How the seven holy virtues connect to green politics and green living

As a practising Roman Catholic who has been a Green Party activist since 2012, it has interested me to see how, despite Green Parties across Europe having a stronger base than average in progressive cities with a high proportion of people identifying as having no religion or not stating their religion, green politics and values actually align very well with the seven holy virtues of Christianity, the cardinal virtues being affirmed by Saint Ambrose and the theological virtues being affirmed by Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Here is how:

Prudence: Reason and thought are not only desirable, but essential in ensuring we can protect and respect our planet's needs and fairly explain why we need to take measures in ensuring this; we are living things and depend on a stable planet to survive. Ecological wisdom is based on the importance of demonstrating such prudence.

Justice: Green politics has social justice as one of its four core pillars. A sustainable future not only requires conserving resources and respecting our planet but also equitable and fair redistribution of those resources, as well as equal opportunities for everyone in society whatever barriers they may face and regardless of any protected characteristic. Acting fairly and without prejudice, and being inclusive, is also critical to achieving green aims.

Fortitude:  Green politics values perseverance for green-minded goals, and when we persevere we achieve those goals. By taking action earlier, fortitude in achieving green aims like saving trees and stopping unnecessary developments will be more easily attained.

Temperance: We should, to the fullest practicable extent, resist consumerist vices, especially those that have been shown to be bad for us, and value things that you cannot put a price on-including cleaner air and nature everyone can enjoy. A lot of food and drink bad for the environment is bad for our health as well, however tempting it is initially.

Faith: Keeping faith in the four green pillars of ecological wisdom, grassroots democracy, peace, and social justice helps us achieve what is right and just, and faith is important for achieving and maintaining a sustainable future for everyone.

Hope: In a world still beset by consumerism and becoming more divided, hope needs to be maintained throughout within green politics, knowing that there is always a silver lining somewhere and that if we act, we can tackle man-made climate change.

Charity: Green activism asks that we make small but nevertheless significant personal sacrifices for the sake of our future and that of future generations, and in particular to help those in need, not just within one's own country but around the world.

And these all tie in well with core green values because of human interdependence with Earth.

Comments

  1. Mark Walmsley27 July 2019 at 09:48

    Nice piece Alan. As it happens I'm working my way through Francis's Laudato Si at the moment, which is a nice piece of writing.

    ReplyDelete

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