The previous sections have explored new perspectives on defining sustainability and religion, offered a theoretical approach for exploring the religious dimensions of social movements, and explored the history and popularization of sustainability and its cognates. In particular, Part II illustrated the significant religious dimensions of sustainability-oriented social movements, and the sources of the language used to popularize and provide moral force to them. Part III illustrates, (a) why expanded definitions of the key terms are important, and (b) the ways in which the values articulated by those who first used the term sustainability have been variously endorsed and challenged by different constituencies.

The ethnographic work detailed here is in some sense a pilot study, focusing specifically on a targeted network of high-level actors in sustainability-oriented non-governmental organizations. It could be expanded to include more cases and more informants. In-depth interviews conducted with these thought leaders was informed by a small-scale mixed methods study conducted in 2005 detailing perceptions of nature's sacredness among secular sustainability advocates in Gainesville, Florida, and by nearly a decade of participation with and observation of sustainability activists and advocates.

The in-depth interviews were designed to first gain a better understanding of how participants understood and utilized the term sustainability in their own professional and personal lives. Second, they were asked about the sources of their own “environmental conscience” (to use Aldo Leopold's term).