News | 2nd October 2025
New Report Published: Religion, Theology & Climate Change
Key Details
Topics:
Climate Change
Region:
Europe
What motivates Christians in their environmental action, and how do their theological beliefs inform them? What role can Christian communities play in responding to the ecological crisis? These are the questions explored in an ongoing research programme on Religion, Theology and Climate Change in the United Kingdom. As part of it, a newly published report examines recent findings, with the Director of the Laudato Si' Research Institute, Prof. Celia Deane-Drummond, serving as Co-Investigator.
The comprehensive study, led by Principal Investigator Peter Scott of the Lincoln Theological Institute at the University of Manchester, partnered with six Christian organisations to investigate how climate activism is shaping contemporary Christian theology. Celia Deane-Drummond served as Co-Investigator alongside Gemma Edwards, with Postdoctoral Research Associate Finlay Malcolm, both based at the University of Manchester.
"This report articulates the core message of integral ecology," says Deane-Drummond, "by enabling research to have real impact on the work of environmental practice, but also demonstrating theological creativity in new ways. I was delighted to be a co-investigator on a collaborative integrated theology-social science project led by Peter Scott and his colleagues at Manchester University."
The research employed mixed methods, including participant observation, a large-scale survey of 319 respondents, and 62 in-depth interviews, to examine the ecotheological beliefs emerging from six UK-based Christian organisations: CAFOD, Christian Climate Action, the Church of England Dioceses of Manchester and Oxford, Operation Noah, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford. Findings offer twelve actionable recommendations for Christian groups and institutions.
This project also contributes to social science, theology and environmental research through the following publications:
‘The Ecotheological Values of Christian Climate Change Activists.’ 2025. Environmental Values, 34: 2, 167-189. Malcolm, F. & Scott, P. M.
‘Understanding Nature as Place in Dialogue with Christian Environmentalists.’ 2025. Environmental Philosophy, 22: 1,123-143. Deane-Drummond, C. & Malcolm, F.
‘Prophets with Enchantment: Framing Christian Climate Activism.’ Under Review. Edwards, G. & Malcolm, F.
‘Relational Experiences of Ecological Grief Amongst Environmental Activists.’ Under Review. Malcolm, F.
‘Is It Hard to be Green? Christians and Radical Environmental Activism.’ In preparation. Edwards, G. & Malcolm, F.
‘Net Zero and Religion: Climate Politics Across Christian Organisations.’ In Preparation. The Politics of Net-Zero, ed. H. Alberro, P. Eckersley and I. Bailey. Edwood Elgar Press. Malcolm, F.
‘Faith in Environmental Action: The Moral Exemplarist Ideology of Christian Climate Activism.’ In Preparation. Thinking Green: Ideologies and Environmental Politics, ed. Devin K. Joshi. Routledge. Malcolm, F.