Relationships between religion, moral foundations, and environmentalism in young adult Catholics

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of moral foundations in the relationship between religion and environmentalism. The online survey data was collected from 616 young adult Catholics from Poland aged 19–25, who are likely to be affected by climate change more than any other generation before them. Regression analysis showed that the relationship between religion and environmentalism can be predicted by the opposing paths of spirituality (positively) and religious fundamentalism (negatively). Analysis of multiple mediator models showed that the relationship between religion and climate care can be mediated by complex moral profiles that can influence each other and jointly contribute to the development of environmentalism. Analysis of specific indirect effects showed that care/harm and fairness/cheating play a special role in promoting climate care. The results suggest that religious attitudes, along with moral values, may play a significant role in solving climate problems.