The Boundless Circle: Caring for Creatures and Creation

Some of us feel a kinship with animals, seeing them as part of the same process of Creation as ourselves. Others see humans as superior and animals as "ours" to exploit by right. Both views claim divine authority. Through his probing exploration of the spiritual and philosophical roots of animal rights, Michael Fox shows that humane and compassionate treatment of the animal world is both a spiritual and a survival imperative.

The latest work by Fox, a bioethicist, veterinarian, and vice-president of the Humane Society of the United States, is first and foremost about the intrinsic moral rights of animals and nature. Fox examines the roots of human dominion over the natural world in Western society, tracing the exploitation of animals to the influence of Christianity, scientific materialism, and Darwinian biology. This link, while not original, does lay the foundation for Fox's introduction of the concept of pantheism as a philosophical model of how humans should interact with nature. Pantheism, a blend of St. Francis of Assisi's sacramentalist doctrine and transcendental monotheism, contains a mystical thread that flows through most major religions, stating that it is not God that inhabits the world but the world that inhabits God. Fox concludes that "respecting other living beings and conserving Nature is enlightened self-interest?a spiritual and survival imperative" for 21st-century humankind. The only drawback to this thoughtful book is that an index was not included. Highly recommended for academicians, activists, and general readers.?Susan Maret, Auraria Lib., Univ. of Colorado, Denver
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