Interview Transcripts - Religion, Theology and Climate Change Project

Dataset from the Religion, Theology and Climate Change project, October 2022 – September 2025.This part of the dataset contains the 62 transcripts from the interviews.The project partnered with six organisations to uncover areas of ecotheological creativity. These partners were the Church of England Dioceses of Manchester and Oxford; the Catholic Church of England and Wales Diocese of Salford; the international development agency CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development); and the activist and advocacy groups Operation Noah and Christian Climate Action.The project had three primary research questions:(1) What evidence is there of theological creativity, and of ideology and belief going beyond dominant traditions?(2) What are the obstacles to the reception of these developments in church practice, development activity, and advocacy and activism?(3) How can creative insights be contextualized and made operative in Christian settings?The project carried out a survey with n=319 responses aimed at capturing ecotheological views from the six groups, administered primarily between May and August 2023. Our primary aim with the survey was to uncover theological creativity by exploring the theological ideas held by our participants. The survey set out a range of ecotheological ideas in the form of short statements that the respondents could agree or disagree with. Dis/agreement was registered on a scale of 0-10. We then produced an average score across the total sample, and across each partner, to record overall strength of agreement on each concept. For the full results, see the project report. We also captured feelings towards climate change, views on which actions are justified in the effort to tackle climate change, and a range of demographics.We then conducted 62 in-depth interviews between July and December 2023 with approximately 10 members from each group. Interviews asked biographical questions relating to faith, climate change concern, emotions, and influences, as well as enabling participants to talk in-depth about the nature of their participation in Christian environmentalism and their reflections on the work of the group to which they primarily belonged. The interviews also probed the participants’ survey responses in depth and engaged in lengthy discussions about their theological beliefs and motivations. Our general method was to ask the interviewees to elaborate on a particular score they had on a certain statement from the survey, or to read a brief theological quote relating to one of the themes and invite them to respond. Such prompts were effective tools during interviews for generating in depth theological discussion.Key publications from the project include:MonographChanging Climate, Changing Religion. London: Routledge. Forthcoming Scott, P. M., Malcolm, F., Deane-Drummond, C. & Edwards, G.Articles‘The Ecotheological Values of Christian Climate Change Activists.’ 2025. Environmental Values, 34: 2, 167-189. Malcolm, F. & Scott, P. M.‘Understanding Nature as Place in Dialogue with Christian Environmentalists.’ 2025. Environmental Philosophy, 22: 1, 123-143. Deane-Drummond, C. & Malcolm, F.‘Relational Experiences of Ecological Grief Amongst Environmental Activists.’ 2025. Environmental Values. Malcolm, F.‘Prophets with Enchantment: Framing Christian Climate Activism.’ Under Review. Edwards, G. & Malcolm, F.‘Is It Hard to be Green? Christians and Radical Environmental Activism.’ In-Preparation. Edwards, G. & Malcolm, F.Book Chapters‘Net Zero and Religion: Climate Politics Across Christian Organisations.’ In-Preparation. The Politics of Net-Zero, ed. H. Alberro, P. Eckersley and I. Bailey. Edwood Elgar Press. Malcolm, F.‘Faith in Environmental Action: The Moral Exemplarist Ideology of Christian Climate Activism.’ In-Preparation. Thinking Green: Ideologies and Environmental Politics, ed. Devin K. Joshi. Routledge. Malcolm, F.本数据集隶属于“宗教、神学与气候变化”项目，采集周期为2022年10月至2025年9月。本数据集部分收录了62份访谈转录文本。 本项目联合六家机构共同开展，旨在挖掘生态神学（ecotheological）创新领域。合作机构包括英格兰教会曼彻斯特教区与牛津教区、英格兰及威尔士天主教会索尔福德教区、国际发展机构CAFOD（天主教海外发展署，Catholic Agency for Overseas Development），以及行动倡导组织Operation Noah与Christian Climate Action。 本项目设有三项核心研究问题： 1. 有哪些证据可佐证神学创新，以及超越主流传统的意识形态与信仰的存在？ 2. 在教会实践、发展事务以及倡导与行动主义领域，接纳这些创新成果面临哪些阻碍？ 3. 如何将这些创新性洞见进行情境化适配，并使其在基督教场域中得以落地应用？ 项目于2023年5月至8月期间面向六家合作机构开展了一项问卷调查，共获取319份有效回复，旨在收集相关群体的生态神学观点。本次调查的核心目标为通过探究参与者所持有的神学理念，挖掘生态神学创新内容。问卷以简短陈述的形式呈现了一系列生态神学理念，受访者可通过0-10分的量表表达同意或不同意的程度。随后我们计算了全样本及各合作机构群体的平均得分，以记录各理念的整体认同强度。完整调研结果详见项目报告。此外，问卷还收集了受访者对气候变化的态度、对气候变化应对行动合理性的看法，以及多维度人口统计学信息。 项目于2023年7月至12月期间开展了62场深度访谈，每合作机构约邀请10名成员参与。访谈内容涵盖与信仰、气候变化关切、情绪及影响因素相关的生平类问题，同时引导参与者深入分享其参与基督教环保运动的经历，以及对所属主要机构工作的反思。访谈还深入挖掘了受访者的问卷作答细节，并围绕其神学信仰与行动动机展开长时间讨论。我们的通用访谈方法为：请受访者详细阐释其在某一问卷陈述项上给出的具体得分，或为其朗读与某一主题相关的简短神学术语引语，邀请其作出回应。这类提问提示在访谈中可有效引导出深度神学相关讨论。 本项目已产出的主要学术成果包括： ### 专著 《变化的气候，变化的宗教》，伦敦：劳特利奇出版社（Routledge），即将出版。作者：Scott, P. M., Malcolm, F., Deane-Drummond, C. & Edwards, G. ### 期刊论文 1. 《基督教气候变化行动主义者的生态神学价值》，2025年，《环境价值》（Environmental Values）第34卷第2期，第167-189页。作者：Malcolm, F. & Scott, P. M. 2. 《在与基督教环保主义者对话中理解“自然作为场所”》，2025年，《环境哲学》（Environmental Philosophy）第22卷第1期，第123-143页。作者：Deane-Drummond, C. & Malcolm, F. 3. 《环保行动主义者的生态性悲伤关系体验》，2025年，《环境价值》。作者：Malcolm, F. 4. 《带有魅惑的先知：基督教气候行动主义的话语建构》，已投稿待审。作者：Edwards, G. & Malcolm, F. 5. 《践行环保为何困难？基督教徒与激进环保行动主义》，在编待出版。作者：Edwards, G. & Malcolm, F. ### 图书章节 1. 《净零与宗教：跨基督教组织的气候政治》，在编待出版。收录于《净零政治》（The Politics of Net-Zero），编者：H. Alberro, P. Eckersley和I. Bailey，爱德华·埃尔加出版社（Edward Elgar Press）。作者：Malcolm, F. 2. 《环保行动中的信仰：基督教气候行动主义的道德榜样主义意识形态》，在编待出版。收录于《绿色思考：意识形态与环境政治》（Thinking Green: Ideologies and Environmental Politics），编者：Devin K. Joshi，劳特利奇出版社（Routledge）。作者：Malcolm, F.