The book explores how African Christians in Ghana can think eco-theologically about the nexus of mining, waste pollution, water pollution, and land degradation. In 2017, the government of Ghana banned illegal mining and declared war against any activity that does not complement environmental protection and conservation of natural resources. The Christian church needs academic resources to support the campaign against the destruction of the land, water bodies, and environment. The papers presented generate theological imaginations in shaping the political campaign against the destruction of the land and the environment. Reflection on areas related to the theme includes: “The Concept of Land in the Bible”; “The Christian Church and the Galamsey Menace in West Africa”; “The Fulani Cattle Headsmen and Care for the Land”; “The Bible and the Environment: Towards an Agenda for Eco-theology in African Theological Institutions”; “Stewardship of the Land”; “The Menace of Mining in Ghana”; “Destruction of Water Bodies in Ghana”; and “The Menace of Plastic Waste in Ghana.” This volume will serve as a textbook for theological students, the church, and other governmental agencies.

The book explores how African Christians in Ghana can think eco-theologically about the nexus of mining, waste pollution, water pollution, and land degradation. In 2017, the government of Ghana banned illegal mining and declared war against any activity that does not complement environmental protection and conservation of natural resources. The Christian church needs academic resources to support the campaign against the destruction of the land, water bodies, and environment. The papers presented generate theological imaginations in shaping the political campaign against the destruction of the land and the environment. Reflection on areas related to the theme includes: "The Concept of Land in the Bible"; "The Christian Church and the Galamsey Menace in West Africa"; "The Fulani Cattle Headsmen and Care for the Land"; "The Bible and the Environment: Towards an Agenda for Eco-theology in African Theological Institutions"; "Stewardship of the Land"; "The Menace of Mining in Ghana"; "Destruction of Water Bodies in Ghana"; and "The Menace of Plastic Waste in Ghana." This volume will serve as a textbook for theological students, the church, and other governmental agencies.

People have lived on Earth since before recorded history, depending on nature to provide for, and clean up after them. But Nature cannot do it all anymore. Too many people, too much trash, and too much toxic waste. People have long lived in interdependence with other living things. Yet humans now degrade and destroy the global environment that nurtures all species--including human beings. Human activities contaminate earth, air, and sea, causing thousands of species to go extinct. Rising global heat produces vicious cycles of catastrophic drought, fires, horrific storms, floods, famines, and massive migrations by desperate climate refugees. We don't hear much anymore about man's "conquest of nature." Nature--God's creation--now clearly has the last word. Contrast the theocentric faith and ethics embedded in the Old and New Testaments. Here the good world that God created, and continues to create, was made to be shared with all other living things. All alike are made from the earth and destined to return to it. Humans were meant to till the soil, appreciate, enjoy, and care for life around them, and trust their Creator for what is yet to be.

The Crosscurrents series highlights emerging theologies and biblical interpretations from Majority World and minoritized communities. The first volume in the series elaborates theologies of land, a theme often missing or ignored by churches and theologians, especially in the Global North. In this volume, four authors who represent Palestinian, First Nations, Latinx, and South African communities examine the intricate relationship among land(scape), migration, and identity. Together with a Malaysian Chinese, the authors deliberate on the complex issues arising out of political domination, as well as humanity's conquest and abuse of land that create unjust space, landless people, and the broken landscape of God's creation.

In African Theology, Philosophy, and Religions: Celebrating John Samuel Mbiti’s Contribution, contributorsexplore John Samuel Mbiti’s contributions to African scholarship and demonstrate how he broke through the western glass ceiling of scholarship and made African-informed and African-shaped scholarship a reality. Contributors examine the far-reaching implications of Mbiti’s scholarship, arguing that he shifted the contemporary African Christian landscape and informed global expressions of Christianity. African Theology, Philosophy, and Religions analyzes Mbiti’s scholarship and shows that his theories are malleable and fluid, allowing a new generation of scholars to reinterpret, reconstruct, and further develop his theories. This collection brings together contributors from a wide range of disciplines to study John Samuel Mbiti as the father of contemporary African theology and grapple with questions Africans face in the twenty-first century.

This volume explores how religious and spiritual actors engage for environmental protection and fight against climate change. Climate change and sustainability are increasingly prominent topics among religious and spiritual groups. Different faith traditions have developed "green" theologies, launched environmental protection projects and issued public statements on climate change. Against this background, academic scholarship has raised optimistic claims about the strong potentials of religions to address environmental challenges. Taking a critical stance with regard to these claims, the chapters in this volume show that religious environmentalism is an embattled terrain. Tensions are an inherent part of religious environmentalism. These do not necessarily manifest themselves in open clashes between different parties but in different actions, views, theologies, ambivalences, misunderstandings, and sometimes mistrust. Keeping below the surface, these tensions can create effective barriers for religious environmentalism. The chapters examine how tensions are manifested and dealt with through a range of empirical case studies in various world regions. Covering different religious and spiritual traditions, they reflect on intradenominational, interdenominational, interreligious, and religious-societal tensions. Thereby, this volume sheds new light on the problems that religions face when they seek to take an active role in today’s societal challenges. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.

In a world where religion is frequently viewed as a source of conflict and division, what can we learn from the harmonious coexistence of Christian and Muslim communities flourishing in Africa and elsewhere? This collaborative work, inspired by the life and legacy of Lamin Sanneh, seeks to highlight valuable lessons from the rich Christian and Muslim traditions of hospitality through bringing together voices and perspectives from diverse backgrounds and contexts, developing a vision for the common good of society. Amplifying a contextual understanding of Christian-Muslim relations, the authors from Africa and across the world reflect on and respond to the cultural themes of territoriality and hospitality, resulting in a comprehensive resource for constructive engagement of the faiths in shared public spaces. Readers invested in the future of Christianity and Islam will learn how these cultural and theological resources are vital for both faiths to live and flourish together in Africa and beyond.

Can the Desert Be Green? Our world is in peril. Environmental degradation, human suffering, and relentless calamities confront us daily, painting a picture of a planet in distress. Amid this daunting reality, how can God’s people respond effectively? This critical question beckons for a thoughtful and proactive response that intertwines faith and ecology with tangible action in our increasingly fragile world. Hope for Creation offers a unique blend of theological insight and practical application. It gathers perspectives from theologians and practitioners, each giving a comprehensive understanding of creation care. The contributors not only diagnose environmental and humanitarian issues but also propose actionable solutions rooted in biblical foundations and contemporary experiences. This book is a call to action for Christians and mission leaders worldwide, urging active participation in restoring and preserving our planet. It equips church leaders, missionaries, and believers with the knowledge and tools to make a meaningful impact. By embracing this mission, readers contribute to a sustainable, hopeful future, joining a transformative journey towards environmental and human healing.

The Bloomsbury Handbook of Religious Education in the Global South presents new comparative perspectives on Religious Education (RE) across the Global South. Including 23 chapters written by scholars from the Global North and South, this is the first authoritative reference work on the subject. The handbook is thematically organised into seven sections. The first three sections deal with provision, response to changes in contemporary society, and decolonizing RE. The next four sections explore young people and RE, perspectives on teachers, RE in higher education, and finally, challenges and opportunities for RE. The term 'Global South' is used here primarily to signify the deep economic divide with the Global North, but the concept is also examined in historical, geographical, political, social and cultural terms, including the indelible influence of religion in all four broadly defined regions. Exploring RE from local, cross-national as well as regional and sub-regional perspectives, the handbook examines RE from its diverse past, present realities, and envisioned future revealing not only tensions, contestations, injustices and inequalities of power, but importantly, how inclusive forms of RE can help solve these problems.