Sustainability and religion

Abstract

Religion provides one of the most enduring and central value systems that guides behavior in the marketplace and interaction among social groups/institutions. However, prior research lacks a depth-filled understanding of how religion informs attitudes towards sustainability, particularly from a comparison of different religious ideologies. Given prior conflicting research regarding the relationship between religion and consumers’ sustainability practices, the research herein uses a qualitative approach to identify how various religious affiliations influence views toward sustainable behaviors. In doing so, this research contributes to theory related to how value systems influence marketplace behavior as well as identifies factors underlying consumers’ sustainability practices. Specifically, 24 qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted, consisting of 12 Western religious consumers (Christians, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs) and 12 Eastern religious consumers (Hindus, Buddhists/Spirit-Based Faith Followers). Findings are classified into three broad categories: (1) general sustainability (related to personal definitions of sustainability, a sustainable person, and what would make themselves more sustainable); (2) sustainable consumption (related to views of sustainable products and services as well as motivations and inhibitions to sustainably consume); and (3) religion’s influence on sustainability (related to how each participant’s personal religious views influence their perceptions of sustainability and sustainable consumption). Implications for values-based theory, marketing practice, as well as the literature on anti-consumption and consumers’ sustainability practices are discussed.