ABSTRACT
Religion and ecology may seem to be two distinct domains of human experience: one with many centuries of diverse traditions and practice; the other an emerging scientific perspective on complex environmental systems and humanity’s often problematic relationship with the natural world. For Bahá’ís, they are in fact complementary and closely interrelated, and have converged in recent years. The science of ecology offers a systems perspective on the relations between human society and the planetary ecosystem, incluing interrelated economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The concern today is sustainable development-that is, how to make the transition from a consumer society plundering the earth’s resources, and political and economic institutions driven by self-interest, to a just and sustainable world civilization respecting planetary boundaries and restoring the natural productivity of the Earth and its ecosystems.
