Climate Change and Faith: A Bibliographic Exploration of Intersections in a Warming Planet

Abstract

Climate change has emerged as both a scientific and socio-ethical challenge, demanding responses not only from policymakers and scientists but also from cultural and religious institutions. Faith traditions across the globe are increasingly recognized as key stakeholders in shaping ecological awareness, mobilizing climate action, and framing ethical debates about sustainability. This bibliometric review investigates the intersections between climate change and faith by analyzing 312 scholarly publications indexed in Lens.org between 2000 and 2025. Using bibliometric mapping, the study identifies publication trends, geographic hotspots, thematic clusters, and citation networks, while highlighting gaps in the literature. The findings reveal an accelerating growth of scholarship on religion and climate change, particularly since 2015, when frameworks such as the Paris Agreement and major faith declarations (example., Laudato Si’ and the Islamic Declaration on Climate Change) brought faith perspectives into global climate discourse. North America and Europe account for more than half of all publications, though Africa, Asia, and Latin America are gaining visibility through studies of indigenous spiritualities, interfaith initiatives, and community resilience. Thematic analysis highlights four clusters: (1) eco-theology and religious ethics, (2) faith-based climate activism, (3) religion and climate justice, and (4) interfaith/indigenous perspectives. Despite this expansion, significant gaps remain in the integration of Global South perspectives and in empirical evaluations of faith-based climate initiatives. The review argues that bridging theology, policy, and science is essential for advancing climate justice and resilience in an era of ecological uncertainty.