Religion in Global Environmental and Climate Change

The workshop aims for a novel dialogue between researchers from both the natural sciences and the humanities concerned with the causes and consequences of anthropogenic global climate and environmental change. The focus is on religion as a cultural microcosm of people’s manifold perceptions, activities, and modes of thought (worldviews, moral systems, practices, aesthetics, lifestyles) in view of global change and climate change in particular. Religious worldviews inform the activities of a large majority of the world population and, thus, religion and spirituality are crucial factors influencing environmentally relevant behaviour. This influence, however, is ambiguous: on the one hand, there is a tendency for religious organisations and individuals to become “greener” while screening their traditions for moral imperatives to respect the natural environment; on the other hand, certain belief systems may e.g. lead to fatalism regarding dangerous climatic and other environmental changes.

In the workshop, the notion of religion is approached from various theological, ethical, philosophical, ethnological, anthropological, and historical angles. Based on regional case studies and on synthesising global perspectives, the presentations and discussions exemplify religion as a core element of the mutual relationships between humans and their environment. They also discuss alternative approaches to the global climate change predicament by presenting narratives and ways beyond the prevailing technologically and economically oriented solutions. A further objective is to identify key methods and theories and to sketch ways how these can be combined in an inter-/transdisciplinary manner.

For details and modes of participation, please contact Dieter Gerten at gerten@pik-potsdam.de