Cultivating an Environmental Ethic within the United Methodist Church

The Problem In the face of the global environmental crisis, conservation behavior among individuals and communities must be increased In the face of the global environmental crisis, conservation behavior among individuals and communities must be increased Cultivating an environmental ethic is one step towards increasing environmental awareness and pro- environmental behavior among members of society Cultivating an environmental ethic is one step towards increasing environmental awareness and pro- environmental behavior among members of society Despite the skepticism of some who view environmentalism and religious faith as inhabiting opposite ends of the spectrum, religious structures, as value-based organizations, may provide avenues for the development and fostering of an environmental ethic among its members, which could lead toward pro- conservation behavior Despite the skepticism of some who view environmentalism and religious faith as inhabiting opposite ends of the spectrum, religious structures, as value-based organizations, may provide avenues for the development and fostering of an environmental ethic among its members, which could lead toward pro- conservation behavior

The Focus Within the Christian Church we will examine… Within the Christian Church we will examine… The Protestant Division The Protestant Division The United Methodist Denomination The United Methodist Denomination The Southeastern Jurisdiction The Southeastern Jurisdiction The Holston Conference The Holston Conference United Methodist Denomination Protestant Division Christian Church Examine Extrapolate

The Research Questions Is there currently an environmental ethic within the United Methodist Church? Is there currently an environmental ethic within the United Methodist Church? If so, does this translate to environmental literacy and pro-environmental behavior among church members? If so, does this translate to environmental literacy and pro-environmental behavior among church members? If not, how can faith and environmentalism be linked within the Unitied Methodist Church framework? If not, how can faith and environmentalism be linked within the Unitied Methodist Church framework?

The Method Interviews and Focus Groups to Assess: Interviews and Focus Groups to Assess: Environmental Literacy Environmental Literacy Environmental Behavior Environmental Behavior Presence/Absence of an institutionalized environmental ethic within the United Methodist Church Presence/Absence of an institutionalized environmental ethic within the United Methodist Church

The Products Framework for developing/extending an environmental ethic within the UMC Framework for developing/extending an environmental ethic within the UMC Christian environmental curriculum Christian environmental curriculum Conference presentation of findings Conference presentation of findings Report on the research findings Report on the research findings

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