God and Gaia: Science, Religion and Ethics on a Living Planet

Abstract

GOD AND GAIA: Science, Religion and Ethics on a Living Planet by Michael S. Northcott. New York: Routledge, 2023. 271 pages. Paperback; $40.00. ISBN: 9780367627744. *Biodiversity loss, water pollution, and declining soil health are major indicators of the ecological crisis facing our planet today. Science can be consulted to address these issues; however, as Michael Northcott argues in his latest book, God and Gaia: Science, Religion and Ethics on a Living Planet, unless science resists its scientism it will only exacerbate the current ecological crisis. *Northcott, an ordained Anglican priest and Professor Emeritus of Ethics at the University of Edinburgh, has written extensively on environmental issues.1 In God and Gaia, Northcott explores the Gaia theory of James Lovelock--that "the Earth and her creatures are active agents in the generation of conditions which make the Earth habitable for Life" (p. 2)--from a religious ethics perspective. In effect, "God" in the book title does not indicate that the author will be taking a specifically Christian angle on the Gaia theory, but rather taking something more akin to a comparative religions approach. The book is a collection of previously published papers along with new material curated into eight chapters, each with its own abstract and notes section. This arrangement, along with chapter subheadings, aids the reader in following along with Northcott's exploration of the Gaia theory. Northcott draws from a variety of published sources, along with his diverse experiences in Borneo, to get his main points across regarding the dangers of scientism in contrast to the restorative powers of Gaia. *Scientism, the condition in which only knowledge gained from observations is considered true, is an ideology that has created, according to Northcott, a "bifurcation between nature and culture." Northcott provides a history of scientism describing how, following the European enlightenment, anything that was not measurable tended to be viewed with suspicion by many in the West. He elaborates that scientific reductionism led to a top-down approach where the "rights of corporate agents trump the rights of people and species to stable and safe habitats" (p. 157). Northcott uses the example of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic to demonstrate the full potential of scientism and its globalist and technocratic top-down control. Here, Northcott's one-sided argument regarding the benefits of ivermectin, the ineffectiveness of vaccines, the dangers of lockdowns, and the evils of the United Nations may distract readers from his intent of describing top-down control. *In contrast to scientism and its top-down control, Northcott recommends a Gaian approach to addressing the ecological crisis. While God and Gaia is not an introductory textbook, it does provide a thorough overview of the theory and its history. With an understanding of the Gaia theory in place, Northcott focuses on connections between Gaia and Hindu, Taoist, and Christian religious traditions. For Northcott, the Gaia theory can be interpreted as a rediscovery of beliefs held by earlier faith traditions. With great respect, he demonstrates how the Vedic Trinity and the Tao have parallels with Gaia theory's emphasis on the agency of all organisms. Northcott then eloquently demonstrates that medieval Christianity also emphasized the sense of agency in all organisms. Northcott, drawing on philosophers such as Seyyed Hossein Nasr, explains that most western Christians are unaware of the sacred cosmology of their tradition and its emphasis on the agency of being. For the betterment of the planet, Northcott urges religious traditions "to make more prominent in their liturgies the symbiotic relations between humans and other animals which for most of human history has been central to their mutual flourishing" (p. 261). *Overall, God and Gaia does an excellent job of contrasting the current approach of scientism versus the moral and spiritual Gaian philosophy to address the ecological crisis. Northcott is calling for a revival of core aspects of human traditions which modern secular science and philosophy have diminished. This Gaian revival recognizes the agency of all of Earth's systems. Although the Gaian revival and its earth-centered philosophy deviates from a distinctly Christian approach to creation care, readers should find some comfort in this revival as it shows that we are not alone in our efforts to restore the ecological integrity of the Earth. *Note *1See Michael S. Northcott, The Environment and Christian Ethics (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996); ------, A Moral Climate: The Ethics of Global Warming (London, UK: Darton, Longman and Todd, 2007); and ------, A Political Theology of Climate Change (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2013). *Reviewed by Bruce Friesen-Pankratz, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Natural and Social Science Department, Providence University College, Otterburne, MB R0A 1G0.