Evangelicals for climate action

ABSTRACT

One in four American adults identify themselves as “evangelicals.” Because self-described evangelicals, particularly white evangelicals, have become the most reliable supporters of Republican presidential candidates, the evangelical brand has effectively taken on two divergent meanings in the United States, one political and the other theological. Globally, there is widespread support for climate action among evangelicals. But in the United States, evangelicals are much less likely than other Americans to agree that the planet is warming because of human activities and that this merits government action. Nevertheless, evangelical support for climate action appears to be growing within the National Association of Evangelicals, which represents more than 45,000 churches. Also, the demographics of American evangelicals are shifting toward a younger, more nonwhite community that is less skeptical about climate change. Groups such as Young Evangelicals for Climate Action have mounted faith-based campaigns – emphasizing biblical teachings to be good stewards of God’s creation and to care for those who are less fortunate – to press church leaders and conservative politicians to take action on climate.

KEYWORDS:

• Creation care
• escapism theology
• National Association of Evangelicals
• solution aversion
• stewardship
• Young Evangelicals for Climate Action

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Notes

1. In the 1980s, Jerry Falwell and other evangelicals made a similar argument to attack the nuclear freeze movement, linking the Second Coming with nuclear war (Herbers 1984).

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Notes on contributors

Dawn Stover

Dawn Stover is a science and environmental writer based in the Pacific Northwest. She is a contributing editor at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.