives, whether by domesticating, sacrificing, dominating, eating, refraining from eating, blessing, rescuing, releasing, commemorating, or contemplating them. Drawing primarily on perspectives from religious studies and Christian theology, augmented by cutting-edge work in anthropology, biology, philosophy, and psychology, Animals and Religion offers the reader a richer understanding of who animals are and who we humans are. Do animals have emotions? Do they think or use language? Are they persons? How we answer questions like these affects diverse aspects of religion that shape not only how we relate to other animals, but also how we perceive and misperceive each other along axes of gender, race, and (dis)ability.

Accessibly written and thoughtfully argued, Animals and Religion will interest anyone who wants to learn more about animals, religion, and what it means to be a human animal.

Table of Contents:

On Human Animal Being: An Opening Linda Hogan  Introduction to Animals and Religion Aaron S. Gross, Dave Aftandilian, and Barbara R. Ambros Part I: Religion and Identity  1. L’nuwey Views of Animal Personhood and Their Implications Margaret Robinson  2. Animal Consciousness and Cognition Robert W. Mitchell and Mark A. Krause  3. Emotion Donovan O. Schaefer  4. Gender and Sexuality Katharine Mershon  5. Race, Animals, and a New Vision of the Beloved Community Christopher Carter  6. From Inspirational Beings to “Mad” Veg/ans: Tensions and Possibilities between Animal Studies and Disability Studies Alan Santinele Martino and Sarah May Lindsay  7. Human Beings and Animals: Same, Other, Indistinct? Matthew Calarco Part II: Religious Practices and Presence  8. Learning to Walk Softly: Intersecting Insect Lifeworlds in Everyday Buddhist Monastic Life Lina Verchery  9. An Islamic Case for Insect Ethics Sarra Tlili  10. Animal Theology Allison Covey  11. Blue Theology and Water Torah: People of Faith Caring for Marine Wildlife Dave Aftandilian  12. Animal Families in the Biblical Tradition Beth A. Berkowitz  13. The Cat Mitzvah: Jewish Literary Animals Andrea Dara Cooper  14. Blessings of Pets in Jewish and Christian Traditions Laura Hobgood  15. Becoming-Priceless through Sacrifice: A Goat for San Lázaro-Babalú Ayé Todd Ramón Ochoa  16. Refraining from Killing and Releasing Life? The Ethical Dilemmas of Animal Release Rituals in East Asia Barbara R. Ambros  17. Vegetarianism, Prohibited Meats, and Caring for Animals in Chinese Religious History Vincent Goossaert  18. The Difficult Virtue of Vegetarianism in Tibetan Buddhism Geoffrey Barstow  19. Veganism as Spiritual Practice Adrienne Krone  20. The Spiritual Practice of Providing Sanctuary for Animals Barbara Darling  21. Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics Kenneth R. Valpey  22. The Council of All Beings: A Deep Ecology Ritual Connecting People with Animals and the Natural World Eric D. Mortensen  23. Commemorating Animals in Asia, Europe, and the U.S.: Celebrating Kinship or Manifesting Difference? Barbara R. Ambros Part III: Religious Responses to Animal Lives  24. Contemplative Practices for Connecting to Animals (and Ourselves) Dave Aftandilian  25. Companion Animals Laura Hobgood  26. Domestication and Religion Nerissa Russell  27. The Ethics of Eating Animals: Jewish Responses  Aaron S. Gross  28. Meditations on Living with Ghosts: The Settlement Legacy of Buffalo Extinction James Hatley  29. Urban Wildlife: Threats, Opportunities, and Religious Responses Seth B. Magle and Dave Aftandilian  30. The Connection We Share: Animal Spirituality and the Science of Sacred Encounters Barbara Smuts, Becca Franks, Monica Gagliano, and Christine Webb.  About the Contributors  Index