Written for anyone with an interest in religion, ecology or global politics, this book traces the ecological crisis back to the victory of merchants over the Church, the enclosure of common land and the collapse of feudalism. The author argues that the integration achieved in the Christian civilization of Europe between humanity and nature was destroyed by the rise of capitalism and the development of modern technology; that loss of faith in God and reverence for nature went hand in hand, until now, when we are faced with the threat of the final victory of machine over man - the manipulation of the human genetic code by computer. Rifkin discusses the rise of mechanistic consciousness and sets against it the therapeutic consciousness of the 21st century. He predicts the end of the nation state and the multinational corporation, and suggests new ways of living in a global community which reflects the principles of spiritual ecology.