The Role of Christianity in Ecological Awakening: Foundations for Christians' Sustainable Behavior Toward Nature

The ecological crisis is a major challenge facing humanity. For centuries, our conviction that nature’s strength is insurmountable hindered the development of the idea that human actions may pose a threat to nature. As a result of the industrial revolution, people experienced the effects of the environmental crisis on a global scale. This has led to an increased sense of awareness that the Earth is fragile, vulnerable, and defenseless in the face of the actions of man who uses the advances of science and technology against nature. Moreover, the aftermath of environmental devastation may prove irreversible, threatening the survival of human beings or even life itself on our planet. Thus, raising environmental awareness has become a crucial element in overcoming the ecological crisis. Only people who are aware of existing threats and the consequences of their actions can abandon egoistic, destructive attitudes toward nature and build sustainable attitudes toward the natural environment. Many studies highlight the awakening of environmental consciousness. Various publications, expert reports, international organizations’ initiatives, and the actions of politicians are among the crucial factors that can act as a catalyst for stirring this consciousness. Yet the role of religion in triggering and deepening environmental awareness is rarely discussed. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to show the contribution of religion in this regard, with a particular focus on the role of Christianity. Christianity’s contribution has been confirmed by official statements from Christian leaders on ecological issues as well as publications from the beginning of the 20th century that addressed the ecological crisis from the Christian perspective. The author hopes that further studies will show the contribution of other religions thereby complementing our knowledge on the role religion plays in overcoming the environmental crisis.