The search for enchantment in times of climate change: Religious or spiritual responses to climate crisis

Public discourse and political climate policymaking are based on scientific reports and propose technological solutions to solve the crisis, primarily by changing fossil fuels to renewable energy. Rather than questioning growth and the overuse of natural resources-which has been at the core of green concern for decades-green growth is the motor in an economy that aims for continuous economic spin, driven by new technological innovations that will enable us to go on as before, simply by replacing energy sources. It is no surprise that in such a discourse, the alternative voices-such as religious or spiritual responses-are left out, but to go from that and conclude that no such voices exist would be to rush to conclusions. I suggest that if we want to search for enchantment in times of climate change, we must look elsewhere. Searching for these voices means leaving the discourse framed by scientific rationalistic measurements because we can find an enchanted alter-tale beyond this disenchanted tale. In this article, I account for voices from my field and answer the question: What motivates people to turn to spirituality in times of climate change?

Automated summary

Public discourse and political climate policymaking focus on scientific reports and technological solutions to tackle the climate crisis. However, the emphasis on green growth, driven by continuous economic spin and new technological innovations, overlooks alternative voices such as religious or spiritual responses. This article suggests that in the search for enchantment amidst climate change, one must look beyond the discourse framed by scientific rationality, as there exists an enchanted alter-tale. The article explores motivations for turning to spirituality in times of climate change.