Associate Professor University of Nottingham Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
Background/Question/Methods
The heightened urgency of the global ecological crisis requires new responses in communication and education. IPBES has highlighted the importance of ‘deep leverage points’ for transformative change, including societal visions of a ‘good life’, deeply-held values, and alternative forms of knowledge. Questions of what ecosystem futures are desirable and ethical are now central, yet there has been scant empirical attention on the role of religion in shaping responses. This study assessed the impact of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s environmentally-themed Lent Book 2020 “Saying Yes to Life” on transcendental environmental values, attitudes and behaviours of lay Christians in the UK. 245 responses to an online questionnaire were recorded, with a proportion (n = 81) providing both pre- and post-test data. Psychometric measurements of transcendental values, nature relatedness and the New Ecological Paradigm were recorded, along with self-reported ratings of pro-environmental behaviour. Qualitative data on subjective experiences of the intervention and participants’ religious beliefs were gathered via free-text responses and focus group discussions. Behavioural data were analysed via one-sided paired t-tests after conducting a sensitivity analysis. Associations between observed behavioural differences and demographic and psychological covariates were analysed via Pearson correlation tests. Additionally, reflexive thematic analysis was performed on qualitative data.
Results/Conclusions
Significant increases in pro-environmental behaviours were observed after reading the text, particularly for recycling (t = 4.59, P < 0.001), food (t = 4.47, P < 0.001) and habitual energy practices (t = 4.41, P < 0.001). Scores were also strengthened for scales of the New Ecological Paradigm (t = 2.01, P < 0.024) and Nature Relatedness (t = 2.48, P < 0.015), suggesting an enhanced positive orientation towards nature. No significant differences in transcendental value orientations (biospheric, altruistic, and egoistic values) were observed. However, shifts in beliefs and worldviews were evident from qualitative data, with many participants reporting an increased sense of obligation towards nature and reduced anthropocentric beliefs. A sense of collective efficacy that came from participants’ identification with their faith community was also observed. A conceptual model is proposed for understanding different pathways of change, involving reflecting on pre-existing beliefs, redirecting behaviours and sustaining pro-environmental action. This study suggests that integrating ecological science with theologically-framed moral messages can activate positive attitudinal and behavioural responses among believers. Given the prevalence of religious faith globally, future interdisciplinary research on interactions between ecological change and socio-cultural responses is needed to inform effective environmental messaging, education and policy design.
