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Religions
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Sustainable Development: The Normative Contribution of Theology
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Sustainable Development: The Normative Contribution of Theology

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2024) | Viewed by 2486

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Bleyer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Catholic Theology, University of Passau, 94030 Passau, Germany
Interests: methodology in Catholic theological ethics; Christian Caritas in a plural society; normative questions of sustainable development
Prof. Dr. René M. Micallef

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facoltà di Teologia, Pontificia Università Gregoriana, Piazza della Pilotta, 4, 00187 Rome, Italy
Interests: epistemology of theological ethics; the natural law tradition; migration, human rights, and sustainability; Catholic social thought and integral ecology; conflict, peacebuilding, and environmental degradation

Special Issue Information

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

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

Keywords

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

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 468 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Development in Islamic Theology: From Occasion-Driven Approaches to a Comprehensive Understanding of Sustainability Using the Example of Water-Related Fatwas in Jordan
by Ahmed M. F. Abd-Elsalam and Sara Binay
Religions 2024, 15(12), 1487; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121487 - 6 Dec 2024
Viewed by 373
Abstract
The Islamic environmental theology (IET) that emerged in the 20th century is analyzed and two main strands are pursued: the efforts to protect the environment derived from the thinking of some Muslim scholars and activists in Europe and North America, and the discourse [...] Read more.
The Islamic environmental theology (IET) that emerged in the 20th century is analyzed and two main strands are pursued: the efforts to protect the environment derived from the thinking of some Muslim scholars and activists in Europe and North America, and the discourse of Muslim theologians in Arab countries such as Egypt and Jordan that developed in the face of environmental destruction and associated problems in the societies concerned. The topic of water, i.e., the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of clean water and access to sanitation, played a particularly important initial role in the discourse in Arab countries. Jordan, for example, is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world and, since 2010, various fatwas have been seen, such as expert opinions from the General Iftaa’ Department, the state authority for Islamic jurisprudence in Jordan, on the use of water. The discourse of Muslim jurists on the Sustainable Development Goals in general has developed from this. At the same time, it is obvious that the normative theology in Arab countries is more reactive than progressive concerning the challenges of climate change. This article comes to the conclusion that Islamic theology, even if it starts from the same resources of tradition, comes to form different discourses depending on the regional context. This study will show how institutions of Islamic law respond to climate change and what flexibility is inherent in Islamic theology to meet these challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development: The Normative Contribution of Theology)
9 pages, 209 KiB  
Article
(Safe) Water as the Condition for Sustainable Development in Light of the Climate Crisis: An Eastern Orthodox Reflection
by Nikolaos Asproulis
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1326; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111326 - 30 Oct 2024
Viewed by 626
Abstract
After reflecting on the issue of (safe) water in the context of SDG 6 with the support of the most recent scientific data, the present study provides clear theological reasoning based on insights developed within the Eastern Orthodox tradition, such as ontological interconnectedness, [...] Read more.
After reflecting on the issue of (safe) water in the context of SDG 6 with the support of the most recent scientific data, the present study provides clear theological reasoning based on insights developed within the Eastern Orthodox tradition, such as ontological interconnectedness, deep incarnation, and cosmic liturgy towards an eco-ethos which can contribute to sustainable environmental development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development: The Normative Contribution of Theology)
10 pages, 226 KiB  
Article
Using Catholic Social Thought and the Normativity of the Future in Responding to the Super Wicked Problem of Climate Change
by Stephanie Ann Puen
Religions 2024, 15(10), 1281; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101281 - 18 Oct 2024
Viewed by 708
Abstract
The climate crisis has been dubbed a “super wicked problem”—one where there is a sense of urgency, complicity in the problem by those who wish to solve it, and difficulty in sacrificing the short term for the long term. To respond to the [...] Read more.
The climate crisis has been dubbed a “super wicked problem”—one where there is a sense of urgency, complicity in the problem by those who wish to solve it, and difficulty in sacrificing the short term for the long term. To respond to the difficulty of long-term thinking in addressing super wicked problems as part of SDG 13 (Climate Action), there is a need to pay attention to the narratives, norms, and values at work, and how we employ these categories in climate action. This paper discusses how Catholic social thought and the concept of the normativity of the future can be an approach to understanding the SDGs and the alternative future they offer in order to energize communities toward responding to the climate crisis, especially in response to current dominant narratives that make climate action difficult, as well as a way to make sense of the tensions found within the SDGs themselves. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development: The Normative Contribution of Theology)
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