Eco-Spirituality in Environmental Action

Abstract

There is a rising debate about the religious dimensions of environmentalism. A prominent approach to this phenomenon is Bron Taylor's Dark Green Religion. Taylor proposes that Dark Green Religion is a globally growing phenomenon which involves 'para-religious' perceptions and feelings towards nature. Followers of Dark Green Religion would experience feelings of connectedness to nature, consider it to be sacred and worthy of reverent care, and reject anthropocentrism. I discuss Taylor's argument in the light of a study on an urban energy transition process in Northern Germany. Interviewing actors strongly participating in this process, I find some evidence for features of Dark Green Religion while also revealing their ongoing anthropocentric orientations. The findings suggest a need for more in-depth studies to improve our understanding of eco-religious worldviews among environmentally engaged actors and their impact on sustainability transitions.

Challenging the Levels: The Catholic Church as a Multi-Level Actor in the Transition to a Climate-Compatible Society

“…More than 80% of the world's population is affiliated with a religion [32], which makes religions influential in shaping society. They can have a conservative and preserving effect, or they can initiate, sustain or guide change [33,34]. The latter aspect will be explored in this article.…”

A qualitative study of sanctification: How nature becomes sacred for nontheistic environmental activists.

“…Nature is ideal for understanding sanctification for nontheists because it has long been intertwined with conceptions of ultimate reality, from early paganism to romanticism to the contemporary environmental movement (Taylor, 2006). This study also helps bridge the sanctification literature with a growing religious studies literature on modern earth-based nontheistic worldviews whose findings parallel the protective and reverencing implications of sanctification (Allison, 2017; Koehrsen, 2018; Taylor et al, 2020). Finally, this study extends scholarship on sanctification into the territory of lived religion and spirituality in contemporary consciousness and culture where nontheism tends to reside.…”

Exogenous shocks, social skill, and power: Urban energy transitions as social fields

“…Although research has, so far, barely made allowance for religious actors, these may assume important roles in sustainability transitions: they can spread worldviews and values among their followers and use their public influence and resources (e.g. media statements, influence on governments) in ways that facilitate (or block) these transitions (Koehrsen, 2017b;Koehrsen, 2018;Mohamad et al, 2012).…”