Original Research - Special Collection: Theology and Nature
Scientific data, ecological conversion and transformative affect
Submitted: 01 February 2021 | Published: 27 May 2021
About the author(s)
Nancy Howell, Department of Philosophy of Religion, Faculty of Theology and Religion, Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, United States; and Department of Systematic and Historical Theology, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South AfricaAbstract
Scientific data supporting rational arguments for human-made causes of climate and environmental changes might be persuasive in some contexts. Law, policy, activism and The Earth Charter similarly appear insufficient to change attitudes and behaviours. Even biblical and theological arguments fail to move some Christians beyond apathy and climate denial. Decades of ecological theology and calls for ecological conversion suggest that appeals to reason and facts are limited without an affective epistemology that join knowledge and experience to produce worldview transformation through emotions, such as awe.
Contribution: Departing from appeal to scientific data and arguments alone, the primary claim is that ecological conversion is not singularly a rational act. For broader engagement and action to mitigate climate and environmental degradation, experiential and affective encounter with nature promise wider participation and transformation.
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Crossref Citations
1. Ecotheology: environmental ethical view in water spring protection
A Maksum, AR Sopyan, A Indiyanto, EN Wahyuni
Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics vol: 23 first page: 23 year: 2023
doi: 10.3354/esep00205