Addressing the ecological crisis in Southern Africa through a missional dialogue with African values

Abstract

This article utilised a desktop literature review and qualitative approach to discuss how the African values of Ubuntu and ukama can enhance the response to the ecological crisis in Southern Africa through a prophetic and missional dialogue. Drawing on the African worldview, informed by a communal life of interconnectedness, the article discusses the ecological crisis in Southern Africa as a multifaceted and growing concern, driven by a complex interplay of environmental degradation, climate change, socio-economic inequality, unsustainable land use and weak policy enforcement. This contribution takes this conversation beyond the debate around Christianity’s complicity in environmental destruction cantering around the theme of ‘dominion mandate in the book of Genesis’, to consider a missional response rooted in African philosophical values such as Ubuntu [relational harmony], ukama [relational connectedness] and reverence for nature (Mother Earth as sacred) as an alternative to pathways for a spiritually grounded ecological ethic.
Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This study is interdisciplinary and utilises a qualitative approach to intersect the fields of theology, ecology and climate change in discussing how missional leadership can draw from the African worldview as informed by communal life. This approach enhances engagement on the ecological crisis through a missional dialogue with African values and inspires the nurturing of shared values that promote environmental awareness and stewardship.