Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.31192/np.24.1.1
Climate Refugees as a Locus Theologicus: Theological and Ethical Challenges of Displacement in the Age of Climate Crisis
Dalibor Milas
; University of Graz, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Graz, Austria; University of Zagreb, University Centre for Protestant Theology Matija Vlačić Ilirik, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
This article explores climate-induced displacement as a theological and ethical challenge in the age of global climate disruption. While often framed as a humanitarian or legal issue, climate displacement demands a more profound theological response. Starting from the concept of locus theologicus, the paper suggests that climate refugees embody a place where God speaks: through human suffering, ecological fragility, and structural injustice. Drawing on the writings of Pope Francis, particularly the encyclical Laudato si', as well as theological reflections by Michael Schöpf, Jörg Alt, and others, the article emphasizes the interwoven nature of environmental degradation and forced migration. Special focus is placed on the ethical tension between the right to remain and the right to migrate with dignity, exposing the failures of global systems and the urgency of just responses. In this context, the paper advocates a renewed theological ethic rooted in encounter, justice, and spiritual metanoia. Climate refugees are not merely victims or security concerns; they are signs of the times and, in a deeply biblical sense, the crucified body of Christ in the present world. The credibility of Christian theology today hinges on its capacity to interpret these realities prophetically and to stand, without reservation, alongside those displaced by the consequences of human-driven collapse.
Keywords
Church; Climate Refugees; Locus Theologicus; Pope Francis; Theological Ethics
Hrčak ID:
345392
URI
Publication date:
15.3.2026.
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