Chapter 1
Beyond Belief
Patrick D. Nunn and Johannes M. Luetz
Abstract Given that almost every Pacific Island resident is spiritually engaged to
a degree that is uncommon in western secular societies, an evaluation of the role of
religion in climate-change adaptation in this exposed region is overdue. This chapter
explains the nature of Pacific Island people’s religious engagement, its undoubted
links with culturally-grounded tradition, and its importance in rationalizing extraneous phenomena like climate change and determining communal action in the face
of its impacts. Each chapter of this book is summarized. The need to reassess the
roles of different agencies in climate-change action in the Pacific is explained, as is
the importance of effective action for survival.
Keywords Belief · Coping · Religion · Pacific · Survival
Preamble
It was a balmy evening. The sun was setting majestically, throwing a roseate glow up
behind the western mountains, slowly darkening the coast of the island lying in their
shadow. You could hear children playing on the beach, splashing in the shallows,
dogs barking in the distance, small boats creaking as they tugged at their anchors,
the gentle swash of the waves against the beach. All these sounds framed a group
1 When Fiji chaired COP-23 in 2017, it introduced the concept of talanoa or constructive storytelling,
a Pacific way of discussing issues to reach a shared understanding and move forward (Winkler and
Depledge 2018).
P. D. Nunn (B) · J. M. Luetz
School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD, Australia
e-mail: pnunn@usc.edu.au
J. M. Luetz
e-mail: jluetz@chc.edu.au
J. M. Luetz
School of Social Sciences, Christian Heritage College (CHC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. M. Luetz and P. D. Nunn (eds.), Beyond Belief, Climate Change Management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67602-5_1
1
Beyond Belief
Patrick D. Nunn and Johannes M. Luetz
Abstract Given that almost every Pacific Island resident is spiritually engaged to
a degree that is uncommon in western secular societies, an evaluation of the role of
religion in climate-change adaptation in this exposed region is overdue. This chapter
explains the nature of Pacific Island people’s religious engagement, its undoubted
links with culturally-grounded tradition, and its importance in rationalizing extraneous phenomena like climate change and determining communal action in the face
of its impacts. Each chapter of this book is summarized. The need to reassess the
roles of different agencies in climate-change action in the Pacific is explained, as is
the importance of effective action for survival.
Keywords Belief · Coping · Religion · Pacific · Survival
Preamble
It was a balmy evening. The sun was setting majestically, throwing a roseate glow up
behind the western mountains, slowly darkening the coast of the island lying in their
shadow. You could hear children playing on the beach, splashing in the shallows,
dogs barking in the distance, small boats creaking as they tugged at their anchors,
the gentle swash of the waves against the beach. All these sounds framed a group
1 When Fiji chaired COP-23 in 2017, it introduced the concept of talanoa or constructive storytelling,
a Pacific way of discussing issues to reach a shared understanding and move forward (Winkler and
Depledge 2018).
P. D. Nunn (B) · J. M. Luetz
School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD, Australia
e-mail: pnunn@usc.edu.au
J. M. Luetz
e-mail: jluetz@chc.edu.au
J. M. Luetz
School of Social Sciences, Christian Heritage College (CHC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. M. Luetz and P. D. Nunn (eds.), Beyond Belief, Climate Change Management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67602-5_1
1