Each book in the World Religions and Ecology series deals with the teachings, beliefs, history and present-day attitudes and contribution of a particular faith to the environment. The books cover several areas: teachings and traditions, environmental practice and responding to the crisis. Under teachings and traditions the books look at core ideas and beliefs as found within the faith's main scriptures and traditional teachings. They also include studies of historical turning points in the faith's teachings about the environment. Under environmental practice, the books examine the practices and ways of life arising from the teachings outlined in the first section and their impact (negative and positive) on the environment. The final section, responding to the crisis, looks at how the faith is rethinking or re-examining its teachings and practices in the light of the ecological crisis. What does the faith believe to be the most important insights it has to bring to the debate about the future? What are the faith's hopes for the future? This section also contains case studies of practical action to protect the environment undertaken as an expression of faith. Through a series of stories, examples, teachings from sacred texts, illustrations, interviews with Hindus involved with ecology and descriptions of current projects, this study demonstrates how humanity's role in preserving the environment is a central theme of Hinduism.