South African-German Research Hub on Religion and Sustainability

Fundamental socio-ecological transformations are needed to develop pathways into a sustainable future. This process requires not only appropriate policies, but necessitates radical paradigm shifts and changed mindsets. Religious communities are crucial stakeholders for achieving these paradigm shifts because of their ability to act as agents of social change and to function as sources of knowledge. They bear a significant transformative potential, and strongly shape social and cultural values and worldviews. Recognizing this potential and building on the expanding research field of religion and development, the South African-German Research Hub on Religion and Sustainability (SAGRaS) investigates the transformative potential of religious communities for deep societal transformations towards achieving sustainability. It researches the impact of religious ecological tenets and teachings (eco-theologies) on collective and individual ecological actions, exploring religious communities in Germany and South Africa through a comparative, empirical approach, and aims to be an innovative research consortium bringing together diverse actors of knowledge production.