Relational experiences of ecological grief amongst environmental activists

Finlay Malcolm

Environmental Values, 2026, vol. 35, issue 2, 91-114

Abstract: Ecological grief is a widely experienced response to the world's rapidly intensifying environmental crises and motivates people to take environmental action. Experiences of ecological grief vary, however, depending on the wider values and attitudes of the groups experiencing it. This paper describes, for the first time, the experiences of ecological grief amongst environmental activist Christians. The paper draws on findings from a survey ( n =  319) and recent qualitative interviews ( n =  62) with Christian environmental activists from six organisations in the UK. Research with these environmental activists shows that they understood ecological grief in relation to four main theological themes: (a) damaging creation, (b) wrecking a gift, (c) failing to steward well, and (d) harming divinity. This paper argues that these four areas can be gathered under the single theme of breaches in relationship with God and with extrahuman life. That is, ecological grief, for these environmental activists, involves a sense of rupture in relationship to God and other non-human lifeforms. This argument is developed and framed through theological and philosophical literature concerning gift-giving, environmental stewardship, creation theology, and divine immanence. The resulting account is a unique and relationally focused description of the experience of ecological grief.

Keywords: Ecological grief; environmental activism; ecotheology; environmental stewardship; environmental justice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envval:v:35:y:2026:i:2:p:91-114

DOI: 10.1177/09632719251383213

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