Opposing effects of Spirituality and Religious Fundamentalism on environmental attitudes

Abstract

Religious attitudes can have a strong influence on environmental beliefs and behavior, both positively and negatively. This work investigates opposing influences of religion of environmentalism through individual differences in Religious Fundamentalism and Spirituality. In two studies with U.S. samples (total N = 909), Spirituality predicted stronger belief in climate change, moralization of environmental actions, and behavioral intentions to conserve energy and reduce waste, while Religious Fundamentalism negatively predicted these same attitudes. Positive effects of Spirituality on environmental attitudes were partly mediated though trait compassion and moral foundations of harm and fairness. Negative effects of Fundamentalism were partly explained through differences in Right-Wing Authoritarianism. Together, opposing influences of Spirituality and Fundamentalism were better predictors of environmental concerns than general religiosity, and held when controlling for political attitudes. We conclude that religious environmentalism is best predicted through the combined effects of Spirituality and Fundamentalism as a function of underlying social-moral attitudes.