The interface between ecotheology and practical theology: An African indigenous knowledge systems perspective

Abstract

The present article is an interface between ecotheology and Practical Theology from an African indigenous knowledge systems (AIKS) perspective. The article pursues to facilitate a conservationist rapport between three complementary disciplines, namely: ecotheology, Practical Theology and AIKS. The study attempts to discuss the above disciplines in the context of the phrase “theological eco-praxis”. Of particular note is the light that the above themes throw on the contemporary conservationist education. The study proposes a striking common ground through ephemeral dialogue in order to set an agenda for a detailed and contextual debate on ecotheology in (South) Africa. Admittedly, previous conversations on ecotheology and AIKS are widely documented. However, the present essay is anchored on the following two main foci: (1) it examines the interface between ecotheology and Practical Theology and their functionality in the conservation of the natural habitat and (2) it explores the phenomena surrounding ecotheology in (South) Africa from AIKS perspective. In the pursuance of the above slant, it is anticipated that the readership in general and the church in particular will find the insights from the conversation to be beneficial to cause them to participate in the productive sustenance of the ecosystem. The study invites the church to be proactive towards protecting the environment. In this article, a social constructivist theory is employed. It is argued that African indigenous communities have always constructed their own methods toward wildlife conservation.