Our research team at the University of Basel explores the role of religion in socio-ecological transformations. To this end, we apply qualitative and quantitative research methods and draw upon approaches from sustainability research, sociological theory and religious studies.

Two projects financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation enable us to analyse the environmental activities of religious communities as well as the religious dimensions of “secular” environmentalism. From 2018 to 2021, we conducted qualitative interviews with representatives of religious communities and urban transition actors in Germany and Switzerland as part of the "Urban Green Religions" project. In the subsequent project "Are Religions becoming Green", we will undertake a quantitative study about the environmental commitment of congregations in Switzerland.

Hearn, A., Buzzi, A.L., Malin, J. and Koehrsen, J., 2024. Sustainable development through religious environmental engagement? Evidence from Switzerland. Sustainable Development.  https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3064

Hearn, Adam X., Fabian Huber, Jens Koehrsen, and Ann-Lea Buzzi. "The perceived potential of religion in mitigating climate change and how this is being realized in Germany and Switzerland." Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences (2024): 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-023-00884-z

Koehrsen, Jens; Huber, Fabian (2021): A field perspective on sustainability transitions: The case of religious organizations. In: Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 40, 408-420.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2021.09.005

Koehrsen, Jens; Blanc, Julia; Huber, Fabian (2021): How “green” can religions be? Tensions about religious environmentalism. In: Zeitschrift für Religion, Gesellschaft und Politik, 1-22.
10.1007/s41682-021-00070-4

You can find more publications here