Faith Veganism
My PhD explored the understandings and experiences of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian vegans in the UK to understand how religion and veganism come together to shape both everyday life and religious practice.
I discovered faith veganism.
Faith veganism is a nuanced expression of veganism that is underpinned by religious beliefs, ethics, and principles.
Through faith veganism, individuals of faith can put into practice the religious principles of stewardship, compassion, justice and earthly balance.
Faith veganism becomes a new expression of religiosity in the modern world, and one that calls into question modern ethical crises, such as the maltreatment of animals, climate change, and environmental degradation.
Ethical Neighbouring
Faith veganism often went beyond diet and animal ethics for faith vegans, and instead became an expression of care for the entirety of God's Creation. That is to say, not only did they care deeply about animals, they also cared about the environment, the planet, and communities affected by inequalities across the globe.
Faith veganism became an enactment of stewardship.
In this way, faith vegans sought to be ethical neighbours to the whole of God's world.
Ethical neighbouring then refers to living one's life in such a way that one is mindful of the consequences of one's action on the world at large, and as a result, seeks to live one's life in the most ethical and sustainable way possible.
Approaches to ethical neighbouring among my participants included faith veganism, faith vegan stewardship, ethical consumption, anti-consumption, charity, and self-sufficiency practices.
Continuous Improvement
Faith veganism and ethical neighbouring are both journeys, characterised by continuous learning and an ongoing pursuit for improvement. As such, a key element of living green, ethical lifestyles is a commitment to education and continuous improvement.
It is important to be kind to ourselves and never feel like a failure if we slip up. It is important to recognise that persistent effort is the key to success.
Sadly, green, ethical living is not always made easy for us, so there is much we need to learn and unlearn. Your commitment to learning and continuous improvement makes a huge difference and the planet and every living being on it will forever be grateful for your efforts.
We are the change. We can build a better future.
