New Book on Ritual and Radical Eco-Activism by ISSRNC President Sarah Pike

We are pleased to announce publication of a new book from Sarah Pike, ISSRNC President and Professor of Comparative Religion at California State University, Chico. The book is titled For The Wild: Ritual and Commitment in Radical Eco-Activism, and is published by the University of California Press.

For the Wild explores the ways in which the commitments of radical environmental and animal-rights activists develop through powerful experiences with the more-than-human world during childhood and young adulthood. The book addresses the question of how and why activists come to value nonhuman animals and the natural world as worthy of protection. Emotions and memories of wonder, love, compassion, anger, and grief shape activists’ protest practices and help us understand their deep-rooted dedication to the planet and its creatures. Drawing on analyses of activist art, music, and writings, as well as interviews and participant-observation in activist communities, Sarah M. Pike delves into the sacred duties of these often misunderstood and marginalized groups with openness and sensitivity.

In his review of the book, Adrian Ivakhiv, Professor of Environmental Thought and Culture at the University of Vermont, describes Pike’s work as “original and engaging”, adding that her book provides a “much-needed primer on the radical environmental and animal-rights activist movements.”

The book is available now through the University of California Press or at your local bookstore.