Sustainable Development: The Normative Contribution of Theology

Dear Colleagues,

Four out of five people worldwide profess a religion. The phenomenon of "religion" occurs globally in various forms. Over the centuries, all religions have formulated theological theories to clarify their self-understanding. Parts of these theologies formulate standards that are binding for those who belong to this religion. The Sustainable Development Goals, with their various themes, also respond to issues that affect the entire globe. They are also based on scientific theories from a wide range of disciplines and formulate demands. This Special Issue examines the question of the normative contribution of theology to issues of sustainable development.

In line with the orientation of the journal Religions, this Special Issue aims to present international perspectives of different theologies in a critical, hermeneutical, and constructive manner. The objective of this Special Issue is to present theories about the normative contribution of world religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam) and their different theological schools of thought to concrete problems of sustainable development. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 

•    1. No Hunger,
•    2. No Poverty,
•    6. Clear Water and Sanitation,
•    7. Affordable and Clean Energy,
•    12. Responsible Consumption and Production,
•    13. Climate Action,
•    14. Life below Water, and
•    15. Life on Land

(including their targets and indicators) form the thematic framework for this Special Issue.

The contribution that a theological theory can make faces at least three major challenges: 

(1) All world religions emphasize the importance of religious knowledge from the past as a binding norm for current beliefs and life practices. However, the problems mentioned in the SDGs concern the present and the future. How does the interpretation of this religious knowledge of the past and its tradition relate to answers of current and future challenges? 
(2) As soon as a theological argument is presented in public global discourses, it also addresses those who generally or partially do not accept religious arguments. How does theological theorizing deal with this? 
(3) None of the 17 SDGs can be solved with the help of a single scientific discipline. All of them depend on the contribution of different sciences. What is the specific contribution of theology in this transdisciplinary discourse? By attempting to clarify the argumentative contribution of theologies in the context of the SDGs, this Special Issue focuses on specific problems. The role of theology in the contributions should be formulated as precisely as possible in relation to a specific issue (hunger, climate action, reduced inequalities, peace, etc.) and not remain limited to fundamental and general comments.

Each article should follow a simple structure: 

1. Introduction: description of the context in which the problem arises. 
2. Analysis: analysis of this specific problem in the field of sustainable development and its relevance for theological reflection.
3. Arguments: explanation of the theological methodological approach and presentation of the theological argumentation on the problem mentioned.
4. Conclusion: summary of the results and explanation of the limits of their validity.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors by 15th March 2024. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). For further queries regarding the APC, please contact the guest editors

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Bleyer
Prof. Dr. René M. Micallef
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• systematic theology
• normativity
• sustainable development
• ecology
• globalization
• world religions