Church and climate change
An examination of the attitudes and practices of Cornish Anglican Churches regarding the environment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jsrnc.v5i1.61Keywords:
environment, theology, practical theology, Cornwall, Anglican, Church of England, Lambeth, CongregationsAbstract
This article examines the extent to which the Church of England’s institutional environmental policies, practices, and theologies are being translated into the context of the parish church. This study uses a series of focus group interviews to gather data from six parishes around the Diocese of Truro to assess the attitudes towards, and actions regarding, environment and climate change amongst regular Church of England churchgoers. The study suggests that despite a wealth of institutional resources that have been developed to foster theologically informed environmental knowledge, very little awareness of the institutional Church’s ethos is found in the local church context.
References
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———. 1968b. Lambeth Conference 1968: Preparatory Information (London: SPCK).
———. 1968c. Lambeth Conference 1968: Resolutions and Reports (London: SPCK).
Archbishop’s Council. 2005. Sharing God's Planet: A Christian Vision for a Sustainable Future (London: Church House Publishing).
Atkinson, David. 2008. Renewing the Face of the Earth (London: SCM Press).
Att_eld, Robert. 1983. The Ethics of Environmental Concern (London: Blackwell).
Barbour, Ian. 1980. Technology, Environment and Human Values (New York: Praeger).
BBC. 2009. ‘Radio 4 Sunday Worship: Hearing the Voices of Creation’, 3 November. Online: http://www.windsor2009.org/Voices_16_11_09.pdf.
Berry, Robert J. 2003. God's Book of Works: The Nature and Theology of Nature (London: T&T Clark).
Biel, Anders, and Andreas Nilsson. 2005. ‘Religious Values and Environmental Concern: Harmony and Detachment’, Social Science Quarterly 86.1: 178-91. doi:10.1111/j.0038-4941.2005.00297.x.
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Coleman, Roger (ed.). 1992. Resolutions of the Twelve Lambeth Conferences 1867–1988 (Toronto: Anglican Book Centre).
Deane-Drummond, Celia. 1996. A Handbook in Theology and Ecology (London: SCM Press).
———. 2008. Eco-Theology (London: DLT).
Denzin, Norman, and Yvonna S. Lincoln (eds.). 2005. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (London: SAGE Publications).
Djupe, Paul A., and Patrick Kieren Hunt. 2009. ‘Beyond the Lynn White Thesis: Congregational Effects of Environmental Concern’, Journal for the Scienti_c Study of Religion 48.4: 670-86.
Eckberg, Douglas Lee, and T. Jean Blocker. 1989. ‘Varieties of Religious Involvement and Environmental Concerns: Testing the Lynn White Thesis’, Journal for the Scienti_c Study of Religion 28.4: 509-17.
———. 1996. ‘Christianity, Environmentalism, and the Theoretical Problem of Fundamentalism’, Journal for the Scienti_c Study of Religion 35.4: 343-55. doi:10.2307/1386410.
Feenberg, Andrew. 2002. Transforming Technology: A Critical Theory Revisited (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Fontana, Andrea, and James H. Frey. 2005. ‘The Interview: From Neutral Stance to Political Involvement’, in Denzin and Lincoln 2005: 695-727.
General Synod Board for Social Responsibility. 1986. Our Responsibility for the Living Environment, v. GS718 (London: Church House Publications).
Gottlieb, Roger S. 2006. A Greener Faith (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
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Hand, Carl M., and Kent D. Van Liere. 1984. ‘Religion, Mastery-Over-Nature, and Environmental Concern’, Social Forces 63.2: 555-70. doi:10.2307/2579062.
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Jones, James. 2003. Jesus and the Earth (London: SPCK).
Kamberelis, George, and Greg Dimitriadis. 2005. ‘Focus Groups: Strategic Articulations of Pedgagogy, Politics, and Inquiry’, in Denzin and Lincoln 2005: 887-907.
Kanagy, Conrad L., and Hart M. Nelsen. 1995. ‘Religion and Environmental Concern: Challenging the Dominant Assumptions’, Review of Religious Research 37.1: 33-45.
Kearns, Laurel. 1996. ‘Saving the Creation: Christian Environmentalism in the United States’, Sociology of Religion 57.1: 55-70. doi:10.2307/3712004.
Mardiz, Esther. 2003. ‘Focus Groups in Feminist Research’, in Norman Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln (eds.), Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials (London: SAGE Publications): 363-88.
McFague, Sallie. 1993. The Body of God: An Ecological Theology (London: SCM Press).
Moltmann, Jurgen. 1984. God in Creation (London: SCM Press).
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Nash, James. 1991. Loving Nature: Ecological Integrity and Christian Responsibility (Nashville: Abingdon Press).
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No Author. 2009b. Shrinking the Footprint Campaign: Church and Earth 2009–2016 (London: Church House Publications).
Northcott, Michael. 1996. The Environment and Christian Ethics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). doi:10.1017/CBO9780511557477.
———. 2007. A Moral Climate: The Ethics of Global Warming (London: DLT).
Ramsey, Ian T. (ed.). 1968. Faith Alert: The Popular Report of the Lambeth Conference of 1968 (London: SPCK).
Shreeve, David, and Claire Foster. 2007. How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take to Change a Christian (London: Church House Publishing).
———. 2009. Don't Stop at the Lights: Leading Your Church through a Changing Climate (London: Church House Publishing).
Spencer, Nick, and Robert White. 2007. Christianity, Climate Change and Sustainable Living (London: SPCK).
Tarakeshwar, Nalini et al. 2001. ‘The Sancti_cation of Nature and Theological Conservatism: A Study of Opposing Religious Correlates of Environmentalism’, Review of Religious Research 42.4: 387-404. doi:10.2307/3512131.
Taylor, C. 2007. A Secular Age (London: Harvard University Press).
White, Lynn. 1967. ‘The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis’, Science 155.3767 (10 March): 1203-207.
Wilkinson, Loren. 1980. Earthkeeping: Christian Stewardship of Natural Resources (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans).
———. 1968b. Lambeth Conference 1968: Preparatory Information (London: SPCK).
———. 1968c. Lambeth Conference 1968: Resolutions and Reports (London: SPCK).
Archbishop’s Council. 2005. Sharing God's Planet: A Christian Vision for a Sustainable Future (London: Church House Publishing).
Atkinson, David. 2008. Renewing the Face of the Earth (London: SCM Press).
Att_eld, Robert. 1983. The Ethics of Environmental Concern (London: Blackwell).
Barbour, Ian. 1980. Technology, Environment and Human Values (New York: Praeger).
BBC. 2009. ‘Radio 4 Sunday Worship: Hearing the Voices of Creation’, 3 November. Online: http://www.windsor2009.org/Voices_16_11_09.pdf.
Berry, Robert J. 2003. God's Book of Works: The Nature and Theology of Nature (London: T&T Clark).
Biel, Anders, and Andreas Nilsson. 2005. ‘Religious Values and Environmental Concern: Harmony and Detachment’, Social Science Quarterly 86.1: 178-91. doi:10.1111/j.0038-4941.2005.00297.x.
Black, John. 1970. The Dominion of Man (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press).
Bouma-Prediger, Steven. 2001. For the Beauty of the Earth (Grand Rapids: Baker).
Boyd, Heather Hartwig. 1999. ‘Christianity and the Environment in the American Public’, Journal for the Scienti_c Study of Religion 38.1: 36-44. doi:10.2307/1387582.
Coleman, Roger (ed.). 1992. Resolutions of the Twelve Lambeth Conferences 1867–1988 (Toronto: Anglican Book Centre).
Deane-Drummond, Celia. 1996. A Handbook in Theology and Ecology (London: SCM Press).
———. 2008. Eco-Theology (London: DLT).
Denzin, Norman, and Yvonna S. Lincoln (eds.). 2005. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (London: SAGE Publications).
Djupe, Paul A., and Patrick Kieren Hunt. 2009. ‘Beyond the Lynn White Thesis: Congregational Effects of Environmental Concern’, Journal for the Scienti_c Study of Religion 48.4: 670-86.
Eckberg, Douglas Lee, and T. Jean Blocker. 1989. ‘Varieties of Religious Involvement and Environmental Concerns: Testing the Lynn White Thesis’, Journal for the Scienti_c Study of Religion 28.4: 509-17.
———. 1996. ‘Christianity, Environmentalism, and the Theoretical Problem of Fundamentalism’, Journal for the Scienti_c Study of Religion 35.4: 343-55. doi:10.2307/1386410.
Feenberg, Andrew. 2002. Transforming Technology: A Critical Theory Revisited (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Fontana, Andrea, and James H. Frey. 2005. ‘The Interview: From Neutral Stance to Political Involvement’, in Denzin and Lincoln 2005: 695-727.
General Synod Board for Social Responsibility. 1986. Our Responsibility for the Living Environment, v. GS718 (London: Church House Publications).
Gottlieb, Roger S. 2006. A Greener Faith (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Greeley, Andrew. 1993. ‘Religion and Attitudes toward the Environment’, Journal for the Scienti_c Study of Religion 32.1: 19-28. doi:10.2307/1386911.
Guth, James L. et al. 1995. ‘Faith and the Environment: Religious Beliefs and Attitudes on Environmental Policy’, American Journal of Political Science 39.2: 364-82. doi:10.2307/2111617.
Hand, Carl M., and Kent D. Van Liere. 1984. ‘Religion, Mastery-Over-Nature, and Environmental Concern’, Social Forces 63.2: 555-70. doi:10.2307/2579062.
Jenkins, Willis. 2008. Ecologies of Grace (Oxford: Oxford University Press). doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195328516.001.0001.
Jones, James. 2003. Jesus and the Earth (London: SPCK).
Kamberelis, George, and Greg Dimitriadis. 2005. ‘Focus Groups: Strategic Articulations of Pedgagogy, Politics, and Inquiry’, in Denzin and Lincoln 2005: 887-907.
Kanagy, Conrad L., and Hart M. Nelsen. 1995. ‘Religion and Environmental Concern: Challenging the Dominant Assumptions’, Review of Religious Research 37.1: 33-45.
Kearns, Laurel. 1996. ‘Saving the Creation: Christian Environmentalism in the United States’, Sociology of Religion 57.1: 55-70. doi:10.2307/3712004.
Mardiz, Esther. 2003. ‘Focus Groups in Feminist Research’, in Norman Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln (eds.), Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials (London: SAGE Publications): 363-88.
McFague, Sallie. 1993. The Body of God: An Ecological Theology (London: SCM Press).
Moltmann, Jurgen. 1984. God in Creation (London: SCM Press).
Morgan, David. 2002. ‘Focus Group Interviewing’, in Jaber Gubrium and James Holstein (eds.), Handbook of Interview Research: Context and Method (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications): 141-59.
Nash, James. 1991. Loving Nature: Ecological Integrity and Christian Responsibility (Nashville: Abingdon Press).
No Author. 2009a. ‘Faith Leaders—Tackling Climate Change is a “Moral Imperative”’. Online: 29 October, http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/2589.
No Author. 2009b. Shrinking the Footprint Campaign: Church and Earth 2009–2016 (London: Church House Publications).
Northcott, Michael. 1996. The Environment and Christian Ethics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). doi:10.1017/CBO9780511557477.
———. 2007. A Moral Climate: The Ethics of Global Warming (London: DLT).
Ramsey, Ian T. (ed.). 1968. Faith Alert: The Popular Report of the Lambeth Conference of 1968 (London: SPCK).
Shreeve, David, and Claire Foster. 2007. How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take to Change a Christian (London: Church House Publishing).
———. 2009. Don't Stop at the Lights: Leading Your Church through a Changing Climate (London: Church House Publishing).
Spencer, Nick, and Robert White. 2007. Christianity, Climate Change and Sustainable Living (London: SPCK).
Tarakeshwar, Nalini et al. 2001. ‘The Sancti_cation of Nature and Theological Conservatism: A Study of Opposing Religious Correlates of Environmentalism’, Review of Religious Research 42.4: 387-404. doi:10.2307/3512131.
Taylor, C. 2007. A Secular Age (London: Harvard University Press).
White, Lynn. 1967. ‘The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis’, Science 155.3767 (10 March): 1203-207.
Wilkinson, Loren. 1980. Earthkeeping: Christian Stewardship of Natural Resources (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans).
Published
2011-04-20
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
DeLashmutt, M. W. (2011). Church and climate change: An examination of the attitudes and practices of Cornish Anglican Churches regarding the environment. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, 5(1), 61-81. https://doi.org/10.1558/jsrnc.v5i1.61
