Getting Religion Right
As we planned our winter
print issue four months ago, we had the holiday
season in mind. The year-end is, after all, as
much a time for reflection as it is for
celebration. For many millions across the world,
it is also a time for reaffirming one’s faith.
It seemed fitting, therefore, to offer, in this
edition, a trio of articles at the intersection
of religion and environmentalism. Eight out of
10
people worldwide identify with some sort of
religion. So why is faith so often left out of
conversations about environmental action? Surely
religion offers a huge (if largely untapped)
source of moral motivation for Earth
care?
On Nov. 14, just weeks
before world leaders were set to gather in Dubai
for the annual United Nations climate
conference, COP28, which started yesterday, the
UN published yet another
report
showing there’s “no end in sight” to rising
greenhouse gas emissions. “The chasm between
need and action is more menacing than ever,” UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned. To
close that chasm, we need every country, every
institution, every community to lend a hand. And
that includes communities of faith.
It can be done. There is
quite a bit of research out there indicating
that religion can have a significant
influence on people’s behavior
when it comes to the environment. In fact, as
our winter cover story, “Green Gospel,” by
Journal Associate Editor Brian
Calvert, shows, appeals to faith-based
worldviews can bypass political divides and
cultural affiliations. This can happen even in
spaces where the same influences have been used
to spread disinformation and obstruct action on
climate change.
There are other
roadblocks besides disinformation, of course.
For instance, as Greg Harris points out in a
feature about Thailand’s forest monks, tradition
can sometimes get in the way of
environmentalism. Figuring out the right way to
respond to our ongoing environmental crisis can
pose a challenge to religions traditionally
concerned with personal salvation, or those that
advocate a distancing from worldly affairs.
However, as Brian’s feature on Evangelical
climate crusaders, the monks’ story, and other
articles in our new issue — including an essay
by Nana Firman, Muslim outreach director for
GreenFaith, and my conversation
with Michael Greenberg of Climate
Defiance also show — a new
ecological theology within several religions is
emerging to meet the moment, one that views
environmentalism in terms of justice, sacred
duty, empathy, and compassion.
Sadly, as we have
witnessed over and over again, when it comes to
conflicts over land and resources, these
teachings are not always followed. As we grieve
the horrifying loss of innocent lives in the
Middle East — in Israel, and in much larger and
still growing numbers in Gaza — it can be
difficult to focus on faith, especially
organized religion, as a source of good rather
than conflict. But the stories in our latest
issue demonstrate that many, many people across
the globe are harnessing their faith to help
heal our world. This gives me hope. May their
numbers only grow.
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