This volume is clearly an effort to give a progress report on a project that these two authors have been pursuing for many years. Their contributions to the area of comparative religions and basic concerns about the environment are well known to most scholars and activists in both fields. They are certainly a regular component of both an examination of the relation between religion and science and the way that the broadening of our understanding of the religions expands the perspective on religion and science. In this way, they have contributed immensely to helping us proceed with caution about certain kinds of claims.

As an effort to provide a progress report, this text also represents one of the few manuscripts in which the two authors decide to present their own views. Much of what they have done is to provide a forum for other scholars who have been drawn into either of the two areas of exploration. It is obvious from their previous work that those who write on religion and science and those who, by contrast, work in comparative religions rarely cross paths. The themes that may emerge from bringing the two studies together have been largely unexplored except for the work of Tucker and Grim. Thus, the text becomes a primer on how this can be done as well, perhaps with the hope that many more will choose to follow the lead of these authors.

Thus, the text reads very much like an introduction. The first section of the book provides basic definitions of nature, ecology, religious ecologies, and the opening dimensions of a field of interreligious ecological discussion. The second portion provides a more focused discussion of the various religions as they approach issues of ecology. The constructive work can be found in the final portion of the book in which the authors develop a global ethic. This is an approach they have been working on for some time and have presented at meetings of the Parliament of the World's Religions. The approach has aimed to develop a basis for interreligious participation in the promotion of the earth charter created as part of the work of the Parliament. Thus, this implies cooperative dialogue, between the religions, aimed at ethical community.

The latter point underscores the urgency of this conversation. The authors suggest, using the work of Thomas Berry, that we have yet to construct a workable ethic for the environment that clearly draws on the resources of the religions. Because of the fact that our planet faces forms of absolute destruction of the biosphere, the need is rather pressing. The argument is thus to push the effort more aggressively given the urgent need for action that we have. Perhaps this is also a challenge extended to the religions since they may not only be a resource for producing such an ethic, but also may have the structures in place to make such an ethic a viable program for action.

Those who have worked in these fields for a while will not likely find much new in this text, but will be ready to join the authors in the goal of promoting such a global ethic serving ecological purposes. Those who are new to these discussions will find the book a helpful summary and introduction. Thus, the book can work well in the college classroom with accompanying discussion questions for the classroom. Any book from Tucker and Grim is worth our attention and this one should be read, even if only as reminder of this important work.