Christian environmentalism offers new perspective on ecological debate

Christian environmentalism is being proposed as a way to bridge the political polarization surrounding ecological debates. Biologist Tiago Pereira, a coordinator at the Brazilian Association of Christians in Science (ABC2), explores this perspective in his work, ‘Cultivando o jardim’.

The approach seeks to move beyond the view of environmentalism as a purely progressive political agenda, instead rooting nature preservation in theology, ethics, and human responsibility. Pereira suggests that faith requires an active role in preservation, viewing humanity as a responsible agent tasked with caring for creation through models such as the ‘shepherd-king’ or ‘priest-gardener’ rather than mere resource management.