Environmentalism as Religion

Abstract

Many Judeo-Christians have seen environmental concerns as a way of renewing the contemporary relevance of the doctrine of Creation. This article argues that, set against the decline of Christianity in the Western world, modern environmentalism is a rival, not an ally, to Judeo-Christianity. While its basic thought patterns replicate five key religious motifs—the existence of the sacred, sin and repentance, prophetic warning, the wisdom of sacrifice, and expression of faith through symbolic action—these are humanistic alternatives to the same motifs in Judeo-Christianity. The article concludes with a brief analysis of the deficiencies of environmentalism as a religion.