To burn or to save? The opposing functions of reading scripture on environmental intentions

Abstract

In a controversial Science article published in 1967, Lynn White blamed Judeo-Christian scriptures for the planet’s ecological crisis. White claimed that scriptural dogmas of human domination have too easily justified environmental exploitation. White’s critics responded that the Bible commends ecological stewardship, which potentially restrains otherwise ruinous human tendencies to exploit. Previous studies empirically assessing these apparently conflicting claims show mixed results. We propose that the effects of religious fundamentalism and attention to scripture must be distinguished. A key novelty of our paper is the use of reported frequency of scriptural reading to measure the salience of scripture in an individual’s life. White’s hypothesis predicts that reading scripture will be associated with (1) increased fundamentalism, and (2) lower pro-environmental intentions. In contrast, the counterarguments of White’s critics predict that (3) higher frequency of scripture reading will be associated with higher pro-environmental intentions. We tested these predictions with a Bayesian Structural Equation Model that estimated the direct and indirect (mediated) effects of scripture reading on pro-environmental intentions. Our data were obtained from a cross-sectional sample of self-identified Christian participants (N = 1012) in the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study. Supporting White, we found clear evidence for a positive link between frequency of scripture reading and religious fundamentalism, and between religious fundamentalism and lower pro-environmental intentions. However, in line with White’s critics, we also found evidence for a positive direct effect of reading scripture on pro-environmental intentions. Although the positive (direct) and negative (indirect) effects of scripture reading were similar in magnitude, the negative effect, which is mediated by religious fundamentalism, appears to be slightly more probable. Collectively, our findings indicate that attention to scripture might be associated with moral ambivalence about pro-environmental intentions.