Editor’s Introduction

Toward a Robust Scientific Investigation of the ‘Religion’ Variable in the Quest for Sustainability

Abstract

Despite signi?cant progress in the development of the religion and nature ?eld, there is still far too little data available to evaluate conclusively hypotheses regarding the ‘greening of religion’, regardless of whether the traditions in focus are large or small, longstanding or recently emerging. The ?eld needs to move beyond anecdotal information and wishful thinking and develop a much more complex and robust, mixed methods social science to explore the religious dimensions of the quest for environmental sustainability and conservation. Only then will we be able to assess more accurately whether it is possible for such phenomena to contribute strongly to efforts to create a more equitable and environmentally sustainable world. Scholars interested in pursuing historically and empirically such questions are invited to contact JSRNC editors in order to establish a task force to pursue these questions.