8 Signs of “The End Times”: Perspectives on Climate …
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increasing their knowledge about climate change and how it might affect their future
livelihoods and wellbeing.
Previous research has found that information about climate science can be delivered in ways that are respectful to Christian (and other) belief systems (Moyer et al.
2012). In response to fatalistic views towards climate change mitigation for example,
Luetz et al. (2018) state that information on current and future climate impacts can
be supplemented with messaging on stewardship and ‘creation care’
…to denote the idea that humankind is chiefly responsible for the sustenance, maintenance,
or simply the ‘care’ of God’s creation. (p. 54)
Further, drawing from the experience of faith-based organisations in Kenya, Moyer
et al. (2012) write that;
…people appreciate learning about their environment, their relationship to the land and their
everyday activities from a biblical perspective, having never been shown these aspects of the
Bible before. (p. 81)
Opportunities for Future (Participatory) Research
In the PNG context, it is possible to imagine Christian communities playing an
active role in initiating activities on environmental change, but they may need assistance and initiative from an external organisation. One practical example might be
the beginning of a church outreach program designed for market vendors, which
starts by exploring the notion of stewardship and then introduces “up-to-date environmental information” (Hitzhusen 2012, p. 40). In Madang, which houses Divine
Word University’s main campus and also a conservation not-for-profit organisation (New Guinea Binatang Research Centre), initiating dialogue between climate
science, Christian communities and market vendors would seem both practical and
achievable. This could take the form of an action research project coordinated by
researchers at Divine Word University, with the participation of church leaders,
community members/leaders, representatives of the Madang Provincial Administration, and climate experts from organisations such as, New Guinea Binatang Research
Centre, the PNG National Research Institute (NRI), Conservation International (CI)
PNG, and the PNG Climate Change Development Authority. The project would
be centred on finding a contextualized and common understanding of the causes
and effects of climate change, considering the different worldviews present; and
discussion of community-level solutions to address identified climate related risks
and hazards. The findings of this chapter indicate that to be effective, the project
would need to incorporate not only climate science knowledge, but also Christianity
and local, indigenous knowledge. Themes and questions that may be beneficial to
incorporate into project activities include:
• The changing climate: is it really happening? How can we tell? What has caused
these changes?
151
increasing their knowledge about climate change and how it might affect their future
livelihoods and wellbeing.
Previous research has found that information about climate science can be delivered in ways that are respectful to Christian (and other) belief systems (Moyer et al.
2012). In response to fatalistic views towards climate change mitigation for example,
Luetz et al. (2018) state that information on current and future climate impacts can
be supplemented with messaging on stewardship and ‘creation care’
…to denote the idea that humankind is chiefly responsible for the sustenance, maintenance,
or simply the ‘care’ of God’s creation. (p. 54)
Further, drawing from the experience of faith-based organisations in Kenya, Moyer
et al. (2012) write that;
…people appreciate learning about their environment, their relationship to the land and their
everyday activities from a biblical perspective, having never been shown these aspects of the
Bible before. (p. 81)
Opportunities for Future (Participatory) Research
In the PNG context, it is possible to imagine Christian communities playing an
active role in initiating activities on environmental change, but they may need assistance and initiative from an external organisation. One practical example might be
the beginning of a church outreach program designed for market vendors, which
starts by exploring the notion of stewardship and then introduces “up-to-date environmental information” (Hitzhusen 2012, p. 40). In Madang, which houses Divine
Word University’s main campus and also a conservation not-for-profit organisation (New Guinea Binatang Research Centre), initiating dialogue between climate
science, Christian communities and market vendors would seem both practical and
achievable. This could take the form of an action research project coordinated by
researchers at Divine Word University, with the participation of church leaders,
community members/leaders, representatives of the Madang Provincial Administration, and climate experts from organisations such as, New Guinea Binatang Research
Centre, the PNG National Research Institute (NRI), Conservation International (CI)
PNG, and the PNG Climate Change Development Authority. The project would
be centred on finding a contextualized and common understanding of the causes
and effects of climate change, considering the different worldviews present; and
discussion of community-level solutions to address identified climate related risks
and hazards. The findings of this chapter indicate that to be effective, the project
would need to incorporate not only climate science knowledge, but also Christianity
and local, indigenous knowledge. Themes and questions that may be beneficial to
incorporate into project activities include:
• The changing climate: is it really happening? How can we tell? What has caused
these changes?