Research done by:
Carl M. Hand and Kent D. Van Liere
When researched:
Research done in 1976
Originally published in 1983; however, the copy I reviewed was recently revised
Research methods used:
A mail survey of 806 Washington state residents–using three models to examine the link between religious affiliation and one’s concern for the well-being of the environment:
-White’s model- how individuals interact with their environment depends on their beliefs on our “nature and destiny” (religion)
-Denominational diversity model- one’s denominational identification and attendance to religious events are positively correlated with environmental concerns for some denominations and negatively correlated for other denominations
-no-difference model- one’s view on the environment and one’s view on the anthropogenic changes to the environment excluding religious influence
What they found:
After surveying Washington State residents, Hand and Liere made several conclusions. First, Washington residents that associate themselves with a Judeo-Christian worldview tend to be more committed to a “mastery-over-nature” orientation (have more of a negative attitude towards environmental conservation) when compared to Washington residents with no religious affiliation . However, one’s level of commitment to nature conservation within the Judeo-Christian worldview depends on two things:
One’s denomination (i.e. Jewish, Protestant, Catholic….) and
One’s commitment to the religion (i.e. orthodox, reform…)
The denominations that tend to be more committed to a “mastery-over-nature” orientation are Baptists and Mormons. Instead, Episcopalians and Methodists are less likely to be committed to a “mastery-over-nature” orientation.