Environmentalism and the minds of gods

Historically, it is not uncommon for gods, spirits, and/or ancestors to be deeply concerned with how individuals and their communities treat the natural resources they depend on for survival. In the wake of the climate crisis, will many of the world’s gods be likely to become increasingly interested, or find a renewed interest, in how humans treat the natural world? What might spark this renewed or newfound religious interest in environmental efforts? And more importantly, how might religiously motivated environmental movements create and sustain devoted commitment to environmental protection? This chapter will review the intellectual history of these questions, drawing on longstanding and recent evidence from across the social sciences in offering an account of why, how and with what consequences religious systems become concerned with how humans treat the natural world