Ecological Conversion: What Does it Mean?

What is it about?

The term “ecological conversion” is now firmly entrenched in Catholic Social Teaching. But its precise meaning is rarely analyzed. This paper interrogates the notion of ecological conversion by placing it in dialogue with the conversions identified by Bernard Lonergan (religious, moral and intellectual) and Robert Doran (psychic). In doing so it demonstrates how the various elements of the recent encyclical Laudato Si’ can be understood within an enlarged conception of ecological conversion beyond that present in the encyclical itself.

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Why is it important?

While the term "ecological conversion" is now becoming commonplace in theology, there have not been solid attempts to unpack its meaning. This article seeks to unpack the full implications of ecological conversion through a dialogue with the particular notions of conversion found in the work of Bernard Lonergan and Robert Doran. This helps pin down exactly what ecological conversion might entail and highlights other aspects which may otherwise not be noted.

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