Religion and Environmental Concern in Europe

Abstract

Empirical research on the effect of religion on attitudes toward the environment remains divided into two opposing points of view, which claim a positive or negative effect on pro-environmental attitudes. This study analyses these relationships in a Spanish sample from a multidimensional perspective. The results of this study show, this time in a European context, the negative relationship between religious literalism and concern for the environment previously found in studies based on American samples. They also show the negative influence of specific aspects of expressions of Judaeo-Christian religiosity, especially the rigidity characteristic of some non-traditional dimensions of religiosity, which arguably can be present without the co-presence of biblical literalism, and also the positive effect of quest-oriented religiosity and approaches focusing on existential well-being. The unique contributions of these variables in explaining concern for the environment are mapped to specific variances in the outcome variables.