Encyclopedia of animal rights and animal 516

Religion and Animals: Pantheism and Panentheism | 473 and continue to treat the living beings in their care See also Religion and Animals—Judaism Further Reading Clark, Bill 1990 “The range of the mountains is His pasture”: Environmental ethics in Israel.” In J Ronald Engel and Joan Gibb Engel, eds., Ethics of environment and development: Global challenge, international response, 183–188 London: Bellhaven Press Kalechofsky, Roberta 1992 Judaism and animal rights: Classical and contemporary responses Marblehead, MA: Micah Publications Linzey, Andrew 1987 Christianity and the rights of animals New York: Crossroad Maimonides 1956 A Guide for the perplexed M Friedlander, trans New York: Dover Publications Murray, Robert 1992 The cosmic covenant: Biblical themes of justice, peace, and the integrity of creation London: Sheed and Ward Schwartz, Richard H 1998 Judaism and vegetarianism Marblehead, MA: Micah Publications Waldau, Paul, and Patton, Kimberley 2006 A communion of subjects: Animals in religion, science and ethics New York: Columbia University Press Paul Waldau RELIGION AND ANIMALS: PANTHEISM AND PANENTHEISM Pantheism and panentheism exist in nearly every religious tradition, especially among mystics, who hope and strive for unity with the divine The word pantheism stems from two Greek words, pantos, meaning “all,” and theos, meaning “God.” Pantheists believe that the divine and the natural world are one and the same Whatever exists is God, and God is all that exists The pantheist’s world is divine; from lizards to piglets, from rocks with flowers to fish; God is all, and all is God Panentheists believe that the divine permeates the natural world, but the divine is yet more than what we see and experience Pantheists identify ultimate reality directly and solely with the physical world, whereas panentheists view ultimate reality as within, but also more than, the natural world Hinduism, the dominant faith of India, expresses both pantheism and panentheism in sacred writings such as the Upanishads and the Mahabharata In Hinduism, Brahman is the divine, the greatest principle of the universe Some authors translate Brahman as “God.” Brahman is the substratum underlying the universe, the unknowable, undefinable power behind and within all that exists The Hindu Upanishads, composed about 2,500 years ago, teach that each individual is Brahman: “This Great Being forever dwells in the heart of all creatures as their innermost Self [and] pervades everything in the universe” (Svetasvatara, pp 122–23) Brahman is identified with nature and nonhuman animals: Thou art the fire, Thou art the sun, Thou art the air Thou art the dark butterfly, Thou art the green parrot with red eyes, Thou art the thunder cloud, the seasons, the seas (Svetasvatara, pp.123–24) Brahman pervades every living being Every creature shares this ultimate reality; the ground of each individual’s being