Reimagining Christian Hope(lessness) in the Anthropocene

Robinson, T. H.

doi:10.3390/rel11040192

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Some are more pessimistic: there are notable social movements, albeit countercultural, which base their action on the firm belief that there will be major socio-ecological collapses in the near future. Additionally, theological reflections of this vein have started to emerge (e.g., Bradford 2020; see also Robinson 2020). The members of these movements sometimes accuse other people of practicing "hopium", an addictive belief that there is still hope in the form of optimism.…”

Section: Possibilities and Resources For Pastoral Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Eco-Anxiety and Pastoral Care: Theoretical Considerations and Practical Suggestions

Pihkala

2022

Religions

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The environmental crisis is producing an increasing number of both physical and psychological impacts. This article studies the challenge of eco-anxiety for pastoral care, drawing from both interdisciplinary research and ecological theology. The aim is to help both practitioners and researchers to encounter eco-anxiety more constructively. The rapidly growing research about eco-anxiety and therapy is discussed in relation to pastoral care. The various forms of eco-anxiety are briefly analyzed. The role of the caregivers is discussed by using sources that study the challenges of therapists in relation to eco-anxiety. The existential depths of eco-anxiety are probed in the light of recent research and older existentialist theory. It is pointed out that the political character of ecological issues, especially climate change issues, causes many kinds of challenges for pastoral care. As the constructive conclusion of the article, various possibilities and resources for encountering eco-anxiety in pastoral care are discussed, along with the connections with wider pastoral theology. It is argued that pastoral care providers should engage in self-reflection about their own attitudes and emotions related to ecological issues, preferably with the support of trusted peers or mentors. Various organizational developments are also needed to support caregivers. Dialectical thinking is one tool that can help to navigate the complex dynamics related to environmental responsibility, eco-emotions, and questions of hope or hopelessness.

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Section: Possibilities and Resources For Pastoral Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Eco-Anxiety and Pastoral Care: Theoretical Considerations and Practical Suggestions

Pihkala

2022

Religions

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“…The problem with hope is, as Ruth Guyatt states, its "ambivalent duality" (Guyatt, 2020). Hope is usually associated with and understood to be passive optimism, or blind faith which manifests in avoidance, denial, complacency, and inaction (Anderson, 2006;Guyatt, 2020;Head, 2016;Robinson, 2020) in response to climate change and the unfolding ecological crisis. According to Robinson the accounts of hope in "recent environmental literature and in traditional Christian formulations rely on faith in political will, technological innovation, or an omnipotent divine sovereign to intervene and save" (Robinson, 2020).…”

Section: Embodying Hope In Religious Educational Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Robinson the accounts of hope in "recent environmental literature and in traditional Christian formulations rely on faith in political will, technological innovation, or an omnipotent divine sovereign to intervene and save" (Robinson, 2020). But Robinson contends "such accounts are inadequate for this moment" (Robinson, 2020). A helpful study on How hope and doubt affect climate change mobilization, by Marlon et al, reveals two taxonomies of hope: constructive and false hope (Marlon et al, 2019).…”

Section: Embodying Hope In Religious Educational Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solastalgia and Hope

Winkler¹,

Carroll²

2021

RpB

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This paper draws attention to the social as well as global consequences, but also to the profound emotional impact of the ecological crises from a theological perspective. The phenomenon of solastalgia, as well as the loss of holistic thinking, manifests itself as emotional or existential distress caused by environmental changes, resulting in the loosing of home, identity, and culture. In order to provide a response to these urgent theological as well as religious education challenges, this article makes a twofold attempt: On the one hand, it deconstructs the entanglements of Christian missionary societies in European colonial structures of domination that helped legitimize the exploitation of natural resources. This includes the understanding that in the name of Christianity, the suppression of indigenous forms of knowledge and cognition, which contain a treasure of concern for nature and forms of sustainable living, was legitimized. On the other hand, the engagement with these historical lines of development, however, opens up the opportunity to re-engage indigenous narratives of hope in religious education processes and to make their alternative world relations constructive, which is fed by a dialogue with indigenous epistemology and spirituality. The aim of this paper is to find out what new insights emerge from this dialogue of contexts between the Pacific and Europe and what new horizons they can offer for religious education.

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Philosophical Perspectives on Climate Anxiety

Vaškovic

2023

Handbooks in Philosophy

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Reimagining Christian Hope(lessness) in the Anthropocene

Cited by 8 publications

References 11 publications

Eco-Anxiety and Pastoral Care: Theoretical Considerations and Practical Suggestions

Eco-Anxiety and Pastoral Care: Theoretical Considerations and Practical Suggestions

Solastalgia and Hope

Philosophical Perspectives on Climate Anxiety

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