Africa, Christianity, climate change, eco-theology, environmental crisis, feminist theology, Christic environmental liberation paradigm, Christic Okavango, ecological Biblical hermeneutics, environmental Christology, Okavango Delta, ecological theology, African Islam, religion, sustainable development, Varemba, Zimbabwe, Catholic nun, Mother Earth, narrative and participatory practices, pastoral care, Comboni Missionary sisters, environmental sustainability, gender, Mother Earth centre, harmonious relationships, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Mount Kenya Forest, sacred places, taboos, trees and animals, water, women, adaptation, mitigation, Karanga women, Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13), traditional, Zimbabwe, Chingwizi area, customary land tenure, land allocation, land redistribution, land ownership.

The volume is significant in bringing together voices of African women theologians and their allies on the urgent topic of ecology. First, it decisively intervenes into scholarly discourses on ecofeminism by highlighting the reflections of African women scholars and African women as subjects. This function of the volume is very important both at local and global levels. Second, it contributes to contextualizing of scriptural interpretation around the issue of ecology. Biblical reflection occurs throughout the volume and is put into dialogue with African traditions, with ecofeminism, with Africa-based mission projects, and with the current crisis of sustainability and African women’s roles in protecting the earth. Third, the volume includes several concrete case studies based on interviews and grassroots qualitative research, as well as especially original articles that integrate biblical exegesis of Genesis with reflections on patriarchal legal systems in Botswana, and an original take on “male headship” in relation to ecofeminism. – Professor Dana L. Robert, Boston University, USA

The theological role of African women and men in sustainable development and environmental justice strongly emerges in this book. Picking up the theme and metaphor of the fifth pan-African conference of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians (hereafter ‘Circle’), ‘Mother Earth and Mother Africa’, this book titled Mother Earth, Mother Africa and Theology presents original and innovative research by scholarly members and friends of the Circle. The main contribution of the volume is its multi- and trans-disciplinary exploration and reimagining of human relationships to Earth from an African ecofeminist and ecowomanist theological perspective. It engages in critical conversations of re-interpreting and re-imagining African cultural, religious, theological, and philosophical perspectives on gender and the Earth. The aim is to construct Earth-friendly relationships in the face of the growing global environmental crisis. Scholarly voices of African women and men from fields such as Theology, Environmental Law and Policy, Tourism, Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, and Economics are reflected in this book, which consists of three parts: Creation, the Trinity, and Mother Africa; Caring for Mother Africa; and Mother Africa and her daughters’ (in)fertility. Each of the eleven chapters in the volume presents the metaphor of Mother Earth, Mother Africa, and gender relations, with the aim to explore life-affirming, life-enhancing human relationships to Earth from the author’s particular area of specialisation and context.

Africans embrace all of life, the humanity of each person, the world, and the creation of God. Consequently, African indigenous education reflects the completeness of life itself. The various chapters in this volume recount religious events and experiences from individual perspectives as they are unfolding on the continent. The different voices show how modernity, colonisation, urbanisation, Christianity, and technology have sidelined beliefs and practices of African traditional religions (ATRs) to the detriment of the environment. This volume brings together voices from leading proponents of ATRs and African religious heritage to help us appreciate how values are richly entrenched in African religious life. It demonstrates the detailed richness of ATRs and culture and showcases how far the academic study of ATRs in Africa has come, and calls for a concerted effort through partnership between various actors to ensure environmental sustainability.

World Christianity and Ecological Theologies invites scholars in religious studies and theology from different continents and contexts to a North-South dialogue on environmental ethics, political ecology, and ecofeminism. Throughout the global pandemic, the connection between environmental rapacity, religion, and political interests has once again called scholarly attention to the important conversation on public religion and global environment-related issues. Acknowledging a deficit among scholars of World Christianity in addressing environmental concerns and the field's limited language for framing those concerns, this book aims to bring the fields of study of World Christianity, religion, and ecology into a sustained conversation, with the goal of expanding the theoretical horizons of these fields. World Christianity and Ecological Theologies reiterates that all Christian theologies are contextual, as they shape and are shaped by specific historical and cultural circumstances. It aims at showcasing the ways in which the intersection of religion and ecology is approached by scholars in religious studies and theology in the Global South or by those in conversation with them in the Global North, pointing to what can be generated if these bodies of scholarship are engaged as dialogue partners to investigate new patterns of religious environmentalism.

Captures the multiple voices of Christian theology in a diverse and interconnected world through in-depth studies of representative figures and overviews of key movements Providing an unparalleled overview of the subject, The Modern Theologians provides an indispensable guide to the diverse approaches and perspectives within Christian theology from the early twentieth century to the present. Each chapter is written by a leading scholar and explores the development and trajectory of modern theology while presenting critical accounts of a broad range of relevant topics and representative thinkers. The fourth edition of The Modern Theologians is fully updated to provide readers with a clear picture of the broad spectrum and core concerns of modern Christian theology worldwide. It offers new perspectives on key twentieth-century figures and movements from different geographical and ecclesial contexts. There are expanded sections on theological dialogue with non-Christian traditions, and on Christian theology's engagement with the arts and sciences. A new section explores theological responses to urgent global challenges - such as nationalism, racism, and the environmental crisis. Providing the next generation of theologians with the tools needed to take theological conversations forward, The Modern Theologians: Explores Christian theology's engagement with multiple ways of knowing across diverse approaches and traditions Combines introductions to key modern theologians and coverage of the major movements within contemporary theology Identifies common dynamics found across theologies to enable cross-contextual comparisons Positions individual theologians in geographical regions, trans-local movements, and ecclesial contexts Features new and revised chapters written by experts in particular movements, topics, and individuals Providing in-depth critical evaluation and extensive references to further readings and research, Ford's The Modern Theologians: An Introduction to Christian Theology since 1918, Fourth Edition, remains an ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in Theology and Religious Studies, such as Introduction to Christian Theology, Systematic Theology, Modern Theology, and Modern Theologians. It is also an invaluable resource for researchers, those involved in various forms of Christian ministry, teachers of religious studies, and general readers engaged in independent study.