06/09/2011 10:06:00 AMThe role religious communities play in environmentalism is the subject of Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability (Ashgate) by Pankaj Jain, assistant professor of philosophy and religion studies. Writing and Journalism, Alumni AssociationstoryThe role religious communities play in environmentalism is the subject of Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability (Ashgate) by Pankaj Jain, assistant professor of philosophy and religion studies. Jain says that Indic religious traditions include a number of rituals and myths in which the environment is revered, but India’s growing economy and population are placing heavy pressure on the country’s natural resources. He applies a non-Western model to see if nature worship inspires Hindus to act in an environmentally conscious way. Jain also is a research affiliate with Harvard University’s Pluralism Project, scholar-in-residence with GreenFaith, and board member of the Society for Hindu Christian Studies and the Executive Advisory Council of Hindu American Seva Charities.