Jewish Religious Engagement with the Climate Movement and the Role of Faith-Based Organizing in Social Movements Restricted; Files Only
Portilla, Lisa (Spring 2021)
Published
Abstract
Drawing on social movement theory, resilience theory, American Jewish history, and the study of religious practices, this dissertation examines the role of faith-based organizing in social movements through a study of three Jewish organizations working on climate change. The work is driven by the following questions: (1) What does faith-based organizing offer social movements? (2) What are some of the ways in which religious identity drives and shapes collective action? (3) What roles can Jewish institutions play in mobilization efforts around climate change? (4) How can the strategy adopted by a social movement organization impact our resilience to the effects of climate change? In probing these questions, this dissertation demonstrates how a Jewish social movement organization, a Conservative synagogue, and the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center draw upon the collective identities shared by their constituents; these collective identities shape the ways in which their constituents participate in the climate movement, from how they frame the issue to the strategies they adopt in response to climate change. This dissertation adopts an interdisciplinary approach; while remaining situated in the study of religion, the work benefits from Jewish studies, history, sociology, and ecology. In bringing these disciplinary perspectives and frameworks together, the dissertation shows how can we draw from different disciplines to strengthen our scholarship.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: This Whole World is a Very Narrow Bridge..…………………………………….1
Defining Questions and Methods, 4
Contribution to Scholarship, 6
Chapter Descriptions, 9
Climate Change Causes and Responses, 11
Chapter 2: Social Action, Collective Identity, and Religion..…………………………………….16
Clarifying Terminology, 17
Social Movements and Collective Identities, 19
Religious Involvement in Social Movements, 27
What Organized Religion Offers to Social Movements, 34
Acknowledging Failure, Defining Success, 39
Conclusion, 45
Chapter 3: Climate Justice in Reform Judaism: Viewing Climate Change through the Lens of Social Action..…………………………………….48
Social Action and the Reform Movement: 1880 - 1939, 49
Civil Rights and the founding of the Religious Action Center, 54
Environmentalism as Social Action in URJ Resolutions, 67
Climate Justice, 75
Conclusion, 80
Chapter 4: Climate Change, Farming, and Religious Practice..…………………………………….84
The Link Between Food Production and Consumption and Climate Change, 85
Background on Congregation Bonai Shalom and Milk and Honey Farm, 91
Tuv Ha’Aretz, 98
Beit Izim, 104
Trees and Torah, 110
Conclusion, 116
Chapter 5: Resilience and Strategy within the Jewish Institutional Landscape..…………………………………….119
Social-Ecological Systems Resilience Theory, 120
Hazon: The Jewish Lab for Sustainability, 131
Cultivating Diversity and Flexibility, 139
Chapter 6: Discussion..…………………………………….147
Conclusions, 147
Significance of this Project, 153
Recommendations for Further Research, 155
Bibliography..…………………………………….158
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File download under embargo until 25 May 2027 | 2021-04-23 16:45:25 -0400 | File download under embargo until 25 May 2027 |
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