“What does religion have to do with nature conservation?” Investigating the Tensions in an Interreligious Nature Conservation Project in Germany

Abstract

This chapter discusses tensions around specific religions and religion as such that emerged in the Religions for Biological Diversity Project during its first three years (2017–2019). Funded by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and administered by the Abrahamic Forum, this project promotes nature conservation through religious communities. Based on data collected via participation observation, semi-structured interviews, and action research, findings show that participants’ concerns extended beyond either religious or environmental ones; rather, they revolved around social status, social cohesion, discrimination, and secularization. Moreover, the focus on nature conservation brought out strong tensions around the place of religion in a secular society. To wit, Muslim participants at times faced suspicion of instrumentalizing nature conservation to improve their social image or harboring anti-constitutional values, while the Catholic Church came under fire for child abuse and embezzlement. Moreover, although the project is supported by several major nature conservancy organizations in Germany, conservationists at the grassroots level often resisted partnering with religious communities, fearing indoctrination and social regression. This empirical study expands our understanding of the potentials and limitations of religiously motivated environmentalism and its contributions to civil society, challenging simple assertions about the “greening of religions” or religions’ potential contribution to environmentalism.