Animals and Religion: What Religions Teach About Our Relationship With Animals

Sacred writings and religious exemplars in the world’s largest religions teach of animals—who they are, why they are here, and how we ought to interact with these innumerable other beings who share life on planet Earth. Each member of this session explores sacred stories, religious ethics, and the lives of moral exemplars inside a major religious tradition, shedding light on universal values and ethics regarding rightful relations and human obligations with regard to animals. In a world troubled by species extinction and cruel animal exploitation, this session re-envisions our relationship with other living beings through religious teachings and religious exemplars with an eye to altering how we view animals and how we live.