Climate discourse shows religious traits: First results NWO research on religion and climate change
Both climate activists and climate skeptics use religious terms, concepts and images to convince each other and the world that they are right. This is evident from the first research results of the NWO project group 'Religion and Climate Change' at the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology (TST), which will be presented on June 7 at Tilburg University during a national symposium entitled 'Religion and Climate Change in the Netherlands'.
If you keep a close eye on the climate debate in the Netherlands and abroad, the use of religious vocabularies soon starts to catch your eye. Four researchers at the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology have been researching vocabularies on social media for three years.
The role of religious language on digital platforms in the climate change debate
Dr. Ömer F. Gürlesin, in “Believing in Times of Rising Seas: Big Data Research on Religious Language on Twitter/X” focuses on the role of religious language on digital platforms in the climate change debate. He analyses social media accounts of environmental organizations and the posts of individual users. In doing so, Gürlesin pays particular attention to the impact of religious vocabulary on how audiences perceive and approach climate change, thus exploring the intersections between faith, science and climate activism. By using advanced data mining techniques and his expertise in the sociology of religion, Gürlesin thus offers a new perspective on the dynamic interaction between religion and climate discourse.
The discourse of Dutch climate activists
In her presentation “From Creation to End Times” Professor Caroline Vander Stichele takes a closer look at the nature and function of religious language and images within the discourse of Dutch climate activists on social media. She shows how climate discourse is conducted more generally and what choices can be made within it. Vander Stichele is professor of “Impact of the Bible in Western Culture” at TST and program leader of the project. For this project, her particular interest is in the rhetorical use of religious texts, images and scenarios in the context of climate discourse among both secular and religious groups active on social media.
The religious and spiritual dimensions of the popular climate debate
Dr. Frank Bosman, in his contribution “I don't believe it”, focuses on how climate skeptics use religious terms and images to disqualify their climate activist opponents. Secular critics associate religion with negative associations such as irrationality, primitive, anti-science and superstition. Interestingly, Christian climate skeptics also use this register, but to indicate that climate activism is a “false religion” that must be rejected. He is interested in the religious and spiritual dimensions of the popular climate debate in the Netherlands and abroad, especially when it comes to the intersection between spirituality, conspiracy and ecology.
Dealing with ecological mourning
In her presentation “Dealing with Ecological Mourning”, Dr. Deborah de Koning focuses on online and offline practices of meaning-making that are emerging in Dutch society in the face of the consequences of the climate crisis. Ecological mourning rituals are an important part of such practices. In doing so, she detects several themes specific to climate mourning such as connection (between species and generations) and a strong emphasis on the suffering of (mother) earth. In the context of this research, she focuses primarily on meaning-giving practices in response to the climate crisis. Looking at people's practices reveals new forms of post-secular sacredness within the climate discourse.
The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion in which participants from academia (Lisa Doeland), media (Stijn Fens), church (Bishop Gerard De Korte) and politics (Marianne Thieme) will give their perspectives on the topic and interact with each other.
More information
For more information and registration please see: Symposium | religionclimate