Season 4, Episode 4: Ecological Grief in Religious and Spiritual Communities

image credit | Alaric Duan

Season 4, Episode 4: Ecological Grief in Religious and Spiritual Communities

Thomas and Panu discussed the intersection of spirituality and climate change. Specifically, Panu shared his work on the challenges faced by individuals who experience spiritual crises when their ecological fears or grief aren’t validated in their religious community, and who may feel isolated and unsupported. This may lead to feelings of combined ecological and spiritual grief. Faith leaders are in a key position regarding the validation of such feelings. Coping requires a holistic approach that recognizes the connections between spirituality and environmental values, finding support, and constructive engagement with climate emotions and with climate action in spiritual and religious communities. 

Links

• Panu Pihkala, 2024

• Ecological grief, religious coping, and spiritual crises: Exploring eco-spiritual grief. 

• Engaging with climate grief, guilt, and anger in religious communities

• Bron Taylor, 2009 Dark Green Religion: Nature Spirituality and the Planetary Future

• Patricia O'Connell Killen and Mark Silk 2004, Editors, Religion and Public Life in the Pacific Northwest: The None Zone

• Megan Von Bergen and Bethany Mannon, 2020 Talking Climate Faith: Katharine Hayhoe and Christian Rhetoric(s) of Climate Change. 

• Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology: A good resource