Religion and ecological justice in Africa: Engaging ‘value for community’ as praxis for ecological and socio-economic justice

Abstract

This article embarked on a critical evaluation of religious leadership and ecological consciousness in Africa, using the case of the Nigerian Christian religious community. The article argued that the concept of ecological justice lacks strong theological conceptualisation in the Nigerian ecclesiastical community. Therefore, Ime Okopido’s argument in favour of stewardship for the involvement of religious leadership in the pursuit of ecological and socioeconomic justice served as the starting point for this engagement. However, such engagement of the religious leadership and of the faithful should include developing ecological theological concepts, such as value for community, which are relevant to the context and resonate with indigenous cultures. Embarking on ecological activism, a change of lifestyles and finding other concrete ways of protecting the environment and biodiversity could ameliorate the crisis of ecological and socio-economic injustice in Africa by promoting, in particular, the praxis of value for community.

Towards a multi-method approach to addressing violent protest action in South Africa: A practical theology perspective

“…Couture (2012:154) defines this process as 'social-policy-oriented practical theology'. 3 Social policy in this article resonates with those policies that promote the well-being and human flourishing of all citizens, especially the marginalised and poorest of the poor (Agbiji 2015;Swart & Horn 2012). However, Kretzschmar (2014:6) discovered that 'substantial policy agreement between government and civil society does not yet exist'.…”

African Belief Systems and Gendering of Eco-Justice

“…Similarly, Martinez-Alier (2002:13) states that eco-justice is "a concept that reflects the need to integrate environmental concerns with social justice concerns, in order to achieve a more sustainable and equitable world." While defining the term eco-justice, Agbiji (2015) shows that the prefix 'eco' comes from the Greek word for 'house' (oikos) and is part of the etymological root of words like 'economy ' and 'ecology', but also 'ecumenism' (WCC 2011). Agbiji (2015:2), while citing Conradie (2003:124) and WCC (2011), further explains, "… with regard to justice, the environmental justice approach, 'eco-justice', challenges both humanity's destruction of the earth and the abuse of power which results in environmental damage, with poor people suffering the greatest impact."…”