News

Here’s How Many Pope Francis Fans Disagree with Him on Global Warming

Stats on how persuasive environment encyclical might be.

Francis of Assisi inspired the title of the pope's encyclical.

Francis of Assisi inspired the title of the pope's encyclical.

Christianity Today June 19, 2015
Randy OHC / Flickr

It's clear that the first papal encyclical on climate change is receiving massive attention. What's less clear is who will find its exhortation on creation care persuasive—particularly among evangelicals.

White evangelicals increasingly agree that global warming is "a serious problem," according to the latest data from the Pew Research Center. But the percentage—24 percent agree in 2015, up from 17 percent in 2013—still trails most other religious groups.

According to Pew's 2015 data:

  • 50 percent of white evangelicals agree global warming is occurring.
  • 25 percent say it is caused by humans.
  • 24 percent say it is a serious problem.
  • 63 percent of Americans who attend religious services weekly agree global warming is occurring.
  • 38 percent say it is caused by humans.
  • 39 percent say it is a serious problem.

So amid all the parsing, the question becomes: Which evangelicals and weekly churchgoers can Pope Francis most likely move with Laudato Si? In other words, who likes the pope, yet currently disagrees with his theology on going green?

An analysis of Pew's data suggests that only half of Francis's fans among white evangelicals agree with him that global warming is occuring and is a serious problem, and only one-third agree that it is caused by humans. And among evangelicals who view Francis as a "change for the better," about 60 percent agree with him on the seriousness of global warming yet only 37 percent agree it is manmade.

By contrast, about 80 percent of Francis's fans among black Protestants (two-thirds of whom identify as evangelicals) agree on the seriousness of global warming, though only half agree it is manmade. And about 70 percent of his fans among weekly worshipers agree on the seriousness of global warming, while about 40 percent agree it is manmade.

Exclusive to CT, here are two Pew charts examining who favors Francis and how they feel about global warming:

In 2007, when Pew conducted its first massive assessment of the US religious landscape, researchers found that slightly more than half of evangelical church members (54%) agreed that stricter environmental laws and regulations were worth the cost, compared to 61 percent of all Americans. This includes 54 percent of evangelical Baptists, 59 percent of evangelical Lutherans, and 59 percent of evangelical Presbyterians. Also agreeing were 47 percent within the Assemblies of God, 55 percent within nondenominational evangelical churches, 56 percent within the Southern Baptist Convention, 57 percent within the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, and 59 percent within the Presbyterian Church in America.

At the same time, one-third of evangelicals (35%) said stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy, compared to 30 percent of all Americans.

Also in 2007, 52 percent of evangelicals said religious teachings most influence their views of right and wrong, compared to the 2 percent who cited scientific information.

2007 US Religious Landscape SurveyPew Research Center
2007 US Religious Landscape Survey

Below are breakdowns by Protestant denominations and families:

2007 US Religious Landscape SurveyPew Research Center
2007 US Religious Landscape Survey

2007 US Religious Landscape SurveyPew Research Center
2007 US Religious Landscape Survey

Francis's encyclical joins a number of documents, including the 2006 Evangelical Climate Initiative, a 2011 National Association of Evangelicals report, and a 2013 letter from 200 evangelical scientists to Congress, that “all state in clear and unmistakable terms that caring about climate change is caring for ‘the least of these,’” wrote evangelical climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe.

The Lausanne Movement expressed gratitude for the encyclical.

“We evangelicals will be eagerly reading ‘over the shoulders,’ so to speak, of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics to whom the letter is addressed,” said Ed Brown, director of Lausanne's Creation Care Network. “While there are small marginal groups within evangelical Christianity who are often quoted in the press in opposition to climate change action, almost all major global evangelical bodies including the Lausanne Movement have declared their commitment to care for God’s creation and to serve the poor affected by climate change impacts.”

Feelings toward Francis among evangelicals have fluctuated but largely stayed favorable:

  • June 2015: 51% favorable, 15% unfavorable, 35% can’t rate
  • Feb. 2015: 60% favorable, 22% unfavorable, 18% can’t rate
  • Feb. 2014: 56% favorable, 14% unfavorable, 30% can’t rate
  • Sept. 2013: 47% favorable, 17% unfavorable, 36% can’t rate
  • Mar. 2013: 59% favorable, 9% unfavorable, 32% can’t rate

In 2014, 5 percent of practicing Protestants told Barna that they had made specific changes to their spiritual practice in response to Pope Francis, as did 11 percent of practicing Catholics and 5 percent of all Americans.

CT examined the theology behind Francis's warning this week on climate change.

CT regularly covers creation care, including whether evangelicals have changed the climate change conversation and how the greening of the gospel has been going on since the 1990s.

[Photo courtesy of Flickr – Randy OHC]

Our Latest

Latino Churchesโ€™ Vibrant Testimony

Hispanic American congregations tend to be young, vibrant, and intergenerational. The wider church has much to learn with and from them.

Review

Modern โ€˜Technocultureโ€™ Makes the World Feel Unnaturally Godless

By changing our experience of reality, it tempts those who donโ€™t perceive God to conclude that he doesnโ€™t exist.

The Bulletin

A Brief Word from Our Sponsor

The Bulletin recaps the 2024 vice presidential debate, discusses global religious persecution, and explores the dynamics of celebrity Christianity.

News

Evangelicals Struggle to Preach Life in the Top Country for Assisted Death

Canadian pastors are lagging behind a national push to expand MAID to those with disabilities and mental health conditions.

Excerpt

The Chinese Christian Who Helped Overcome Illiteracy in Asia

Yan Yangchu taught thousands of peasants to read and write in the early 20th century.

What Would Lecrae Do?

Why Kendrick Lamarโ€™s question matters.

No More Sundays on the Couch

COVID got us used to staying home. But itโ€™s the work of Godโ€™s people to lift up the name of Christ and receive Godโ€™s Wordโ€”together.

Review

Safety Shouldnโ€™t Come First

A theologian questions our habit of elevating this goal above all others.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube