Exploring Eco-Spirituality: Intersections of Faith, Nature, and Ethics

Dear Colleagues,

The growing intersection of spirituality, faith, and the natural world has become an important focus within contemporary religious, spiritual, and ethical discourse. Eco-spirituality—an area of inquiry that blends environmental concern with spiritual practice—offers unique insights into how faith traditions, or individuals with no specific tradition, understand their ethical obligations toward the planet and its ecosystems. This field is grounded in the belief that nature is not only a resource to be managed, but a sacred entity that shapes human identity and spiritual growth. By examining these intersections, scholars have begun to rethink how religions and spiritual practices can contribute to a more sustainable and ecologically aware world.

The field of eco-spirituality calls for a critical understanding of how faith systems engage with ecological issues. Within this context, religious traditions may provide powerful frameworks for addressing environmental degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss. These frameworks often emphasize stewardship, the sacredness of the earth, and interconnectedness between all forms of life. Eco-spirituality also offers an opportunity to critique modernity’s separation of humanity from nature, urging a return to more harmonious, symbiotic relationships between human beings and the rest of the planet.

This Special Issue of Religions will highlight the diverse ways in which religious and spiritual traditions, both ancient and contemporary, inform responses to environmental crises. Contributions may investigate theological perspectives on nature, ecological justice, and sustainability, while also considering the role of indigenous spiritual practices and secular spiritualities in fostering ecological awareness.

Aims of the Special Issue:

This Special Issue aims to expand the scientific and theoretical understanding of eco-spirituality, focusing on how faith traditions shape and are shaped by ethical concerns surrounding the environment. We seek to encourage research that examines how religious communities and individuals are engaging with pressing environmental issues and how eco-spiritual values can inform both personal and collective actions to address ecological crises.

Potential Topics:

• The role of religious and spiritual traditions in fostering ecological awareness and sustainability.
• Ethical teachings in faith communities related to environmental conservation and climate action.
• Indigenous eco-spiritual practices and their contributions to modern environmental movements.
• Comparative studies of eco-spirituality across different religious traditions and secular spiritualities.
• Theological and philosophical explorations of the sacredness of nature and its ethical implications.
• Ecotheology and the integration of environmental ethics into religious teachings.
• Eco-spiritual activism and faith-based responses to climate change and biodiversity loss.
• Interfaith collaborations for ecological justice and sustainability.
• The impact of eco-spirituality on personal lifestyle changes and eco-friendly behavior.
• Eco-spirituality from the perspective of the “Nones”—those religiously unaffiliated
• Explorations of pioneers in eco-spirituality such as Thomas Berry, Johann Christoph Arnold, Terry Tempest Williams Gary Snyder, and Catherine Keller.

Article Types:

We invite both original research articles and reviews that explore eco-spirituality from a variety of academic and theological perspectives. Methodologically diverse approaches, including empirical, philosophical, and theological studies, are encouraged. Contributions that offer insights into the practical integration of eco-spirituality into religious life or environmental activism are also welcome.

The expected impact of this Special Issue is twofold: it aims to advance both academic discourse and practical approaches to environmental stewardship within religious contexts. By examining the intersections of faith, nature, and ethics, this Issue will contribute to a deeper understanding of how religious and spiritual traditions can play a transformative role in addressing global ecological crises. It is hoped that the articles published will inspire greater integration of eco-spiritual values into environmental policies, practices, and activism, encouraging faith communities and spiritual movements to take more active roles in ecological conservation and sustainability efforts.

Additionally, this Special Issue seeks to foster interreligious dialog on ecological issues, highlighting both commonalities and differences in how various traditions perceive the relationship between humans and the earth.

The insights gained from this collection will not only inform theological studies but also provide practical resources for faith leaders, activists, and policymakers working at the intersection of religion and environmental justice. Ultimately, the impact will be felt across both academic fields and broader social movements, advancing the notion that spirituality and ecological responsibility are intrinsically linked in shaping a sustainable future for the planet

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 this to the Guest Editor or to the Assistant Editor, Ms. Violet Li (violet.li@mdpi.com), of Religions. 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 a double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Peter Ellard
Dr. Ryan Patrick McLaughlin
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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.