When God Isn't Green
A World-Wide Journey Where Religious Practice and Environmentalism Collide
In this engaging and often entertaining tale, a professor travels the world to find out how religion impacts the environment. Though the book establishes the author’s credentials early on, it goes out of its way to be readable and funny, emphasizing the environmental efforts of ordinary people and engaging exactly the way an academic treatise would not. The book’s strategy is clear: speak to those who have an active stake in environmentally conscious religion. It is a winning plan, and even those who have never before considered the environmental impact of worship practices will find themselves engaged.
When God Isn’t Green is frank about the harmful side effects of religious practices, from the Catholic Church’s appetite for tropical palm fronds to the Hindu practice of submerging painted statues of Ganesha in open bodies of water. No tradition is spared, but all are treated respectfully. The result is thought-provoking and educational without ever verging on offensive. Wexler’s argument in favor of government regulation of environmentally unsafe religious practices is sure to spark debate across faith communities.
Reviewed by
Anna Call
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
