Christianity and the Environment in the American Public

Abstract

This study uses data from the 1993 General Social Survey to test hypotheses specific to the relationships among Christian and environmental beliefs and behaviors in the American public. When examined using hierarchical linear regressions that enter demographic variables in the first block, religion variables appear to be weak predictors of environmental attitudes and behaviors. After examining belief in God, biblical literalism, fundamentalist tradition, graceful image of God, church attendance and prayer, only membership in a fundamentalist tradition was associated with (weak) support for the environment. Contrary to hypotheses, more frequent prayer was associated with stronger support for the environment, even after demographic controls. While fundamentalism was positively associated with prayer, fundamentalist tradition and frequency of prayer were associated with environmentalism in different directions. When examined absent other religion variables, the interaction between fundamentalism and frequency of prayer did not significantly account for variance in any of the three dependent measures of environmentalism. Overall, religion variables appear to be weak predictors of environmentalism in America.