Agro‑Theology: Reconnecting Faith with the Soil in Africa

Article by Felix Amari (Nigeria)_ChurchDay Africa Magazine)

In an era marked by ecological crises and widespread food insecurity, the intersection of faith and agriculture has become an urgent topic within African theology. Rev. Dr. Brighton Katabaro, a Tanzanian Lutheran theologian and currently the Director of Studies at the Academy of Missions in Hamburg, Germany, is a leading voice in this emerging field through his pioneering work on agrotheology—a theological framework that places agriculture at the heart of Christian faith and practice.

For Dr. Katabaro, agrotheology is not simply a niche topic but a call to reimagine how theology speaks to the realities that shape human life. “Agrotheology is about recognizing that God is not only concerned with heaven, but also deeply involved in the material world,” he explains. He argues that the church’s strong emphasis on heavenly matters—though important—has often led to the neglect of the material world, especially agriculture, which sustains billions of people.

“Agriculture has been forgotten in theology for many years, yet it shapes the daily lives of all people,” he says. Whether one farms their own land or buys food in a supermarket, everyone is connected to agriculture. “Every human being is connected to agriculture—whether through the field or the supermarket.” The food system that sustains life is rooted in agricultural practices that directly influence community well‑being and global health.

This disconnect between theology and agriculture has inspired Dr. Katabaro to challenge churches and theologians to consider agriculture as a central theological concern. “Agrotheology calls theologians to move beyond heaven‑only theology and engage the realities of daily life,” he emphasizes. For him, theology should not only address spiritual abstractions but also the practical, life‑sustaining issues of food security, land stewardship, and ecological justice.

The African Context: Contextualizing Theology

While agrotheology can benefit the global church, Dr. Katabaro believes it is especially relevant in Africa, where agriculture is deeply intertwined with culture, identity, and livelihood. Most Africans depend on agriculture—whether subsistence or commercial—yet theological discourse often remains detached from these lived realities.

Agrotheology is therefore part of a larger project of “contextualizing African theology,” which seeks to reinterpret theology through the lens of Africa’s social, economic, and environmental conditions. “Rethinking theology means paying serious attention to our own African realities,” he notes. “Context is content—and in Africa, our content is agriculture.”

He argues that agriculture must no longer remain absent from the curricula of African theological institutions. Instead, seminaries and training centers must equip future church leaders to engage agricultural challenges with theological depth.

A New Theological Approach: Agrotheology

Dr. Katabaro’s vision of agrotheology is grounded in the belief that agriculture is not only practical but also deeply spiritual. “It is both important and timely that theological education begins to take agriculture seriously,” he insists. Agrotheology integrates faith with the soil and encourages Christians to view farming as an act of worship—an expression of obedience and stewardship toward God’s creation.

In this understanding, salvation is holistic. God’s concern includes not only the soul but also the earth—an earth upon which human life depends through agriculture. Farming thus becomes a sacred activity, a participation in God’s ongoing care for creation.

The Church’s Role in Agro‑Theology

Dr. Katabaro calls on churches across Africa to embrace agrotheology as a moral responsibility. The silence of many churches on agricultural issues, he argues, is not merely an academic gap but a failure to address the daily struggles of their communities.

Churches, he says, must teach about God’s purposes for creation, promote sustainable farming, and advocate for agricultural practices that support both human flourishing and environmental health. Agrotheology also provides a theological response to global ecological crises—climate change, soil degradation, and declining biodiversity—which are directly affecting agricultural productivity.

By grounding ecological responsibility in theology, agrotheology challenges Christians to consider the environmental impact of their choices and to support policies that promote sustainable agriculture.

The Way Forward: Education and Advocacy

Through lectures, workshops, and publications, Dr. Katabaro is working to bring agrotheology into the mainstream of theological education. He collaborates with theological institutions and faith‑based organizations to promote sustainable agricultural practices and integrate agrotheology into church life and community development.

His vision extends beyond the present. “Agrotheology offers a framework to once again locate faith in the soil,” he says, calling the African church to reclaim its role as a moral and spiritual guide in caring for the land and its people.