Faith framing climate: a review of faith actors’ definitions and usage of climate change

Abstract

ABSTRACT Faith actors shape understandings of what climate change is and what responses ought to be pursued at local and global levels and in civil society and policy arenas alike. As an issue which can be described and responded to in multiple and varied ways and given faith actors’ role and influence in local and global civil society, this article aims to provide a better understanding of the ways in which faith actors use framings of climate change. Framing is taken to be a broad notion encompassing the ways climate change is defined by faith actors and how it becomes embedded into the language of their faith, operational structures, and development work. Drawing on an analysis of data collected from the websites of 50 faith actors, we found that 45 situated climate change within moral and religious frameworks and 41 emphasized the effects on and effects of humans. Climate change is taken to be a moral and socio-political issue, and by 18 as a justice issue, on which humans have an imperative to act. Despite their diversity, the results indicate a distinctively faith-based ability to situate climate change in moral and religious frameworks whilst remaining connected to the practical effects thereof.