Research Interests

religion & ecology; environmental humanities; spiritual ecology; climate change; biodiversity collapse; traditional ecological knowledge; eco-spirituality; environmental ethics; political ecology; multi-species ontologies; Himalayan culture & religion; Buddhism

Biography

Elizabeth Allison, Ph.D., an environmental social scientist who studies the convergence of religion and ethics with environmental policy and practice. She is Professor of Ecology and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, where she founded and chairs the graduate program in Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion and created the Religion & Ecology Summit series of annual conferences. She is a member of the Advisory Group for the Yale Forum on Religion & Ecology; Associate Editor for the journal Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology; and past Secretary (2021-2024) of the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture. Dr. Allison researches traditional ecological knowledge in mountain regions, particularly as it relates to biodiversity, waste, ecological place, and climate change. She is co-editor of After the Death of Nature: Carolyn Merchant and the Future of Human-Nature Relations (2019). Her book Thunder Dragon Ecology: Lessons from Bhutan for a Flourishing Future, exploring how religion, culture, and spirituality affect environmental policy and practice, will be published by UC Press in 2027. She led the social science component of the transdisciplinary, transnational Life Without Ice research project exploring the consequences of glacier extinction with the Institute of Research for Development in France and other international partners, 2020-2025. Her articles appear in journals including Ecology & Society, Nature Climate Change, WIREs Climate Change, Religions, Mountain Research and Development, Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture, and other journals, as well as in numerous edited volumes on Bhutan, the Himalaya, religion, nature, and geography. A former Fulbright scholar in Nepal, she holds Ph.D. and master’s degrees in environmental management from the University of California, Berkeley and Yale University, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in religion from Yale Divinity School and Williams College.

Education

Ph.D. UC Berkeley

MEM Yale School of the Environment

MAR Yale Divinity School

Courses

Science, Ecology and Contested Knowledge(s) Theory and Method in the Integrative Study of Religion & Ecology 

Ecology in a Time of Planetary Crisis 

Toward an Integral Ecological Consciousness 

PCC and ESR MA Integrative Seminar 

Next of Kin: Perspectives on Biodiversity and Animal Ethics 

Environmental Ethics 

Touch the Earth: The Integral Ecology Internship Seminar

Publications

Books

Allison, E. (2027) Thunder Dragon Ecology: Lessons from Bhutan for a flourishing future. University of California Press.

Worthy, Ken, Allison, Elizabeth, and Bauman, Whitney, eds. (2019) After the Death of Nature: Carolyn Merchant and the Future of Human-Nature Relations. New York, Routledge.

• Reviewed in Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture 15(1), 2021; The Quarterly Review of Biology 95 (2), 2020

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Allison, E. (2025) Education for the Ecozoic: Emerging Directions in the Study of Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion. The New Ecozoic Reader 9.

Allison, E. (2024) A Decade of Earth-centered Scholarship and Activism: Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion at Ten. Worldviews 28 (2).

Allison, E. (2023) Collective responsibility and environmental caretaking: toward an ecological care ethic with evidence from Bhutan. Ecology & Society 28 (1): 10.

Allison, E. (2019) The Reincarnation of Waste: A Case Study of Spiritual Ecology Activism for Household Solid Waste Management: The Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative of Rural Bhutan. Religions, 10(9), 514.

• Reprinted in: Sponsel, L. (ed.) (2020) Religious Environmental Activism in Asia: Case Studies in Spiritual Ecology. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI Books. pp. 135-154.

Allison, E. (2019) Deity citadels: Sites of bio-cultural resistance and resilience in Bhutan. Religions, 10(4), 268.

Allison, E. (2017) Spirits and Nature: The intertwining of sacred cosmologies and environmental epistemologies in Bhutan. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture, 11(2), pp. 197-226.

Allison, E. (2015) The Spiritual Significance of Glaciers in an Age of Climate Change. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 6(5), pp. 493-508. – cited in 2019 IPCC Special Report on the Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC).

Allison, E. (2014) Waste and Worldviews: Garbage and Pollution Challenges in Bhutan. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, 8(4), pp. 405-428.

Invited Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters and Articles

Allison, E. (forthcoming). How Dogs Became Garbage. In: Jelle J.P. Wouters and Kinley Dorji (eds.) More-Than-Human Conversations in Bhutan. Orient Blackswan.

Allison, E., C. Ceruti, M. Muhumuza, G. S. Carreño, P. Y. Sherpa, and I. L. Villuendas. (2026) Melting ice and transforming beliefs. Nature Climate Change, 16, pp. 118-122.

Allison, E. (2025). Traditions shaken by global warming. The UNESCO Courier. Jan. – March 2025. Pp. 22-25.

Allison, E. (2025). Toward Holistic Well-being: Gross National Happiness and Alternative Futures in Bhutan. In: Campbell, Ben, Cameron, Mary, and Subba, Tanka B. (eds.) Routledge International Handbook of Himalayan Environments, Development and Wellbeing. Routledge.

Allison, E. (2024). Religion and Environment in Bhutan. In: Ludden, David, ed. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Asian History. New York: Oxford University Press.

Allison, E. (2023) The Pervasive Influence of Asian Religions on American Environmental Thought. In: Kearns, Laurel and Bauman, Whitney (eds.) Religion and Nature in North America. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Allison, E. (2023) Using Contemplative Practice to Sustain Equitable Environmental Engagement. In Jinnah, Sikina and Dubreuil, Jessie (eds.). Teaching Environmental Politics and Justice. Northhampton, MA: Edward Elgar. 

Allison, E. (2022) Sacred Groves as Sites of Bio-Cultural Resistance and Resilience in Bhutan. In: Coggins, Chris and Chen, Bixia (eds.) Sacred Forests of Asia: Spiritual Ecology and the Politics of Nature Conservation in the Anthropocene. New York, Routledge.

Allison, E. (2022) The Perils and Pleasures of a Peer-less Life: Identity Changes in Midlife Motherhood. In: Mitchell, Suzette and Sanmiguel-Valderrama, Olga (eds.) Where did I go? Reflections on so-called late mothering. Ontario, Canada, Demeter Press. 

Allison, E. (2021) The Pervasive Influence of Asian Religions on American Environmental Thought. In: Bauman, Whitney and Kearns, Laurel (Religion and Environment section eds.) Bloomsbury Religion in North America. Digital resource. 

Allison, E. (2019) Race, Trauma, and Climate Change. In: Waddle, Ray (ed.) Crucified Creation: A Green Faith Rising, an issue of Reflections: A Magazine of Theological and Ethical Inquiry from Yale Divinity School. Yale Divinity School.

Allison, E. (2019) Ecology and Spirituality. In: Zsolnai, Laszlo (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Spirituality and Society. Oxon, Routledge.

Allison, E. (2018) Mountains of Memory: Confronting Climate Change in Sacred Mountain Landscapes. In: Hobgood, Laura and Bauman, Whitney (eds.) The Elements of Religion and Nature. Bloomsbury.

Allison, E. (2018) Bewitching Nature. In: Worthy, Ken, Allison, Elizabeth, and Bauman, Whitney (eds.) After the Death of Nature: Carolyn Merchant and the Future of Human-Nature Relations. New York, Routledge.

Worthy, K., E. Allison, E., and W. Bauman (2018) Introduction. In: Worthy, Ken, Elizbeth Allison, and Whitney Bauman (eds.) After the Death of Nature: Carolyn Merchant and the Future of Human-Nature Relations. New York, Routledge.

Allison, E. (2017) Toward a Feminist Care Ethic for Climate Change. Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, 33(2), pp. 152-158.

Allison, E. (2017) The Relational Spiral of Integral Ecology. In: Mickey, Sam, Kelly, Sean, Robbert, Adam (eds.) The Variety of Integral Ecologies: Nature, Culture, and Knowledge in the Planetary Era. Albany, NY, SUNY Press, pp. 161-188.

Allison, E. (2016) At the Boundary of Modernity: Religion, Technocracy, and Waste Management in Bhutan. In: Sijapati, Megan and Birkenholtz, Jessica (eds.) Religion and Modernity in the Himalayas. New York, Routledge, pp. 163-182.  

• Reviewed in Reading Religion: A Publication of the American Academy of Religion (2017) by Daniel Capper.
• Reviewed in HIMALAYA 37(1): 2017 by James G. Lochtefeld. 

Allison, E. (2015) Religion Inscribed in the Landscape: Sacred Sites, Local Deities, and Natural Resource Use in the Himalayas. In: Brunn, S. (ed.) The Changing World Religion Map. Dordrecht, Springer, pp. 439-459.

Allison, E. (2008) The Dark Side of Light: Managing Non-biodegradable Wastes in Bhutan's Rural Areas. Mountain Research and Development, 28(3/4), pp. 205-209.

Allison, E. (2008) A Flourishing World: Time to Step Up Action on Climate Change. The Progressive Christian Magazine, May-June 2008.

Allison, E. (2007) Religiously Protected Natural Sites of Khumbu. In: Ang Rita Sherpa, A. R. and Subba, S. Sacred Sites of Khumbu Region. Kathmandu, The Mountain Institute, pp. 12-15.

Allison, E. (2004) Spiritually Motivated Natural Resources Protection in Eastern Bhutan. In: Ura, K. and Kinga, S. (eds.) The Spider and the Piglet: Proceedings of the First International Seminar on Bhutan Studies. Thimphu, Bhutan: Centre for Bhutan Studies, pp. 529-563.

Encyclopedia Entries 

Allison, E. (2012) The Himalayas. In: Campbell, J., Liu, J., and Pellissery, S. (eds.) Encyclopedia of Sustainability 7/10: China, India, and East and Southeast Asia: Assessing Sustainability. Great Barrington, Mass., Berkshire Publishing Group, pp. 188-192.

Allison, E. (2011) Gross National Happiness. In: Fogel, D., Fredericks, S., and Spellerberg, I. (eds.) Encyclopedia of Sustainability 6/10: Measurements, Indicators, and Research Methods for Sustainability. Great Barrington, Mass., Berkshire Publishing Group, pp 180-184.

Allison, E. (2009) Biodiversity. In: Jenkins, W. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Sustainability 1/10: The Spirit of Sustainability. Great Barrington, Mass., Berkshire Publishing Group, pp. 37-41.

Allison, E. (2009) Forests. In: Jenkins, W. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Sustainability 1/10: The Spirit of Sustainability. Great Barrington, Mass., Berkshire Publishing Group, pp. 176-177.

Book Reviews, Letters, Op Eds, & Other Publications

Allison, E. (2025) Traditions shaken by global warming. UNESCO Courier. January 2025.

Allison, E. (2020) The Coronavirus-Induced Great Lull is a Dress Rehearsal for Addressing Climate Change. Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University. 

Dangles, O., Yoccoz, N.G., Cauvy-Fraunié, S., Allison, E., Anthelme, F., Condom, T., Crespo-Pérez, V., Dentant, C., Meneses, R.I., Junquas, C., Moret, P., Peyre, G., Rabatel, A., Sicart, J.-E., and Tournier, C. (2020) Life without Tropical Ice: a response to Life without Ice. Science. 367 (6479): pp. 719. 

Allison, E. (2017) Earth is speaking. Loudly. Can we hear? HuffPost. 

Allison, E. (2017) The Last Spring? HuffPost. 

Allison, E. (2017) Days to Remember. HuffPost. 

Allison, E. (2016) That Feeling of Malaise? Maybe it’s Post-Election Stress and Trauma Response (PESTR). HuffPost. 

Allison, E. (2016) Review of Ecology and Religion by John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker. Society and Natural Resources, 29(6), pp. 755-757.

Allison E. (2015) Ecology, Spirituality, and Social Justice: A symposium sponsored by the Esalen Center for Theory and Research. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture, 9(3), pp. 364-366.

Allison, E. (2008) Religious Communities and the Climate Crisis. Forum on Religion and Ecology Newsletter, March 2008.

Allison, E. and Taylor, B. (2007) Making the Impossible Possible: Supporting Bold Leadership on Climate Change. The Garrison Institute Newsletter, Summer 2007.

Allison, E. (2007) Religious Organizations Taking Action on Climate Change. Prepared for the Garrison Institute. The Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale: Climate Change. 

Jonsen, A., Kellert, S., Finnegan, W., Allison, E., Ardoin, N. (2005) Environmental Ethics: Examining Your Connection to the Environment and Your Community. San Francisco, Goldman Environmental Prize/ The Video Project. 

Talks

ESR YouTube with a variety of talks to choose from, including most of the Religion & Ecology Summits that ESR has hosted.  

Public talks: 

• Reflections on Religion and Ecology: Yale alumni speak from the field - Elizabeth Allison. Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology. July 2025.
• An Epistemological Expedition into Vertiginous Animate Terrain, 2024

Podcasts: 

• A Conversation with Merlin Sheldrake, 2023
• Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
  • Spotlight, Elizabeth Allison, 2023
  • Spotlight, Elizabeth Allison, 2021
• Elizabeth Allison: On Ecology and Spirituality, 2020

Radio:

• Begravningar och böner markerar glaciärernas försvinnande (Funerals and prayers mark the disappearance of glaciers). Elizabeth Allison interviewed for Swedish Public Radio program reported by Elsa Östlund, produced by Lars Broström. Jan. 12, 2026.
• Försvunna glaciärer sörjs i ceremoni – ”Ett sätt att ta ansvar” (Disappearing glaciers are mourned in ceremony – “A way of taking responsibility”) Interview for Swedish Public Radio conducted by Elsa Östlund. Jan. 12, 2026.