Recycling, relatedness, and reincarnation: Religious beliefs about nature and the afterlife as predictors of sustainability practices.

Abstract

We used a mixed-methods approach to examine the influence of interconnectedness with nature and afterlife beliefs as predictors of sustainability practices, across religious traditions, in two countries. Study 1 features analyses of interviews of individuals from Abrahamic and Eastern religious traditions living in the United States. Eastern religious adherents were especially focused on interconnectedness with the earth and support for sustainability. Follow-up surveys of U.S. theists in Study 2 revealed sustainability is positively associated with returning and negatively associated with leaving the earth after death, over and above environmental concerns and general religiosity. Study 3 builds on these findings and investigates sustainability practices of Hindus and Christians living in the United States and India. U.S. Christians reported the lowest level of sustainability practices. Reincarnation beliefs mediated the religion × country interaction on sustainability practices. The findings have implications for religious belief and value-based theories of sustainability as well as messages aimed at advocating environmental stewardship.