Mobilising towards environmental sustainability – challenges and chances for churches in Germany

dc.contributor.authorKroeck, Thomas
dc.date.accessioned2023-10-10T04:31:32Z
dc.date.available2023-10-10T04:31:32Z
dc.date.issued2023-05
dc.description.abstractThe current ecological crisis is considered a major challenge for humanity. Various scholars suggest that Christian congregations may contribute to the changes of mind-set and behaviour necessary to meet this challenge. The article presents the results of an empirical study on how Protestant congregations in Germany deal with this issue. Data were collected in an online survey and group discussions with members of the Evangelical Church of Germany (EKD), the Free Evangelical Church (FeG) and the Gnadau movement. The study showed that the environmental awareness of church members is similar to the population in general. Major pragmatic obstacles to mobilise congregations for environmental sustainability were the (1) views that it may compete with other tasks of the congregation, (2) that church members may feel excluded and (3) the lack of knowledge and competence regarding this topic. However, creation care was seen as a bridge to the community which allows the congregation to engage with people outside the church. The study shows which issues need to be addressed for Christian congregations to play a more active role in creation care. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The research is concerned with church management fostering ecologically sustainable practices and is situated in the discipline of practical theology. As church management is based on the understanding of the mission of the church it is linked to ecclesiology. The practice of local congregations may have effects on the general public and can therefore be studied from a sociological perspective as well as in development studies.en_US
dc.description.departmentPractical Theologyen_US
dc.description.urihttp://www.ve.org.za/index.php/VEen_US
dc.identifier.citationKroeck, T., 2023, ‘Mobilising towards environmental sustainability – Challenges and chances for churches in Germany’, Verbum et Ecclesia 44(1), https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v44i1.2701.en_US
dc.identifier.issn2074-7705 (online)
dc.identifier.issn1609-9982 (print)
dc.identifier.other10.4102/ve.v44i1.2701
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/92791
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherAOSISen_US
dc.rights© 2023. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_US
dc.subjectSustainabilityen_US
dc.subjectCreation careen_US
dc.subjectAwarenessen_US
dc.subjectChurchesen_US
dc.subjectGermanyen_US
dc.subjectMissionen_US
dc.subjectExclusionen_US
dc.subjectEnvironmenten_US
dc.titleMobilising towards environmental sustainability – challenges and chances for churches in Germanyen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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