Dogs, Cats, and Other Nonhumans Are Not 'Just Animals' |
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A new book explores how people in spiritual and religious circles are challenging speciesist narratives.
The authors hope people will come to see animals differently and treat them with greater respect.
Relationships with animals aren't merely sentimental "feel-good" experiences—they're powerful social bonds.
Humans around the world form deep and varied relationships with other animals, and these connections can shape daily life, emotional well-being, and resilience. Dismissing any nonhuman as "just an animal" isn't as uncommon as many people think, despite many people referring to their household companions and other animals as their "best friends."
I've heard far too many people write off other animals as "just animals," and for this and other reasons, I was thrilled to learn of Rob Gierka and Karen Duke's recent book, Just an Animal: Reflections on the Human-Animal Bond and Western Culture, in which they offer a critical discussion on this anthropocentric speciesist phenomenon. Just an Animal is the third book in the Pet Chaplain Learning Series, a four-volume set that explores pet keeping and loss in the modern West and offers instruction in interfaith spiritual care for pet loss.
In their timely and important work, they explore the ideological foundations of this false narrative about animals that distorts reality, fails to reflect the powerful bonds millions of people share with their animal companions and other nonhumans, and defies what science has shown us about who these nonhuman beings truly are, namely, intelligent, emotional, and sentient beings with individual personalities. They're not just "feel-good" experiences. Each and every life matters because they are alive, not because of what they can do for us. Here's what Rob and Karen had to say about their comprehensive overview of the cultural foundation of the West's anthropocentric mindset and the impact of this worldview on people who love animals and grieve their loss.
Marc Bekoff: Why did you write Just an Animal?
Rob Gierka and Karen Duke: As pet chaplains,........