How the World's Religions Are Responding to Climate Change: Social Scientific Investigations

by Robin Globus Veldman (Editor), Andrew Szasz (Editor), Randolph Haluza-DeLay (Editor)

A growing chorus of voices has suggested that the world’s religions may become critical actors as the climate crisis unfolds, particularly in light of international paralysis on the issue. In recent years, many faiths have begun to address climate change and its consequences for human societies, especially the world’s poor. This is the first volume to use social science to examine how religions are helping to address one of the most significant and far-reaching challenges of our time. While there is a growing literature in theology and ethics about climate change and religion, little research has been previously published about the ways in which religious institutions, groups and individuals are responding to the problem of climate change. Seventeen research-driven chapters are written by sociologists, anthropologists, geographers and other social scientists. This book explores what effects religions are having, what barriers they are running into or creating, and what this means for the global struggle to address climate change.

344 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read the whole of this collection of investigations, but I found it very worthwhile. The three studies I read were all clear in description and interpretation, modest about theoretical overhead without being naive, and so, for both reasons, would be useful for undergrad teaching. The main drawback, at this point in time, is that the book was published over a decade ago, which makes the studies in some cases quite dated, as they rely on data gathered well over a decade ago. Still, there are good models here for showing students how social scientific inquiry proceeds.