African Creation Spirituality: Insipirations for Contemporary Ecological Ethics

Brighton Katabaro
Academy of International Ecumenism, University of Hamburg

1. Introduction

In generations past, spirituality permeated every aspect of African life, from social organization and economic activity to health and politics. Wilson Niwagila famously described this integration of the spiritual and the material as being as inseparable as the "shell and yolk of an egg," a sentiment echoed by John Mbiti’s classic assertion that “Africans are notoriously religious” (Niwagila 1988, 34; Mbiti 1969, 1). This spiritual orientation was not, therefore, a discrete category of belief, but rather the foundational matrix through which identity, sociality, and humanity's relationship with the cosmos were understood and enacted. In other words, it formed worldviews that molded identity, behavior, and ecological practice, viewing all existence as a unified whole with direct implications for human–nature relations (Asamoah-Gyadu 2022, 8).  

This essay argues that while traditional African spirituality—rooted in an interconnected worldview and communal ethics like Ubuntu—provides a potent framework for socio-ecological resilience, this foundation is being actively fragmented by the pressures of urbanization, globalization, and the rise of individualistic prosperity theology. To explore this dynamic, this essay will first examine the historical foundations of Africa's interconnected theology of creation, then analyze the specific resilience mechanisms it fosters, before concluding with an assessment of the contemporary challenges that threaten its integrity and future relevance.

Although transformed, this worldview continues to influence African societies. Traditional religions—diverse in beliefs, rituals, and practices—often coexist and intertwine with Christianity and Islam, the main faiths across the continent. Even within these frameworks, ancestral cosmologies remain discernible and still inform understandings of misfortune, fertility, and environmental care.

However, colonial legacies, globalization, and urbanization have fragmented earlier communal and ecological connections. Many urban youth grow up detached from ancestral rituals and elder authority, shaped instead by global media, education, and prosperity-oriented religious movements. In rural areas, where agrarian lifeways persist, traditional beliefs retain stronger influence, often blending with Christian and Islamic practices. This paper traces these transformations—without idealizing the past—and explores their implications for recontextualizing African creation theology amid urban realities and emergent spiritual expressions.

 

2. Historical African Worldview and Spirituality

African spirituality historically encompassed diverse beliefs and rituals across ethnic groups, resisting the notion of a single uniform “African worldview.” Ethnic identity extended beyond kinship, connecting communities to a Supreme Being known by localized names predating Christianity and Islam. Among northwestern Tanzania’s Bahaya/Banyambo, for example, the Supreme Being was called Katonda, Ruhanga, or Nyamuhanga (“Creator”)—names later integrated into Christian theology.

Humans, animals, plants, and natural forces were regarded as creations of this Supreme Being, with subordinate deities governing sunlight, rain, and fertility. Rituals maintained harmony between people and nature through veneration of rivers, forests, and mountains—believed to be the abodes of spirits. These practices embedded environmental ethics into daily life: prohibitions against polluting rivers or cutting sacred trees preserved both spiritual and ecological balance.

Although many of these customs have declined, their imprint remains evident. Some African Initiated Churches (AICs), such as the Legio Maria Church in Kenya, hold prayer retreats in forests and mountains, continuing ancestral reverence within contemporary Christianity. Similarly, many believers incorporate idioms and customs rooted in earlier cosmologies—such as invoking ancestral protection alongside prayers to God or Allah—revealing how traditional elements persist as spiritual undercurrents within modern faiths.

The Kikuyu of Kenya, for instance, believe in Ngai Mwene Nyaga, the giver of life who resides on Mount Kenya, shaping an understanding of creation as sacred trust rather than resource. This mythic link between Ngai and Kiri-Nyaga (“the mountain of brightness”) continues to guide ecological responsibility.

Within such cosmologies, families and clans—including the living and departed—form an inseparable unity. Ancestors, whose spirits remain within the community, act as guardians ensuring social harmony. Naming practices reinforce this continuity: ancestral names bestowed on newborns preserve lineage and honor forebears (O’Donovan 1996, 82).

Despite missionary efforts to weaken traditional connections between spiritual and physical realms, belief in the spirit world endures among many African Christians and Muslims. Even where urbanization and migration have reduced rituals, the notion of a spiritually interconnected world persists, informing moral values, social cohesion, and ecological consciousness throughout contemporary Africa.

3. Purpose of Creation

The worldview perceiving all existence as a unified whole forms the foundation of an African theology of creation in which the natural world manifests divine presence. This aligns with the biblical affirmation that “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1). Creation enables both humanity and nature to live, thrive, and fulfil their God-given roles within a network of reciprocal relationships grounded in harmony.

Humanity’s apparent supremacy is understood not as privilege but responsibility—entrusting humans with care and stewardship of all life. African thought thus rejects dichotomies between humans and nature, emphasizing interdependence where the well-being of each depends on the other’s flourishing.

In this context, acts that destroy life or degrade nature—including those linked to witchcraft—violate the cosmic order. Taboos, rituals, and ceremonies upheld ecological equilibrium and honored the divine presence in creation. This worldview nurtured a sense of sacred duty to sustain life and protect the earth as divine trust.

AICs continue to affirm this interdependence. Drawing on Scripture and indigenous wisdom, they integrate traditional environmental ethics into Christian faith (Öhlmann et al. 2020). They interpret the world as an interconnected web of life responsive to human conduct. Environmental harm is viewed as a spiritual consequence of moral failure. This conviction strengthens ecological stewardship and offers theological grounding for sustainability in contemporary African Christianity.

4. African Creation Spirituality and Coping Mechanisms

African creation spirituality provides a holistic framework for interpreting life’s challenges, emphasizing God’s active presence and care. Wisdom traditions—transmitted through myths, proverbs, and rituals—offer moral and practical guidance for maintaining harmony within creation. Central to this spirituality is trust in divine provision, reflected in personal names such as Neema (“Grace”), Aganyila (“God is merciful”), Amanya (God knows), Mukiza (“God is the healer”) and Alinda (“God is the protector”), all expressing gratitude and faith in divine providence.

Equally important is the principle of communalism, often expressed through Ubuntu—“I am because we are.” It conveys that existence is relational, rooted in mutual care and solidarity. Rituals and ceremonies reinforce social cohesion and resilience, continuing today through congregational worship where collective prayer sustains hope in adversity. Ubuntu thus embodies the theology of creation by promoting unity, responsibility, and the flourishing of all life—contributing to the vitality of African churches.

Community rituals historically expressed faith and coping. Rainmaking ceremonies sought divine intervention while renewing social bonds (Joubert 2011). Comparable practices persist as communal prayers during droughts in churches and mosques (Müller 2016, 192). These acts affirm interconnectedness and reliance on divine providence.

As Asamoah-Gyadu (2022, 11) warns, over-sacralizing nature may obscure human accountability by attributing all environmental outcomes to divine will. Preservation motivated by fear of ancestral retribution can lead to selective protection of “deified” sites (Taringa 2006, 211). Conversely, over-secularization detaches God from nature, fostering exploitation rather than stewardship. A balanced view—integrating reverence with responsibility—is essential.

Faith in God as provider and protector continues to ground resilience. People find comfort in the conviction that the Creator sustains all life. Yet, calamities are often understood as divine justice, reinforcing respect for laws that uphold moral and ecological order.

The same faith that strengthens hope can be misused. Theological shifts tied to modernization and economic hardship have encouraged exploitative teachings. Prosperity-oriented movements, as Katabaro (2013, 46ff) observes, equate faith with material success, appealing to communities facing insecurity. Their focus on individual gain undermines the communal and ecological ethics central to creation spirituality. As Muriithi (2019) notes, prioritizing wealth over stewardship distorts the divine-human relationship and weakens collective care for creation.

Authentic African creation spirituality, by contrast, advances a theology of interdependence between God, humanity, ancestors, and nature. It grounds resilience in community and stewardship, equipping societies to face contemporary crises with faith and balance. In dialogue with Global South spiritualities, it shows how ancestral wisdom can renew ecological ethics, offering resources for confronting environmental and social challenges today.

---

Acknowldgement

I am deeply grateful to Susan Kilonzo and Juliane Storck for their substantial contribution in the development of this article.

References

Asamoah-Gyadu, J.K. (2022) ‘Christian Stewardship and Creation: African Perspectives on Environment and Development’, in International Handbook on Creation Care and Eco-Diakonia: Concepts and Perspectives from the Global South, eds. D. Beros et al., Regnum Books International.

Joubert, A. (2011) ‘Rain Songs and the Observance of the Rain Cult Amongst the Lobedu People of Queen Modjadji’, South African Journal of African Languages, 31(1), pp. 6–16. doi:10.1080/02572117.2011.10587352.

Katabaro, B.J. (2013) Hunger for Success: An Investigation of Neo-Charismatic Pentecostal Teachings on Prosperity and Their Challenges in Tanzania. Lambert Academic Publishing.

Mbiti, J.S. (1969) African Religions and Philosophy. Heinemann.

Müller, R. (2016) African Pilgrimage: Ritual Travel in South Africa's Christianity of Zion. London: Taylor and Francis.

Muriithi, K. (2019) ‘Toward a Theology of Creation: An African Approach to the Environment’, in God and Creation, eds. D. Ngaruiya & R. Reed, Langham Publishing, pp. 83–96.

Niwagila, W. (1988) From the Catacomb to a Self-Governing Church: A Case Study of the African Initiative and the Participation of the Foreign Missions in the Mission History of the North-Western Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, 1890–1965. Flottbeker Verlag.

O’Donovan, W. (1996) Biblical Christianity in African Perspective. 2nd edn. Carlisle: Paternoster.

Öhlmann, P., Gräb, W. & Frost, M.-L. (2020) ‘Introduction’, in African Initiated Christianity and the Decolonization of Development: Sustainable Development in Pentecostal and Independent Churches. Routledge Research in Religion and Development. Abingdon, Oxon; New York: Routledge.

Taringa, N. (2006) ‘How Environmental Is African Traditional Religion?’, Exchange, 35(2), pp. 191–214. doi:10.1163/1572543067765256.