Religious Environmental Activism: Emerging Conflicts and Tensions in Earth Stewardship

This volume explores how religious and spiritual actors engage for environmental protection and fight against climate change, highlighting the tensions that exist within religious environmentalism. It examines how these tensions are manifested and dealt with through empirical case studies in various world regions, covering different religious and spiritual traditions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 16 December 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive volume delves into the intricate dynamics of religious and spiritual actors engaging in environmental protection and combating climate change. The significance of climate change and sustainability has gained increasing attention within religious and spiritual communities across diverse faith traditions. These groups have emerged as powerful advocates for environmental stewardship, developing green theologies, initiating environmental protection projects, and issuing public statements on climate change. Academic scholarship has expressed optimism regarding the potential of religions to address environmental challenges, highlighting their role in fostering sustainability and promoting environmental justice. However, this volume takes a critical approach, challenging these claims and revealing the complex and often embattled terrain of religious environmentalism.

Religious environmentalism is characterized by inherent tensions that manifest in various ways, rather than overt conflicts between different parties. These tensions arise from diverse actions, views, theologies, ambivalences, misunderstandings, and even mistrust within religious communities. These underlying tensions operate below the surface, creating effective barriers to the advancement of religious environmentalism. The chapters in this volume explore these tensions through a comprehensive range of empirical case studies conducted in diverse world regions. These case studies encompass a wide spectrum of religious and spiritual traditions, reflecting on intradenominational, interdenominational, interreligious, and religious-societal tensions. By examining these diverse perspectives, the volume sheds new light on the challenges that religions face when seeking to actively engage in addressing contemporary societal challenges.

One of the key themes explored in this volume is the role of religious leaders and institutions in promoting environmental protection. Religious leaders have the potential to inspire and mobilize their communities toward sustainable practices, but they face challenges in balancing their religious beliefs with environmental concerns. The chapters highlight the complexities of navigating these tensions, as religious leaders strive to find meaningful ways to integrate environmental values into their teachings and practices. They explore the strategies employed by religious leaders to engage with other religious communities, policymakers, and civil society organizations, fostering collaboration and promoting environmental stewardship.

Another important aspect of religious environmentalism is the intersection of faith and science. Many religious traditions hold beliefs that are in harmony with scientific understanding of climate change and the importance of environmental stewardship. However, there are also instances where religious beliefs may conflict with scientific consensus, leading to tensions and misunderstandings. The chapters address these challenges by exploring the ways in which religious communities can engage with scientific knowledge and promote environmental sustainability. They emphasize the importance of dialogue, collaboration, and learning from each other to find common ground and develop mutually beneficial solutions.

Furthermore, the volume explores the role of religious communities in advocating for policy change and addressing the root causes of climate change. Religious organizations have the potential to mobilize their members and influence public opinion, leading to the adoption of more environmentally friendly policies and practices. The chapters highlight the successes and challenges of religious communities in engaging with policymakers and advocating for environmental protection. They explore the strategies employed by religious organizations to build alliances, engage in public campaigns, and influence decision-making processes at local, national, and international levels.

Despite the positive contributions of religious and spiritual actors in environmental protection, the volume also acknowledges the challenges and limitations they face. One of the primary challenges is the lack of widespread awareness and understanding of the role of religions in addressing environmental issues. Many people may view religious environmentalism as a niche or fringe movement, rather than a mainstream component of religious practice. This can lead to marginalization and limited support for religious environmentalism initiatives. Additionally, religious environmentalism may face resistance from certain religious traditions or groups who prioritize other religious or social concerns over environmental concerns.

Furthermore, religious environmentalism may encounter challenges in terms of resource allocation and capacity building. Religious communities may lack the necessary resources, expertise, and infrastructure to implement large-scale environmental protection projects or engage in long-term advocacy efforts. This can limit their ability to make a significant impact on environmental issues. Additionally, religious environmentalism may face challenges in terms of navigating complex institutional structures and power dynamics within religious organizations. Religious leaders and institutions may have different priorities, perspectives, and power structures, which can hinder collaboration and effective advocacy.

In conclusion, this comprehensive volume delves into the intricate dynamics of religious and spiritual actors engaging in environmental protection and combating climate change. It challenges the optimistic claims made by academic scholarship regarding the potential of religions to address environmental challenges. Instead, it highlights the complex and often embattled terrain of religious environmentalism, emphasizing the tensions, challenges, and opportunities that religious communities face in their efforts to promote environmental sustainability. By examining a range of empirical case studies and diverse perspectives, the volume provides valuable insights into the ways in which religious and spiritual actors can contribute to addressing the urgent environmental challenges of our time.

Weight: 790g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367862534