The global climate crisis raises not only scientific and political questions but also ethical, existential, and pedagogical ones. Within Practical Theology and Religious Education, climate change has therefore become an emerging field of research in which questions of moral formation, hope, and responsibility are central. This project seeks to develop a Nordic perspective on these issues by bringing together theological reflection, educational research, and climate-related scholarship.

The project is structured around three central thematic areas that illuminate how climate-related questions take shape in Nordic contexts.

First, it analyses relationships to nature in the Nordic region, where landscapes and natural resources have historically been understood both as sacred environments and as economic resources. This tension raises theological and ethical questions concerning stewardship, responsibility, and humanity’s relationship to the more-than-human world.

Second, the project highlights Indigenous perspectives in Sápmi and Inuit Nunangat. Sámi and Inuit knowledge traditions offer alternative ways of understanding the relationships between humans, land, and climate. These perspectives are significant both for climate research and for religious education, particularly in relation to questions of justice, decolonial perspectives, and relational ecological ethics.

Third, the project addresses the connections between climate change and security issues in the Arctic and the Nordic region. Melting ice, emerging shipping routes, and increasing geopolitical tensions raise questions concerning militarisation, natural resources, and ecological vulnerability. These developments create new pedagogical and theological challenges concerning peace, sustainability, and global responsibility.

By integrating these three themes, the project develops a Nordic framework for climate-related teaching within Practical Theology and Religious Education. The work is carried out in close collaboration between research environments in Sweden and Denmark and contributes to strengthening Nordic cooperation on climate, religion, and education.

The project is conducted in collaboration with the Faculty of Theology at the University of Copenhagen, where the project leader will be a visiting researcher from April to June 2026. The project is funded by the University of Borås.