Christian Environmentalism: Mapping the Field of Green Christianity

Abstract

I attempt here to map the field of green Christianity by looking at the larger field of the green movement and progressively narrow the focus to Christian environmentalism, thus providing a solid background for future discussions. The present chapter will thus take turns to examine ecology and the environmental movement, the climate movement, eco-theology and, finally, Christian environmental activism. I will endeavour to show that if we wish to understand Christian environmentalism we must see it in its context the environmental movement, the more recent climate movement and the eco-theological tradition. I will show that Christian environmentalists are facing distinct audiences: politicians who are indifferent to the ecological crisis, the unengaged general public and their own churches. In later chapters it will be important to distinguish who Christian activists are actually addressing during their symbolic and dramatic activities to be able to locate the origin of activist practices and ecological, as well as theological, discourse.