The Potential of Religion for Promoting Sustainability: The Role of Stewardship

Publication Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

7-2023

Abstract

The present paper discusses how religious, theistic stewardship-the belief that humans have a responsibility to take care of the world that God created and has entrusted to humankind-promotes pro-environmental support among religious individuals. Reviewing the existing literature, we describe how religious stewardship belief may shape cognitions and emotions regarding various environmentally relevant objects (i.e., natural environment, environmental problems, and pro-environmental behaviors) and how these cognitions and emotions lead to motivation to engage in pro-environmental action. We also discuss religious beliefs that may suppress the positive effects of stewardship belief as well as key factors that may moderate the effects of stewardship belief. Last, we discuss potential ways of leveraging religious stewardship in messaging and communications for behavioral change toward sustainability. Although the existing evidence on whether religion helps or hinders environmental protection is mixed, our review suggests that stewardship belief clearly provides great potential for environmental support among religious communities.

Keywords

Emotion, Pro-environmental behavior, Religion, Stewardship, Sustainability

Discipline

Environmental Sciences | Religion | Social Psychology

Research Areas

Psychology

Publication

Topics in Cognitive Science

Volume

15

Issue

3

First Page

480

Last Page

499

ISSN

1756-8757

Identifier

10.1111/tops.12641

Publisher

Wiley: No embargo

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1111/tops.12641

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