Ezra Chitando - African Perspectives on Religion and Climate Change

African Perspectives on Religion and Climate Change

This book interrogates the contributions that religious traditions have made to climate change discussions within Africa, whether positive or negative. Drawing on a range of African contexts and religious traditions, the book provides concrete suggestions on how individuals and communities of faith must act in order to address the challenge of climate change.

Despite the fact that Africa has contributed relatively little to historic carbon emissions, the continent will be affected disproportionally by the increasing impact of anthropogenic climate change. Contributors to this book provide a range of rich case studies to investigate how religious traditions, such as Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and indigenous faiths influence the worldviews and actions of their adherents. The chapters also interrogate how the moral authority and leadership provided by religion can be used to respond and adapt to the challenges posed by climate change. Topics covered include risk reduction and resilience, youth movements, indigenous knowledge systems, environmental degradation, gender perspectives, ecological theories, and climate change financing.

This book will be of interest to scholars in diverse fields, including religious studies, sociology, political science, climate change, and environmental humanities. It may also benefit practitioners involved in solving community challenges related to climate change.

Ezra Chitando is Professor of History and Phenomenology of Religion at the University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe and Theology Consultant on HIV in Africa for the World Council of Churches.

Ernst M. Conradie is Senior Professor in the Department of Religion and Theology at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. He is co-editor (with Hilda Koster) of the T&T Clark Handbook of Christian Theology and Climate Change (2019).

Susan M. Kilonzo is Associate Professor at the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Maseno University, Kenya. Her research and publication interests include religion and climate change, gender, development, peace-building, and method and theory.

1. Community and Trinity in Africa
Ibrahim S. Bitrus

2. Contextualizing Eschatology in African Cultural and Religious Beliefs
Ibigbolade S. Aderibigbe

3. Politics and Religion in Zimbabwe
The Deification of Robert G. Mugabe
Edited by Ezra Chitando

4. Personality Cult and Politics in Mugabes Zimbabwe
Edited by Ezra Chitando

5. Race, Class and Christianity in South Africa
Middle-Class Moralities
Ibrahim Abraham

6. Religion and the Covid-19 Pandemic in Southern Africa
Edited by Fortune Sibanda, Tenson Muyambo and Ezra Chitando

7. African Perspectives on Religion and Climate Change
Edited by Ezra Chitando, Ernst M. Conradie and Susan M. Kilonzo

For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/series/routledge-studies-religion-africa-diaspora/RSRAD

African Perspectives on Religion and Climate Change

Edited by
Ezra Chitando, Ernst M. Conradie and Susan M. Kilonzo

An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched (KU). KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high quality books Open Access for the public good. The Open Access ISBN for this book is 9781003147909. More information about the initiative and links to the Open Access version can be found at www.knowledgeunlatched.org.

First published 2022
by Routledge
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2022 selection and editorial matter, Ezra Chitando, Ernst M. Conradie and Susan M. Kilonzo; individual chapters, the contributors

The right of Ezra Chitando, Ernst M. Conradie and Susan M. Kilonzo to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book

ISBN: 978-0-367-61607-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-70771-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-14790-9 (ebk)

DOI: 10.4324/9781003147909

Typeset in Bembo
by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India

Ezra Chitando

Tabona Shoko

Sonene Nyawo

Loreen Maseno and Kingasia Mamati

Lilian C. Siwila

Susan Mbula Kilonzo

Beatrice Okyere-Manu and Stephen Nkansah Morgan

David Andrew Omona

George C. Nche

Damon Mkandawire

Elizabeth Pulane Motswapong

Hassan Juma Ndzovu

Joram Tarusarira and Damaris S. Parsitau

Veronica Nonhlanhla Gundu-Jakarasi

Ernst M. Conradie

(a) & (b) Soil erosion in Karamoja. Source: Byekwaso, F. et al. (n.d), The impacts of climate change on food security and livelihoods in Karamoja, Kampala: C-ADAPT & MWE

Showing the percentage distribution of responses

Showing the regional distribution of responses to Laudato Si

African Catholics Response to Laudato Si

Showing the Statistical Presentation of the Responses

Showing the Regional Differences in Responses

Ezra Chitando is Professor of History and Phenomenology of Religion at the University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe and Theology Consultant on HIV in Africa for the World Council of Churches.

Ernst M. Conradie is Senior Professor in the Department of Religion and Theology at the University of the Western Cape. He is Co-editor (with Hilda Koster) of the T&T Clark Handbook of Christian Theology and Climate Change (2019).

Veronica Nonhlanhla Gundu-Jakarasi is a Chartered Development Finance Expert with experience in environmental and climate diplomacy, resource mobilization, and climate programming.
She is a manager responsible for climate finance and sustainability with the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe. Her research and publication interests include climate finance, climate policy, disaster risk management, religion, inclusion and gender, adaptation, and climate-compatible agriculture.

Susan M. Kilonzo is Associate Professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Maseno University, Kenya. Her research and publication interests include religion and climate change, gender, development, peace-building, and method and theory.

Kingasia Mamati is Doctoral Student in Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Cologne. His research interests include human-environment relationships, indigenous peoples, climate change, and religion.