Abstract
Religious environmental movement organizations have increased in number in recent decades. This suggests the interest of religious communities in addressing the effects of climate change. We know that churches have long been involved in political activity and social change and that has increased in recent decades. The National Congregations Study documented change over time; and other scholars have also found a statistically significant increase in the number of churches engaged in seven types of political activity measured in the study. More churches today discuss politics, encourage members to vote, and participate in local marches. Is any of this political activity addressing climate change given the increasing number of climate related events affecting the churches’ communities? To date, the literature on churches (as an organization) and climate change has been scant. Social scientific literature on religion and climate change focuses more on the theology or the religious framing of the environment. This research project asks: What are churches doing to address the impact of climate change in their communities? Do they perceive themselves as agents in the fight against climate change? How does this vary by geographic location? The survey data collected from this project identifies churches most likely to engage in strategic partnerships that address the harm caused by climate change. Theoretically, this project also sheds light on how geography plays a role in the political activity of a church.
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Climate Change, Congregations, Community
