Ecological ethics in African traditional religion: indigenous wisdom in relation to the Book of Isaiah

Abstract

Africa faces an escalating ecological crisis rooted in the widening gap between modern conservation models and indigenous worldviews. This article bridges African indigenous ecological wisdom with the prophetic theology of Isaiah to construct a contextual ecological ethic that responds to African realities while engaging global concerns about sustainability. Whereas previous scholarship has often treated African Traditional Religion (ATR) and biblical theology as distinct spheres, this study employs hermeneutical and postcolonial methodologies to facilitate an intercultural dialogue between the two. It reveals that ATR’s principles of communal stewardship, sacred natural spaces, and restorative taboos resonate profoundly with Isaiah’s critique of exploitation and his vision of cosmic shalom. By integrating ATR’s tangible reverence for creation with Isaiah’s eschatological hope, the article advances a holistic ethic of covenantal responsibility. Its original contribution lies in formulating a contextually grounded African ecotheology that reclaims ATR from notions of primitivism, enriches Christian ecological discourse with indigenous insight, and offers practical pathways for policy, education, and grassroots movements toward ecological renewal in Africa.