“We can't be quiet. We can't sit back.”: Examining the indecent eco‐theology praxis of Christian environmentalists in Trump's America

Margrethe Kamille Birkler*, Emily Jean Cornwell, Rebecca Leigh Rutt

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

In this time of crises, we analyze whether and how Christian environmentalism in the United States embodies ‘indecent eco-theology’ (IET): a critical theological approach centering the experiences of especially marginalized groups in (re)defining Christianity alongside action toward eco-justice. Using qualitative research and a case study, we examine how one organization is challenging dominant U.S. political and Christian norms that ignore ecological concern, and instead forwards an eco-justice-, practice-based faith. Specifically, we document the iterations between their practice and theological perceptions, advancing an interdependence with the more-than-human world while destabilizing dominant theological assumptions of the linear path from perception to practice. We also explore how they understand and mobilize ‘justice’, intersectionality, and engage with marginalized groups and the more-than-human world. Throughout, we draw insights to advance IET. Our findings thus reveal the organization's resonance with IET alongside the particularities that emerge from a situated case study that are fruitful for further theoretical development.
Original languageEnglish
JournalDialog
Number of pages9
ISSN0012-2033
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 30 Jan 2026

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