NEECOST - Nature and environmental ethics in contemporary Shiite thought

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NEECOST aims to make a major contribution to ongoing research into religio-ethical responses to the ecological crisis. It explores the hitherto unexplored topic of how Shiite Muslim thinkers have reacted to the ecological crisis from the late 20th century to the present day, and how this can and is being applied to business and corporate ethics.The three main goals of NEECOST are: 1.) to examine the modalities of nature and the environment in modern Shiite Qur'an commentaries, philosophical treaties, jurisprudence, and treaties of environmental theology; 2.) to investigate the potential benefits of integrating religious and environmental knowledge for society, politics, and the economy; 3.) to explore the extent to which Shiites living in Europe may identify with the environmental aims of the European social and political agenda, taking Great Britain - home to Europe's largest Shiite community - as a case study.The project combines qualitative content analysis of sources in Arabic, Farsi, and English, key informant interviews, and employs the toolset of religious studies, the sociology of religion, philosophy, theology, and Islamic jurisprudence.By highlighting the religious and ethical aspects of environmental consciousness, the findings of NEECOST can assist the efforts and strategies of green diplomacy as part of a transformative foreign policy. Two journal publications, two open access thematic databases, workshop participation, outreach to non-academic audiences through lectures, and production of online content on YouTube are all part of the deliverables.My expertise will be developed by training-through-research under the supervision of Professor Robert Gleave, a leading expert in Shiite law at the University of Exeter a globally renowned institution of interdisciplinary research on climate change - and within the IAIS, where the intersection of Islamic intellectual history and contemporary ethical challenges have long been a central focus of research.