4.2.2. Perspectives on the Ecological Situation

In our study, Orthodox and Evangelical Christians were asked to share their thoughts about the ecological situation in their country and in the world (research question #2), and how they felt about what is called the modern environmental crisis (question #3).

The vast majority of Evangelical and Orthodox Christians acknowledged the credibility and urgency of the ecological crisis. Evangelicals emphasized this 67 times (69.1% of all Evangelical responses) and Orthodox respondents 35 times (68.6% of Orthodox responses). To describe and characterize the ecological situation in their country and the world, respondents used words such as lamentable, catastrophic, dreadful, and critical. Ecological problems mentioned by the respondents were deforestation, climate change, global warming, the greenhouse effect, air pollution, contamination of water resources, contamination by radiation, and loss of biodiversity. One Evangelical interviewee said, "*Our ecology is rolling down and down, and I feel like in the near future our planet will turn into one big catastrophe where life is impossible*".

Responding to question #3—"How do you feel about what is called the modern environmental crisis?"—four participants responded more in theological terms. Three Orthodox priests noted that ecological crisis should be interpreted through the meaning of the Greek word "κρ*ι*´σι*ς*" (judgement). One of them stated, "*Ecological crisis, judgment in the ecological sphere, is God's judgment upon us for the misuse of God's creation* ... *. We should care for creation and not exploit it, not squeeze it like a lemon*". An Evangelical interviewee also linked the environmental crisis and the theme of God's judgement by saying, "*Ecological crisis is the consequence of the Fall. God intended humans—as the pinnacle of creation—to own it all, to wisely steward it. Sin has distorted the ecological system* ... *. I think that it is impossible to solve this ecological problem without a return to God, regeneration, and salvation".*

This research showed that some Orthodox and Evangelicals in Russia and Ukraine believed that the problem of ecological crisis was overestimated. This point was made 11 times by Evangelicals (11.3% of responses) and eight times by Orthodox (15.7% of responses). For example, an Evangelical respondent said, "*I don't think that we have reached a crisis point yet. For the last 50–60 years, people have shouted that the crisis has come or is about to come very soon, or that we live amidst it* ... *. I haven't experienced it firsthand nor do I have any fears".*

In addition, some Evangelical and Orthodox respondents were unsure whether the ecological crisis was real and whether Christians should be concerned about it. This was emphasized 10 times by Evangelicals (10.3%) and six times by the Orthodox (11.8%). Therefore, there were people among both Evangelical and Orthodox communities who either denied or doubted the credibility of the ecological crisis.

A small number of participants thought that the problem of ecological crisis was overestimated by politicians, media, and climate activists. They expressed personal negative attitudes toward the theme of ecological crisis and ecological responsibility in general. Such an attitude was expressed by 9.3% of Evangelical interviewees and by 4% of the Orthodox. For example, one Orthodox interviewee said, "*Some people use the topic of the ecological crisis for self-promotion. Just take this movement of Greta Thunberg* ... *. It looks like self-promotion* ... *but there are no specific actions".*

#### 4.2.3. The Attitude of Contemporary Christians toward Nature and Environment

Lynn White Jr., in his well-known article "The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis" (White 1967), argued that ecological crisis is the result of Western Christianity's anthropocentrism in combination with the 19th-century synthesis of science and technology (see also Whitney 2015). In the West, this critique of Christianity prompted many to respond to White's thesis, which eventually led to the development of Christian ecotheology (Kerns 2004, p. 466). Although many theologians have demonstrated that Judeo-Christian Scriptures do not support exploitation of natural resources (Bauckham 2011; Moo and Moo 2018), it is not always clear whether Christians have positive and responsible attitudes toward nature and the environment. Thus, in this research participants were asked

(question #4) how they perceived the attitude of contemporary Christians (particularly in Russia and Ukraine) to nature and the environment.

Some respondents argued that the attitude of contemporary Christians to nature and environment is basically positive. This emphasis was made 21 times by Evangelicals (28.05% of Evangelical responses) and 11 times by Orthodox (26.19% of Orthodox responses). For example, an Evangelical interviewee said, "*I think that a religious person treats nature with care. At least so in my circle that I know the best. Because, when God is inside, in the heart and mind, then we have the right attitude toward things around us, our environment*". Similar responses were made by the Orthodox, but many of them demarcated the official position of the Church from the approach of individual believers. For example, an Orthodox interviewee noted, "*We should realize that there is an official position of the Church* ... *but there are also billions of people who associate themselves with religion. The official position of the Church is basically pro-environmental, it insists on responsible consumption, it criticizes the ideology of consumerism*. *But people often behave in a different way".* Such an apparent tension between the official position of the Church and the praxis of individual members of the Church has not been stressed by Evangelical respondents. Perhaps it is somewhat difficult for Evangelicals to talk about an official position of the Church due to a local church autonomy concept that is shared by the majority of Evangelicals in Ukraine and Russia. They can talk only about a personal view and the attitude of individual Christians to the environment, whereas Orthodox Christians tend to evaluate the attitude of contemporary Christians based on the official position of the Church (documents, decisions of councils, doctrinal statements, works of the Apostolic Fathers, etc.).

Evangelicals are inclined to evaluate the attitude of contemporary Christians to the environment as indifferent to a much greater extent than Orthodox Christians. Such an attitude was emphasized 20 times by Evangelical interviewees (24.39% of responses) and only once by an Orthodox interviewee. Here are examples of the statements:

"*Christians mainly deal with spiritual matters like the Gospel and saving people. But as for the environment—I haven't noticed that the Church pays much attention to this".* (Evangelical)

"*Most Christians, 90% of them, don't think that ecological problems have relevance to Christianity and the spiritual sphere. Even 95% of them don't think about it*". (Evangelical)

"*I haven't heard that this question was ever raised in the Churches. We, I think, are not ready for it yet*". (Evangelical)

"*I think that Christians have many other concerns. First of all, caring for the ecology of their souls*". (Orthodox)

Some respondents argued that Christians in general have a negative attitude toward nature and the environment. Evangelicals made this emphasis 17 times (20.73% of responses) and Orthodox participants 15 times (35.71% of responses). One Orthodox priest stated that, "*Christians in the former Soviet Union don't think about it*". An Evangelical interviewee linked this fact with theology of Russian and Ukrainian Evangelicals, "*Contemporary Christians in Russia don't have an attitude about the environment and nature because this issue is in the area of theology".* Another Evangelical interviewee shared this view, "*I think that the theological paradigm, a worldview of Christians, implies that our main goal is to wait for Christ; that God is only in the Church, whereas the rest is about to fold and burn, which leads to the conclusion that—want it or not—nothing on earth has meaning*". Therefore, certain theological beliefs enhance the negative attitude of some Christians in Russia and Ukraine.

A noticeable number of interviewees said that Christians have the same attitude toward nature and environment as non-Christians. This was stressed 12 times by Evangelicals (14.6%) and four times by Orthodox (9.5%). This is how an Orthodox interviewee put it: "*I think that the attitude of Christians is the same as the attitude of non-Christians. If people are concerned with an ecological agenda, it is only because they are concerned with that ecological*
