![\"Bible](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2026\/04\/Bible-and-devastated-landscape-1024x576.jpg\")
For Earth Day \u2013 can preachers talk about climate change?<\/strong><\/h2>\nAs Earth Day approaches and in the weeks that follow, many preachers will be working on sermons connecting environmental issues to faith and the Bible.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ll be reading texts through a \u201cgreen lens<\/a>\u201d to unearth biblical tenets that support an ethic of Earth care.\u00a0 They\u2019ll draw on theological premises to support their claims that caring for God\u2019s Creation is integral to their tradition\u2019s faith practices.<\/p>\nAnd they\u2019ll look for hymns, prayers, and rituals of baptism and communion to make liturgical holding spaces<\/a> for these sermons. Centering God\u2019s Creation in worship shows that Earth itself worships God and deserves our care.<\/p>\nBut can preachers talk about climate change<\/em> in their sermons? <\/strong><\/h3>\nOr should they find alternatives to avoid the political pushback they may receive for using this term?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m a seminary professor who teaches preaching and worship.\u00a0 I also research<\/a> the ways in which clergy and congregations navigate the tricky terrain of sermons about environmental issues.<\/p>\nSeveral years ago, my team and I surveyed hundreds of parishioners in mainline Protestant congregations in the Midwest.\u00a0 We gave them a list of terms like \u201cabortion,\u201d \u201cguns,\u201d and \u201cracism,\u201d and asked which ones were \u201ctoo political\u201d to hear in a sermon<\/a>. But we hid a little experiment within the list. We included the terms \u201cclimate change,\u201d \u201cenvironment,\u201d and \u201cGod\u2019s Creation\u201d to get a read on how controversial these terms were. While climate change and environment ranked as highly political, God\u2019s Creation faced no pushback.<\/p>\nThis raises important questions for preachers and homileticians.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\nCan preachers talk about climate change without mentioning that exact issue?\u00a0 Or must they use indirect language to side-step controversy?<\/p>\n
More broadly, what do preachers risk by using exact terminology about any social issues in sermons? And what might they lose by circumventing contentious vocabulary?<\/p>\n
My team and I also surveyed thousands of U.S. clergy over the past eight years. Our research indicates that more preachers are now addressing climate and environmental issues<\/a>. In 2025<\/a>, nearly 8 in 10 said they did so in the previous year, more than double the number from 2017.<\/p>\nPreachers talk about climate change, depending on their context<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn congregations open to direct messages about environmental topics, preachers talk about climate change without inhibitions.\u00a0 As one wrote, \u201cMy worship services are always framed inclusively for all Creation. We avoid speciesism while affirming science. I emphasize caring for the environment, have addressed climate change and environmental issues repeatedly, and talked about intersectional issues with the environment such as militarism, capitalism, racism, sexism, wealth inequity, fascism, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, we found that some report receiving angry emails, direct confrontation, loss of worship attendance, and even threats when they talk about controversial social issues<\/a>, including climate change.<\/p>\nEvading controversy through euphemisms and indirect language\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\nGiven the pushback, some preachers soften the impact of addressing environmental issues by using expressions such as \u201cstewarding the Earth.\u201d Consider these responses:<\/p>\n
\n- \u201cI describe Creation as God\u2019s gift to us and that we have a responsibility to care for that gift, but I don\u2019t take a political side in that discussion. I let them figure out how to work that out for themselves.\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cI am in oil country, so I dance carefully here. We talk about stewardship of God\u2019s Creation all the time, though.\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cI preach generalized care for Creation without mentioning climate change.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In other words, some preachers use euphemisms, coded language, and evasive tactics to avoid mentioning climate change.<\/p>\n
But massaging the message creates unintended consequences.<\/p>\n
The problem with using euphemisms for the climate crisis<\/strong><\/h2>\nA recent study<\/a> by a team of researchers revealed something that challenges the idea that preachers should not use the term \u201cclimate change\u201d in their sermons. Kaurov, Oreskes, et al, studied just over 700,000 video transcripts of worship services from Roman Catholic churches from 2020-2024. Their goal was to identify climate change communication wherever it might appear, including sermons, hymns, prayers, and community announcements.<\/p>\nFor denominational comparison, they also analyzed transcripts from Southern Baptist Convention, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ, and Association of Related Churches worship services, for a total of 1.1 million worship videos.<\/p>\n
This unprecedented analysis revealed that preachers mention climate change far less than EcoPreachers like me would hope.<\/p>\n
\u201cClimate change, as a topic, is virtually absent from discourse in the U.S. Catholic Masses,\u201d they write. \u201cThis is despite Pope Francis\u2019s strong emphasis on environmental stewardship in his two encyclicals Laudato Si\u2019 <\/em>(2015) and Laudate Deum <\/em>(2023).\u201d<\/p>\nClergy are not mentioning climate change<\/h2>\n
Researchers found that less than 5% of the worship videos contained at least a single mention of \u201cclimate change\u201d or a related keyword, such as global warming or greenhouse effect.<\/p>\n
\n- Roman Catholic Church:<\/strong> Mentioned in only 0.40% of analyzed videos.<\/li>\n
- PCUSA:<\/strong> Mentioned in 2.16%.<\/li>\n
- UCC:<\/strong> Mentioned in 4.63%.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The study deliberately excluded broader or more ambiguous terms such as \u201cenvironment,\u201d \u201cnature,\u201d or \u201cfuture generations,\u201d as these often refer to social or theological concepts unrelated to the climate. They also chose not to track terms like \u201csustainability,\u201d \u201cenvironmental stewardship,\u201d or \u201cecological conversion,\u201d noting that while they are relevant, they address environmental concerns beyond the specific scope of climate change.<\/p>\n
So, even though nearly 80% of mainline Protestant preachers in our 2025 survey indicated they addressed environmental or climate issues in their sermons, if they did not actually use the term \u201cclimate change,\u201d it would not have shown up in the Kaurov study.<\/p>\n
Rethinking my advice to preachers<\/strong><\/h2>\nThis being the case, I\u2019m rethinking the advice I give to preachers who hesitate to use the term \u201cclimate change\u201d because it\u2019s too controversial.\u00a0 While euphemisms like \u201cstewarding the Earth\u201d avoid conflict, they make the message virtually invisible in broader discourse and may cause listeners to miss the point entirely.<\/p>\n
So, can preachers can talk about climate change directly in ways that invite conversation rather than causing crossed arms and plugged ears? <\/strong><\/h3>\nMy colleagues and I wrestle with this question in our grant project, Compelling Preaching for a Climate-Changed World<\/a>, a joint venture with Lexington Theological Seminary<\/a>, The BTS Center<\/a>, and Creation Justice Ministries<\/a>.<\/p>\nWe\u2019ve worked with hundreds of preachers in our EcoPreacher Cohort<\/a> over the past three years to help them discern pathways to address climate and environmental issues<\/a>. We want them to feel confident that their sermons help people experience a connection between their faith and the world that sustains them, while inspiring faith in action.<\/p>\nOne of our lines of inquiry is exploring how climate emotions can bridge the gap between faith and the environmental crisis.<\/p>\n
Climate emotions<\/strong><\/h2>\nIn 2025, we surveyed 186 congregation members in our EcoPreachers\u2019 congregations. We found that congregants are already feeling anxiety (47%) and anger\/frustration (45%) about the climate crisis. Also, more than a third feel alarmed (37%) while 31% are determined to act.<\/p>\n![\"Climate](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2026\/04\/Climate-emotions.surveydata.Schade-1.png\")
Table 1. Climate emotions of 182 parishioners in nearly one hundred U.S. mainline Protestant congregations. Source: \u201cEcoPreacher Congregation Member Intake Questionnaire, 2025,\u201d EcoPreacher Cohort unpublished data, Leah D. Schade, Benjamin Yosua-Davis, Amanda Wilson Harper, Wayne Thompson, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTurning anxiety into action<\/strong><\/h2>\nHow could preachers use this information about climate emotions to talk about climate change directly in their sermons?<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the thing about preaching and climate change.\u00a0 The preacher\u2019s role is not to be a political commentator, but to serve as a pastoral guide for these existing emotions. Instead of debating science, preachers can help their congregations process the very real feelings by naming them honestly and without judgement.<\/p>\n
Before or during the sermon, the preacher could ask people to write down what emotions they feel when they hear the term \u201cclimate change.\u201d\u00a0 Some may name the feelings in the list above.\u00a0 Others may indicate they feel nothing at all, especially if they don\u2019t believe climate change is happening or isn\u2019t caused by humans.<\/p>\n
Regardless of what people express, however, the preacher can remind them that any feelings they have are neither right nor wrong.\u00a0 Emotions are a gift from God, and we can use them to explore and go deeper with our faith guiding us as we process strong feelings about what\u2019s happening in the world.<\/p>\n
Addressing eco-anxiety and eco-grief<\/strong><\/h2>\nInviting people to share their emotions about climate change can also open the door to address the elephant in the room \u2013 eco-anxiety and eco-grief.<\/p>\n
Whether someone think it\u2019s because of climate change or merely the normal cycles of the Earth, the fact remains: we have lost so much<\/a>.\u00a0 And we\u2019re on the trajectory to lose so much more<\/a>. For many, it\u2019s overwhelming to consider island nations disappearing from sea rise, icebergs diminishing, species going extinct, and extreme heat and catastrophic weather claiming countless lives.<\/p>\nAnd yet, if preachers say nothing about this loss, they\u2019re giving the implicit signal that this is not something the church cares about or can even talk about.\u00a0 This also tells young people, many of whom are panicked about the future of the world they will be responsible for, that the church does not share their alarm about what is happening.<\/p>\n
Making space for climate emotions<\/h2>\n
So, a preacher can ask:<\/p>\n
\n- What would it look like to make space for the wide range of climate emotions and frame them biblically, theologically, and emotionally?<\/li>\n
- For those who are feeling eco-anxiety and eco-grief, what are ways that we can respond as a congregation?<\/li>\n
- Can this be a church where we take up the lament of those who are grieving losses due to climate change and channel that into spiritual and communal faith practices?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Bible,](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2026\/04\/bible.nature.flowers.pexels-francian0-11234277-1024x683.jpg\")
Being honest about climate emotions can help preachers guide their congregations through sermons about climate change. Photo by Francis Glenn Marciano on Pexels.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nResponding to eco-trauma <\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Rev.](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2026\/04\/Rev.-Dr.-Kimberly-Wagner-Princeton-Theological-Seminary-300x225.jpg\")
Rev. Dr. Kimberly Wagner, Assistant Professor of Preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn her course \u201cPreaching Death and Eschatology with the Earth,\u201d my homiletics colleague, Kimberly Wagner<\/a>, leads students in a \u201chumble experiment\u201d at the Farminary<\/a>, a fully functioning farm at Princeton Theological Seminary. The class involves engaging in farm work, holding conversations, and practicing outdoor preaching. Her goal for the class is for students to witness the Earth\u2019s death and winterization as a way to experience \u201ca taste of eschatological promise.\u201d<\/p>\nYet, she discovered that the most challenging week for students was when they discussed eco-trauma and eco-anxiety.\u00a0 But rather than shut down in response to these feelings, they leaned into them.\u00a0 They found that giving language to these emotions provided a significant sense of relief and validation for experiences they had long suppressed.<\/p>\n
Suggestions for preaching about climate change and climate trauma<\/strong><\/h3>\nBased on her research and classroom experiences, Wagner wrote a paper for the Academy of Homiletics<\/a> workgroup on Preaching, Environment, and Climate Crisis in 2024. She offered several suggestions for preaching about climate trauma.\u00a0 These are helpful when preachers talk about climate change.<\/p>\n\n- Name the Experience:<\/strong> Use biblical language (exile, famine) to validate how climate distress feels in the body.<\/li>\n
- Embrace the \u201cBoth\/And\u201d:<\/strong> Address the \u201cmoral injury\u201d of being both a perpetrator and a victim of ecological degradation. Use biblical characters like Peter or King David as models of being both \u201csaints and sinners.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Intertwine Lament and Confession:<\/strong> Use passages such as Psalm 143 or Lamentations 3 to remove the separation from these rituals. Draw on these ancient words to give voice for crying out to God while simultaneously confessing our role in the harm.<\/li>\n
- The Pulpit as a Healing Space:<\/strong> Position the preacher as a \u201ctrusted guide\u201d who helps the community resist shame or repression of emotions. Help the community understand how climate trauma shapes their faithful response.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u201cEco-trauma and eco-anxiety are on the rise in our society, communities, and churches,\u201d Wagner writes. \u201cThis is a reality that preachers and homileticians can no longer ignore, particularly as eco-trauma can limit the capacity for people to richly and faithfully respond to the climate crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n
So: can preachers talk about climate change?<\/p>\n
How can they not?<\/p>\n
Read also:<\/h4>\n
Ministering through Climate Grief: An Earth Day Reflection<\/a><\/p>\nPreaching about Climate Change? Scientists Can Help!<\/a><\/p>\nHow to Preach a Sermon about Climate Change and Your Congregation<\/a><\/p>\nLove Your Neighbor, Including Our Earth-kin: Lev. 19, Matt. 22<\/a><\/p>\nBeyond Earth Day: 10 Ideas for Environmental Advocacy and Activism in Your Church<\/a><\/p>\nSources:<\/h3>\n
Alexander A. Kaurov, Naomi Oreskes, et al, \u201cUnspoken Crisis: The Absence of Climate Change Communication in U.S. Catholic Churches,\u201d Climatic Change<\/em>, 2025, 178:164, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10584-025-04001-7<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\nLeah D. Schade, \u201cYou Can\u2019t Say THAT in a Sermon: Social Issues, Preaching, and Dialogue During a Time of Societal Upheaval,\u201d Homiletic,<\/em> Vol. 46, No. 1 (2021), https:\/\/vurj.vanderbilt.edu\/index.php\/homiletic\/article\/view\/5142<\/a>)<\/p>\nKimberly Wagner, \u201cProclamation Under Pressure: Faithful Preaching Amid Climate Trauma, Ecotrauma, and Ecoanxiety,\u201d unpublished paper, presented at the Academy of Homiletics, 2024.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Rev.](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2020\/11\/RevLeahSchade.BW2_-150x150.jpeg\")
Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade<\/strong>\u00a0is a seminary professor, ordained minister, and grant director of\u00a0Compelling Preaching in a Climate-Changed World<\/a>, a partnership of\u00a0Lexington Theological Seminary<\/a>,\u00a0Creation Justice Ministries<\/a>, and\u00a0The BTS Center<\/a><\/em>. Her opinions are her own.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nLeah is the author of<\/em>\u00a0Preaching and Social Issues: Tools and Tactics for Empowering Your Prophetic Voice<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2024),\u00a0<\/em>Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019)<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit<\/a>\u00a0(Chalice Press, 2015). She is the co-editor of\u00a0<\/em>Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). Her book,\u00a0<\/em>Introduction to Preaching: Scripture, Theology, and Sermon Preparation<\/a>, was co-authored with Jerry L. Sumney and Emily Askew (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023).<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Can preachers talk about climate change without using that exact term? How to navigate pushback with clear communication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2929,"featured_media":14366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[140,40,419,14],"tags":[2924,13,2927,2918,2921,2435],"class_list":["post-14349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-clergy","category-climate-change","category-creation","category-preaching","tag-climate-emotions","tag-earth-day","tag-eco-trauma","tag-kimberly-wagner","tag-naomi-oreskes","tag-preaching-and-climate-change"],"yoast_head":"\n
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And they\u2019ll look for hymns, prayers, and rituals of baptism and communion to make liturgical holding spaces<\/a> for these sermons. Centering God\u2019s Creation in worship shows that Earth itself worships God and deserves our care.<\/p>\n Or should they find alternatives to avoid the political pushback they may receive for using this term?<\/p>\n I\u2019m a seminary professor who teaches preaching and worship.\u00a0 I also research<\/a> the ways in which clergy and congregations navigate the tricky terrain of sermons about environmental issues.<\/p>\n Several years ago, my team and I surveyed hundreds of parishioners in mainline Protestant congregations in the Midwest.\u00a0 We gave them a list of terms like \u201cabortion,\u201d \u201cguns,\u201d and \u201cracism,\u201d and asked which ones were \u201ctoo political\u201d to hear in a sermon<\/a>. But we hid a little experiment within the list. We included the terms \u201cclimate change,\u201d \u201cenvironment,\u201d and \u201cGod\u2019s Creation\u201d to get a read on how controversial these terms were. While climate change and environment ranked as highly political, God\u2019s Creation faced no pushback.<\/p>\n Can preachers talk about climate change without mentioning that exact issue?\u00a0 Or must they use indirect language to side-step controversy?<\/p>\n More broadly, what do preachers risk by using exact terminology about any social issues in sermons? And what might they lose by circumventing contentious vocabulary?<\/p>\n My team and I also surveyed thousands of U.S. clergy over the past eight years. Our research indicates that more preachers are now addressing climate and environmental issues<\/a>. In 2025<\/a>, nearly 8 in 10 said they did so in the previous year, more than double the number from 2017.<\/p>\n In congregations open to direct messages about environmental topics, preachers talk about climate change without inhibitions.\u00a0 As one wrote, \u201cMy worship services are always framed inclusively for all Creation. We avoid speciesism while affirming science. I emphasize caring for the environment, have addressed climate change and environmental issues repeatedly, and talked about intersectional issues with the environment such as militarism, capitalism, racism, sexism, wealth inequity, fascism, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n However, we found that some report receiving angry emails, direct confrontation, loss of worship attendance, and even threats when they talk about controversial social issues<\/a>, including climate change.<\/p>\n Given the pushback, some preachers soften the impact of addressing environmental issues by using expressions such as \u201cstewarding the Earth.\u201d Consider these responses:<\/p>\n In other words, some preachers use euphemisms, coded language, and evasive tactics to avoid mentioning climate change.<\/p>\n But massaging the message creates unintended consequences.<\/p>\n A recent study<\/a> by a team of researchers revealed something that challenges the idea that preachers should not use the term \u201cclimate change\u201d in their sermons. Kaurov, Oreskes, et al, studied just over 700,000 video transcripts of worship services from Roman Catholic churches from 2020-2024. Their goal was to identify climate change communication wherever it might appear, including sermons, hymns, prayers, and community announcements.<\/p>\n For denominational comparison, they also analyzed transcripts from Southern Baptist Convention, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ, and Association of Related Churches worship services, for a total of 1.1 million worship videos.<\/p>\n This unprecedented analysis revealed that preachers mention climate change far less than EcoPreachers like me would hope.<\/p>\n \u201cClimate change, as a topic, is virtually absent from discourse in the U.S. Catholic Masses,\u201d they write. \u201cThis is despite Pope Francis\u2019s strong emphasis on environmental stewardship in his two encyclicals Laudato Si\u2019 <\/em>(2015) and Laudate Deum <\/em>(2023).\u201d<\/p>\n Researchers found that less than 5% of the worship videos contained at least a single mention of \u201cclimate change\u201d or a related keyword, such as global warming or greenhouse effect.<\/p>\n The study deliberately excluded broader or more ambiguous terms such as \u201cenvironment,\u201d \u201cnature,\u201d or \u201cfuture generations,\u201d as these often refer to social or theological concepts unrelated to the climate. They also chose not to track terms like \u201csustainability,\u201d \u201cenvironmental stewardship,\u201d or \u201cecological conversion,\u201d noting that while they are relevant, they address environmental concerns beyond the specific scope of climate change.<\/p>\n So, even though nearly 80% of mainline Protestant preachers in our 2025 survey indicated they addressed environmental or climate issues in their sermons, if they did not actually use the term \u201cclimate change,\u201d it would not have shown up in the Kaurov study.<\/p>\n This being the case, I\u2019m rethinking the advice I give to preachers who hesitate to use the term \u201cclimate change\u201d because it\u2019s too controversial.\u00a0 While euphemisms like \u201cstewarding the Earth\u201d avoid conflict, they make the message virtually invisible in broader discourse and may cause listeners to miss the point entirely.<\/p>\n My colleagues and I wrestle with this question in our grant project, Compelling Preaching for a Climate-Changed World<\/a>, a joint venture with Lexington Theological Seminary<\/a>, The BTS Center<\/a>, and Creation Justice Ministries<\/a>.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve worked with hundreds of preachers in our EcoPreacher Cohort<\/a> over the past three years to help them discern pathways to address climate and environmental issues<\/a>. We want them to feel confident that their sermons help people experience a connection between their faith and the world that sustains them, while inspiring faith in action.<\/p>\n One of our lines of inquiry is exploring how climate emotions can bridge the gap between faith and the environmental crisis.<\/p>\n In 2025, we surveyed 186 congregation members in our EcoPreachers\u2019 congregations. We found that congregants are already feeling anxiety (47%) and anger\/frustration (45%) about the climate crisis. Also, more than a third feel alarmed (37%) while 31% are determined to act.<\/p>\n How could preachers use this information about climate emotions to talk about climate change directly in their sermons?<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the thing about preaching and climate change.\u00a0 The preacher\u2019s role is not to be a political commentator, but to serve as a pastoral guide for these existing emotions. Instead of debating science, preachers can help their congregations process the very real feelings by naming them honestly and without judgement.<\/p>\n Before or during the sermon, the preacher could ask people to write down what emotions they feel when they hear the term \u201cclimate change.\u201d\u00a0 Some may name the feelings in the list above.\u00a0 Others may indicate they feel nothing at all, especially if they don\u2019t believe climate change is happening or isn\u2019t caused by humans.<\/p>\n Regardless of what people express, however, the preacher can remind them that any feelings they have are neither right nor wrong.\u00a0 Emotions are a gift from God, and we can use them to explore and go deeper with our faith guiding us as we process strong feelings about what\u2019s happening in the world.<\/p>\n Inviting people to share their emotions about climate change can also open the door to address the elephant in the room \u2013 eco-anxiety and eco-grief.<\/p>\n Whether someone think it\u2019s because of climate change or merely the normal cycles of the Earth, the fact remains: we have lost so much<\/a>.\u00a0 And we\u2019re on the trajectory to lose so much more<\/a>. For many, it\u2019s overwhelming to consider island nations disappearing from sea rise, icebergs diminishing, species going extinct, and extreme heat and catastrophic weather claiming countless lives.<\/p>\n And yet, if preachers say nothing about this loss, they\u2019re giving the implicit signal that this is not something the church cares about or can even talk about.\u00a0 This also tells young people, many of whom are panicked about the future of the world they will be responsible for, that the church does not share their alarm about what is happening.<\/p>\n So, a preacher can ask:<\/p>\n In her course \u201cPreaching Death and Eschatology with the Earth,\u201d my homiletics colleague, Kimberly Wagner<\/a>, leads students in a \u201chumble experiment\u201d at the Farminary<\/a>, a fully functioning farm at Princeton Theological Seminary. The class involves engaging in farm work, holding conversations, and practicing outdoor preaching. Her goal for the class is for students to witness the Earth\u2019s death and winterization as a way to experience \u201ca taste of eschatological promise.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet, she discovered that the most challenging week for students was when they discussed eco-trauma and eco-anxiety.\u00a0 But rather than shut down in response to these feelings, they leaned into them.\u00a0 They found that giving language to these emotions provided a significant sense of relief and validation for experiences they had long suppressed.<\/p>\n Based on her research and classroom experiences, Wagner wrote a paper for the Academy of Homiletics<\/a> workgroup on Preaching, Environment, and Climate Crisis in 2024. She offered several suggestions for preaching about climate trauma.\u00a0 These are helpful when preachers talk about climate change.<\/p>\n \u201cEco-trauma and eco-anxiety are on the rise in our society, communities, and churches,\u201d Wagner writes. \u201cThis is a reality that preachers and homileticians can no longer ignore, particularly as eco-trauma can limit the capacity for people to richly and faithfully respond to the climate crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n So: can preachers talk about climate change?<\/p>\n How can they not?<\/p>\n Ministering through Climate Grief: An Earth Day Reflection<\/a><\/p>\n Preaching about Climate Change? Scientists Can Help!<\/a><\/p>\n How to Preach a Sermon about Climate Change and Your Congregation<\/a><\/p>\n Love Your Neighbor, Including Our Earth-kin: Lev. 19, Matt. 22<\/a><\/p>\n Beyond Earth Day: 10 Ideas for Environmental Advocacy and Activism in Your Church<\/a><\/p>\n Alexander A. Kaurov, Naomi Oreskes, et al, \u201cUnspoken Crisis: The Absence of Climate Change Communication in U.S. Catholic Churches,\u201d Climatic Change<\/em>, 2025, 178:164, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10584-025-04001-7<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n Leah D. Schade, \u201cYou Can\u2019t Say THAT in a Sermon: Social Issues, Preaching, and Dialogue During a Time of Societal Upheaval,\u201d Homiletic,<\/em> Vol. 46, No. 1 (2021), https:\/\/vurj.vanderbilt.edu\/index.php\/homiletic\/article\/view\/5142<\/a>)<\/p>\n Kimberly Wagner, \u201cProclamation Under Pressure: Faithful Preaching Amid Climate Trauma, Ecotrauma, and Ecoanxiety,\u201d unpublished paper, presented at the Academy of Homiletics, 2024.<\/p>\n The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade<\/strong>\u00a0is a seminary professor, ordained minister, and grant director of\u00a0Compelling Preaching in a Climate-Changed World<\/a>, a partnership of\u00a0Lexington Theological Seminary<\/a>,\u00a0Creation Justice Ministries<\/a>, and\u00a0The BTS Center<\/a><\/em>. Her opinions are her own.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Leah is the author of<\/em>\u00a0Preaching and Social Issues: Tools and Tactics for Empowering Your Prophetic Voice<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2024),\u00a0<\/em>Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019)<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit<\/a>\u00a0(Chalice Press, 2015). She is the co-editor of\u00a0<\/em>Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). Her book,\u00a0<\/em>Introduction to Preaching: Scripture, Theology, and Sermon Preparation<\/a>, was co-authored with Jerry L. Sumney and Emily Askew (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023).<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Can preachers talk about climate change without using that exact term? How to navigate pushback with clear communication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2929,"featured_media":14366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[140,40,419,14],"tags":[2924,13,2927,2918,2921,2435],"class_list":["post-14349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-clergy","category-climate-change","category-creation","category-preaching","tag-climate-emotions","tag-earth-day","tag-eco-trauma","tag-kimberly-wagner","tag-naomi-oreskes","tag-preaching-and-climate-change"],"yoast_head":"\nBut can preachers talk about climate change<\/em> in their sermons? <\/strong><\/h3>\n
This raises important questions for preachers and homileticians.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\n
Preachers talk about climate change, depending on their context<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Evading controversy through euphemisms and indirect language\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
The problem with using euphemisms for the climate crisis<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Clergy are not mentioning climate change<\/h2>\n
\n
Rethinking my advice to preachers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
So, can preachers can talk about climate change directly in ways that invite conversation rather than causing crossed arms and plugged ears? <\/strong><\/h3>\n
Climate emotions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Turning anxiety into action<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Addressing eco-anxiety and eco-grief<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Making space for climate emotions<\/h2>\n
\n
Responding to eco-trauma <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Suggestions for preaching about climate change and climate trauma<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Read also:<\/h4>\n
Sources:<\/h3>\n
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