Koehrsen Jens, Ives Christopher D
Centre for Religion, Economy, and Politics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Theological Faculty, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Ambio. 2025 Aug;54(8):1318-1333. doi: 10.1007/s13280-025-02166-0. Epub 2025 Apr 5.
Religious actors have great potential for influencing transformation processes toward environmentally sustainable societies. Influencing peoples' worldviews, values, and group norms, they can promote (or block) pro-environmental attitudes, lifestyles, and political decision-making. Yet, current scholarship is ambivalent about religion's contribution to environmental sustainability. This perspective article outlines various roles religious actors can assume in sustainability transitions. We suggest a systematization of four roles-(1) pioneering, (2) path-following, (3) passive observing, and (4) prohibiting change-and portray five conditions that influence and catalyze these roles-(a) theological commitment, (b) internal support, (c) resources, (d) social and political influence, and (e) wider societal conditions. Generating this conceptual clarity is crucial as it allows researchers and policy actors to recognize the diversity of religious expressions with respect to sustainability action, and grasp the conditions under which religious actors are best equipped to address sustainability challenges.
宗教行为体在推动向环境可持续型社会转型的过程中具有巨大潜力。它们能够影响人们的世界观、价值观和群体规范，进而促进（或阻碍）亲环境的态度、生活方式以及政治决策。然而，当前学术界对于宗教对环境可持续性的贡献态度不一。这篇观点文章概述了宗教行为体在可持续发展转型中可以扮演的各种角色。我们建议将其系统化为四个角色：（1）开拓型，（2）跟随型，（3）被动观察型，以及（4）禁止变革型，并描述影响和催化这些角色的五个条件：（a）神学承诺，（b）内部支持，（c）资源，（d）社会和政治影响力，以及（e）更广泛的社会条件。形成这种概念上的清晰认识至关重要，因为它能让研究人员和政策行为体认识到宗教在可持续发展行动方面表现形式的多样性，并把握宗教行为体最有能力应对可持续发展挑战的条件。
