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This study proposes an African life sustaining eco-theological framework for tilling and preserving the earth in the context of food insecurity and environmental degradation. The study argues that food insecurity in Tanzania results from an unjust economic order, application of modern farming methods and a lack of concern for the environment. The study examines the impact of the industrial agricultural revolution and the green revolution on food security and the environment. It argues that although these modern approaches to agriculture have improved the status of food security in many places in the world, their negative impact on the environment cannot be underestimated. More importantly, most of these modern farming methods are not compatible with the smallholder farmers in rural Tanzania due to their cost concentrated nature. The study has identified organic farming methods as having the potential to increase food production and take care of the environment. The study concludes that an African life sustaining eco-theological framework must comprise, but not limited to, six principles. These include: an African world view, a life-centred vision, a focus on sustainability, an African ethic of care, an understanding of salvation as holistic and recognition of an ecumenical earth community. An African life sustaining eco-theological framework that embodies these principles is capable of developing a sustainable relationship between humankind and non-human creatures. Further, such a framework ensures the sustainability of life within the entire ecumenical earth community. It will stand against all forces, powers, structures and systems that are a threat to life in all its dimensions. This framework will advocate for the systems, structures and practices that are life affirming. However, in order for this framework to be fruitful, the application of these principles should not be restricted to the human community alone. Rather they must extend to include the entire earth community which form a web of life on earth. In a long run this will help shape the behaviour, attitudes and practices of humankind in relation to nature, which will then lead to the addressing of issues of food insecurity and environmental degradation in Tanzania. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / A presente dissertação trata do seguinte tema: ecoteologia da libertação a partir das experiências e da construção de saberes por grupos sociais que lidam com a agricultura familiar. Tendo por objeto a Comunidade Evangélico-Luterana de Funil/MG, e seu projeto intitulado, inicialmente, Bicho do Mato, e mais tarde desenvolvido pela Cooperativa Regional Funil Solidário Ltda (COOPERSOL) procuramos analisar as propostas desenvolvidas na área teológica que tematizam a consequente relação da fé com a ecologia e, desta maneira, compreender como estes grupos puderam perceber a vivência comunitária galvanizada pelas experiências de solidariedade. Os pressupostos teóricos e as aplicações conceituais foram elaborados por um viés interdisciplinar que privilegiou um aporte latino-americano tanto em questões teológicas quanto sociológicas. Alguns elementos fundamentais dos quais intentamos retirar determinadas conclusões foram os seguintes: a ética e o respeito pela vida foram questões pontuais e de suma importância para o contexto sobre o qual problematizou a pesquisa, além do mais, procuramos destilar aspectos de um saber comunitário que encara a existência a partir da relação com a própria natureza, uma re-existência da cultura camponesa em perspectiva. / This work addresses the following topic: ecotheology of liberation from the experiences and knowledge construction by groups that deals with family farming. Having for its object the Comunidade Evangélico-Luterana de Funil/MG, and its project titled, originally, Bicho do Mato, and later developed by Cooperativa Regional Funil Solidário Ltda (COOPERSOL) we tried to analyze the proposals developed in the theological field that analyze the consequent relationship of faith to the ecology and, thus, understanding how these groups might perceive the experience galvanized by the experiences of community solidarity. The theoretical presuppositions and conceptual applications were developed by an interdisciplinary bias that favored a Latin American contribution to both sociological and theological issues. Some key elements of which intending to take certain conclusions were: the ethics and the respect for life were specif questions and of paramount importance to the context on which problematized the research, furthermore, we seek to distill aspects of a community knowledge that sees existence from the relation with nature, a re-existência of the peasant culture in perspective.

While McCarthy studies have emphasized elements of the sacred in his writing, this thesis adds a new historical perspective and synthesis to reading paradigms of Cormac McCarthy. The Crossing combines the patterns of the ancient pre-Hebraic genre of the desert sublime with the basic formula of the American Western genre to interrogate McCarthy's question of whether in the postmodern moment one can still divest oneself in the desert and find access to the sublime. In an era of an invisible or absent God where post-humanist thought erases the anthropocentric supremacy of human over animal and the earth itself, the one constant in the desert sublime genre is the physical reality of the desert itself. Thus, McCarthy's recourse is to infuse the desert sublime with contemporary ecological thought. In the desert Billy Parham encounters other desert dwellers who share with him shards and traces of belief while Billy also learns bodily from the material experience of his physical sojourn. Billy is a nascent postmodern saint whose journeys into the desert reveal to him the ecotheological principle of the interconnectedness of all things as a natural physical law that undergirds the spiritual truth guiding ethical behavior. Billy arrives at a point of radical transformation that teaches him the necessity of choosing compassion, affiliation, simple service, and humility in a world of interconnected beings and living forms.

This thesis explores the cross-cultural ecotheology of contemporary American poet Li-Young Lee by looking at the intersection of the human, the natural, and the sacred in his poetry. Close readings of Lee's poetic encounters with roses, persimmons, trees, wind, and light through the lens of Christianity and Daoism illustrate the way Lee is able to merge the Eastern concepts of interconnection and mutual harmony with Western ideas of sacredness and divinity. This discussion places Lee in direct conversation with modern and contemporary ecopoets who use the creative energy of language to express our moral and ethical responsibility to the world around us. Lee's poetry explores an innately sacred and transcendent relationship with the natural world that suggests that our understanding of our human identity is intricately tied to our respect and reverence for our natural environment.

[pt] Esta dissertação é um estudo da Laudato Si, carta encíclica do Papa Francisco, sobre o cuidado da casa comum. Se entende enfrentar a questão ecológica a partir da gravidade da situação da Mãe Terra: quem está sofrendo e gritando são tanto a natureza como os seres humanos mais fragilizados, em condições de pobreza. Os objetivos do trabalho levam a considerar como a modalidade atual do progresso técnico-científico (ou desenvolvimento), animado por uma visão antropocêntrica do ser humano, é apontada como principal responsável do descaso com a natureza. Também uma consideração teológica da criação exclusivamente centrada no monoteísmo configurou-se como base de uma compreensão do ser humano com características de dominador. Por isso, torna-se urgente uma nova visão do ser humano, centrada na qualidade do cuidado. A Laudato Si traz sinais de esperança para um resgate de toda a criação, que podem ser encontrados na escatologia cristã: a nova criação encontra no Cristo ressuscitado as suas primícias. A metodologia utilizada na dissertação será bibliográfica, qualitativa e aplicada com análise de conteúdo. O trabalho se divide em três partes: a primeira apresenta a situação atual. A segunda se aprofunda na proposta trazida pela Laudato Si e as suas raízes na América Latina. A terceira parte faz uma leitura da questão ecológica na perspectiva da escatologia e da proposta ética que surge como consequência. O resultado esperado vai na direção de uma conversão ecológica: aquela mudança que permite uma nova visão do mundo e uma ação respeitosa e cuidadosa com a casa comum. / [en] This dissertation is a study of Laudato Si, the encyclical letter of Pope Francis about the care for our common home. The ecological issue is addressed from the severity of the situation of Mother Earth: nature is suffering and crying out as well as the most fragile human beings in conditions of poverty. The objectives of the work lead to consider how the current model of technical-scientific progress (or development), encouraged by an anthropocentric vision of the human being, is regarded as the main responsible factor for the neglect of nature. Furthermore, a theological consideration of creation exclusively centered on monotheism configured a foundation for a comprehension of the human being as a dominator. Therefore, a new vision of the human being is urgent, centered on the quality of care. Laudato Si brings signs of hope for a rescue of all of creation, which can be found in Christian eschatology: the new creation finds its origins in the risen Christ. The methodology used in the dissertation will be bibliographical, qualitative and applied with content analysis. The work is divided into three parts: the first presents the current situation. The second expands on the proposal brought by Laudato Si and its roots in Latin America. The third applies an interpretation of the ecological issue in the perspective of eschatology and of the ethical proposal that arises as a consequence. The expected result goes in the direction of an ecological conversion: the kind of change that allows for a new vision of the world with respectful and careful action for our common home.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Despite the fact that Islam remains a powerful social force in the lives of many of its adherents, contemporary scholars lament the silence of Muslims on the environmental question. However, closer scrutiny reveals a burgeoning green movement amongst Muslims the world over. While scholarly works initially elucidated the scriptural basis for Islamic ecological ethics (ecoethics), efforts are now centred on translating the ecoethics of Islam into practice. The educational landscape of Islam is frequently put forward as the primary arena for imparting its ecological teachings. This thesis examines the connections between Islam, ecology and education, and investigates the revival of Islamic ecoethics by way of environmental education in the educational landscape of Islam broadly, and the maktab in particular. The maktab, the foundational educational establishment in Islam, remains underutilised despite its important place in the educational life of Muslims. A liberation ecotheology research framework was employed to display the richness of traditional resources and institutions in meeting contemporary environmental challenges. Through a conceptual analysis of sacred texts, traditions and contemporary thought on Islam, ecology and education, this thesis constructs an eco-justice ethic of Islam and draws out the pedagogical implications for implementing this ecoethic. Content analysis, of environmental education activities in the broader educational landscape of Islam, provides insights into environmental teaching and learning. Environmental education in the maktab, which plays a pivotal role in imparting the elementary teachings and values of Islam, is brought into focus by way of a curriculum review which examines the environmental elements encapsulated in two maktab curricula produced in South Africa. Implications for environmental teaching and learning in the maktab, are then extracted. This thesis affirms the important position of religious thought as a determiner of environmental action. It presents, from within a liberatory tradition of Islam, a theocentric eco-justice ethic which is based on the sovereignty of God, the responsible trusteeship of humankind and the intrinsic value of Creation. It puts forward an activist, transformative approach to environmental education, premised upon an integrated knowledge structure and educational objectives which require reflective and critical engagement with all ecological knowledge, responsible environmental action, and social transformation. And it proposes a transformative approach to environmental education to bring the liberatory intent of the Islamic environmental tradition into focus, both in the broader educational landscape of Islam, as well as the maktab. Muslims own a fair share of the global concern around the earth’s health and wellbeing. To varying degrees, they continue to draw upon religious teachings to shape their values, beliefs and attitudes towards life - including the environment. Revitalizing ecological ethics in the educational establishment of Islam provides an impetus to not only uncover Islam’s environmental tradition, but to affect Muslim awareness and action on the ecological question. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ondanks die feit dat Islam ‘n sosiale krag in die lewens van baie van sy aanhangers is, beklaag hedendaagse geleerdes die stilte van Muslims op die omgewings-vraag. Nadere ondersoek toon egter ‘n ontluikende groen beweging onder Muslims die wêreld oor. Terwyl navorsing tot dusver die skriftuurlike basis vir die Islamitiese ekologiese etiek (ekoetiek) verklaar, is pogings nou gevestig op die omskepping van hierdie ekoetiek in die praktyk. Die opvoedkundige landskap van Islam is dikwels na vore gebring as die primêre arena vir die oordra van sy ekologiese leerstellings. Hierdie tesis ondervra die verband tussen Islam, ekologie en opvoeding, en ondersoek die herlewing van die Islamitiese ekoetiek deur middel van omgewingsopvoeding in die opvoedkundige landskap van Islam in die algemeen, en die maktab in die besonder. Die maktab, die belangrikste grondlegging-stigting in Islam, bly onderbenut ten spyte van sy belangrike plek in die opvoedkundige lewe van Muslims. ‘n Bevrydings-ekoteologie navorsing raamwerk was in diens geneem om die rykdom van die tradisionele middele en instellings van die Islamietise ekoetiek na vore te bring. Deur middel van ‘n konseptuele analise van heilige tekste, tradisies en hedendaagse denke oor Islam, ekologie en opvoeding, bou hierdie tesis ‘n ekogeregtigheids etiek van Islam, en ontrek die pedagogiese implikasies vir die uitvoering van hierdie ekoetiek. Inhoud analise van omgewingsopvoedingaktiwiteite in die breër opvoedkundige landskap van Islam bied verder insigte tot omgewingsopvoeding praktyke aan. Omgewingsopvoeding in die maktab, wat ‘n belangrike rol speel in die oordra van die basiese leerstellings en waardes van Islam, is by wyse van kurrikulum-hersiening ondersoek. Hierdie hersiening ondersoek die omgewings-elemente vervat in twee maktab kurrikulums wat in Suid-Afrika geproduseer is. Implikasies vir omgewingsopvoeding in die maktab word dan ontrek. Hierdie tesis bevestig die belangrike posisie van godsdienstige denke as ‘n bepaling van omgewings-aksie. Dit bied, binne ‘n bevreiheids-tradisie in Islam, ‘n teosentriese eko-geregtigheids etiek aan wat baseer is op die opperheerskap van God, die verantwoordelike herderskap van mensdom en die innerlike waarde van die skepping. Dit poneer ‘n transformatiewe benadering tot omgewingsopevoeding wat berus op ‘n geïntegreerde kennis struktuur en opvoedkundige doelwitte wat reflektiewe en kritiese omgang met ekologiese kennis vereis; verantwoordelike omgewings-aksie; en sosiale transformasie. Dit bied ook aan dat die Islamitiese omgewings-tradisie deur middel van ‘n transformatiewe benadering tot omgewingsopvoeding, beide in die breër opvoedkundige landskap van Islam sowel as die maktab, na vore gebring kan word. Muslims besit ‘n groot deel van die wêreldwye besorgdheid oor die aarde se gesondheid en welstand. Tot wisselende grade, gaan hulle voort om hulle waardes, oortuigings en houdings teenoor die lewe, insluitend die omgewing, op godsdienstige leerstellinge te baseer. Om nuwe lewe in die ekologiese etiek van Islam in die opvoedkundige vestiging te blaas, bied ‘n geleentheid aan om nie net Islam se omgewings-tradisie te ontbloot nie, maar ook om die bewustheid en optrede van Muslims op die ekologiese vraag te beïnvloed.

An exercise in applied Christian ecotheology, this thesis focuses on a community of Lutheran church bodies (ELCA) in North Central Pennsylvania as they grappled with natural gas hydraulic fracturing in the summer of 2012. In the paper, I employ a combination of theological, environmental, historical, and ethnographic research methodologies to ground my analysis of how this synod of Lutherans to date has approached the fracking boom. My primary research question is: How might the Upper Susquehanna Synod of the ELCA--as a representative body of 131 Lutheran churches that are steeped in tradition--use its history, community involvement, theology, and church structure to address an ecological quandary like fracking? I answer this question in four sections, with each chapter focusing on a different thematic sub-question. Though I borrow techniques from the social sciences, I have written this thesis as a narrative, in order to draw the reader into this fascinating community. Instead of separating my literature review from my ethnographic data, I blend the two together in each chapter, weaving together quotes from synod members with secondary source material. Embedded throughout the report are also maps that I have produced using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technique to give the story a spatial dimension. Additionally, I use photographs of the synod counties to enhance the reader’s understanding of the region’s ecological and cultural landscapes.

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