Religions can play a key role in transformation processes towards more environmentally friendly societies. They shape the worldviews and values of billions of people on earth. By addressing not only the mind but also the heart, religions can motivate people to undertake changes in their lifestyles. Furthermore, religious communities are readily equipped with economic and material resources for the undertaking of environmental projects.

However, religious environmental engagement often involves tensions. It faces resistance, limitations, and conflicts. These tensions sometimes take root in the religious organizations themselves in the form of competition between theological schools. In other cases, rivalry between different religious traditions or the marginalization of religion can thwart the impact of religious environmentalism. This conference explores these manifold tensions through the showcasing of empirical cases of religious environmentalism.