Abstract
AbstractThis chapter looks into the extent to which faith-based civil society can contribute to environmental peace and justice in the Anthropocene. It focuses on Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ [“Praise be to you, my Lord”], “On Care for Our Common Home” which is used here as an exploratory case study. It argues that humanity can withstand the effects of industrial revolution, the advancement of science and technology and governments’ unfair policies that are deemed anthropogenic causes of the disintegrating Earth system (ES). The potential of faith-based civil society to lead a promising transformative action to save our planet is situated at both a theological/spiritual level (world regions’ population, fundamentals, beliefs, and teaching on care for the environment) and an experiential/pragmatic level (human agency, resilience and stewardship). Based on the conceptual and practical analysis of Earth sciences and how these apply to the Anthropocene, this chapter put forth four strategies as pathways to mitigate the crumbling of the ES and its corollaries, mainly climate change, as well as drought, famine, loss of lands and displacement of populations. These strategies are (1) promoting ecological peace education, (2) popularising environmental justice, (3) encouraging a change in the belief that satisfying individual needs is the basic purpose of life, and lastly (4) emboldening humanity’s conscientious stewardship over creation and its natural environment.KeywordsAnthropoceneCatholicismCivil societyFaith-based organisationsEnvironmental justiceLaudato Si’Peace ecologyPeacebuilding
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