By Beth Karani
Nature is more than just landscape in African Traditional Religion; it is sacred and bound to human survival. This article explores how African traditional religion and African philosophy shape environmental preservation. It begins by highlighting the relationship between traditional African religion and the environment, particularly as practiced among the Karamojong and the Shona and concludes by addressing how religious practices are invoked as a carte blanch to destroy the environment with keen examples from Nigeria.
Relationship between environment and African traditional religion
Historically, traditional African religion contained inherent environmental resource conservation and management principles meant for the preservation and sustainable use of the natural environment.[1] Religion and the environment have traditionally been deeply intertwined, shaping how societies interact with nature. The traditional African perception of the environment is that every aspect of the ecosystem is religiously sacred, especially when they are thought to be dwelling in places of spirits, ancestors and other spiritual beings.[2] Destruction of sacred areas often attracted punishment by the community either paying fines or offering sacrifices to appease the ancestors which in turn discouraged people from harming the environment.
Traditionally, religion played an integral role in linking people to the natural world, imbuing them with knowledge and values that prioritised environmental protection.[3] Among the Karamojong in Uganda, environment was esteemed as the creation of a supreme being, who sustained the universe and everything in it.[4] The environment was revered as an embodiment of spirits, making features such as rivers, lagoons, groves, hills, animals, mountains and rocks sacred. For these religious reasons, everyone owed a stewardship obligation to preserve the environment and its sacredness.[5] Violators were often severely fined by the community since any disturbance could bring calamity to the community and may require sacrifices to appease the ancestors.[6]
Religious taboos were used to deter environmental destruction and encourage preservation. For example, trees were revered as homes for spirits that brought rain and tampering with them was believed to bring calamity to the community.[7] These taboos operated through communal belief and social sanction therefore the fear of supernatural punishment combined with collective monitoring by the community created a powerful immediate deterrent without the need for codified rules.[8]
Among the Shona in Zimbabwe, indigenous knowledge hinged on the holistic philosophy that viewed man as part of the environment. This philosophy encouraged people to use natural resources sustainably and it discouraged people from destroying the environment.[9] Under the influence of traditional religion, they believed that the environment was sacred and belonged to the spirit world.[10] They believed in the sacredness of the flora and that cutting down trees in certain prohibited areas or destruction of the environment through environmental degradation or pollution, would lead to punishment of the community by the gods or guardian spirits.
Sanctified destruction: How religious justifications enable environmental degradation
Traditionally, many religious and spiritual traditions emphasised the respectful treatment of nature. Indigenous belief systems have long regarded the earth as sacred, treating it with deep reverence and acknowledging its intrinsic right to remain whole.[11] However, technological advancements and industrialization have fostered an anthropocentric mindset in which humanity views itself as dominant over nature rather than as a coexistent part of it.[12] This belief has led to reckless overconsumption, resource depletion, deforestation and pollution all in the relentless pursuit of economic growth and personal gain.
Modern religions particularly Christianity and Islam retain echoes of spiritual concern for creation, yet they often contribute to environmental pollution on a different scale. In Nigeria, land acquisition and the construction of multi-million-naira worship centers frequently lead to deforestation often with little regard for environmental principles.[13] What was once a spiritual connection to the land has in many cases shifted toward economic competition, where church owners vie for visibility and influence under the guise of spiritual expansion.
In conclusion, Traditional African Religion with its taboos, rituals and communal sanctions demonstrates how spiritual belief can function as a system of environmental governance by instilling respect, restrain and stewardship. Although there has been a shift toward non indigenous religion, it is essential to revisit these past teachings and beliefs to ensure that the environment remains protected for future generations.
[1] Eneji C V O , Ntamu G U, Unwanade C C , Godwin A B , Bassey J E , Williams J J and Joseph Ignatius 'Traditional African Religion in natural resources conservation and management in Cross River State, Nigeria'2 (4) Canadian Center of Science and Education (2012) 45.
[2] Daniel D Zading and Hosea Nakina Martins, 'The effects of climate change and environment on African Religion and Christianity in contemporary time' 10(1) African Journal of Arts and Humanities (2024) 92.
[3] Obasola, Kehinde E, 'African religion and environmental dynamics: Implications for human and sustainable development', 4(2) Journal of Studies in Social Sciences (2013) 203.
[4] Margaret Ssebunya and Beatrice Okyere- Manu, 'Moral responsibility and environmental conservation in Karamoja Mining Area: Towards a religious engagement'30 (2) Association for the Study of Religion in Southern Africa (2017) 104.
[5]Ssebunya and Okyere-Manu, 'Moral responsibility and environmental conservation in Karamoja Mining Area', 95.
[6] Ssebunya and Okyere-Manu, 'Moral responsibility and environmental conservation in Karamoja Mining Area', 94.
[7] Ssebunya and Okyere-Manu, 'Moral responsibility and environmental conservation in Karamoja Mining Area', 95.
[8] Ssebunya and Okyere-Manu, 'Moral responsibility and environmental conservation in Karamoja Mining Area', 96.
[9] Mabvurira Vincent, Muchinako George Alex and Smit Elizabeth Ivy, 'Shona traditional religion and sustainable environmental management: An Afrocentric perspective' 11(3) African Journal of Social Work (2021) 118.
[10] Mabvurira, Muchinako and Smit, 'Shona traditional religion and sustainable environmental management', 117.
[11] Eneji, Ntamu, Unwanade, Godwin, Bassey, Williams and Joseph, 'Traditional African Religion in natural resources conservation and management in Cross River State, Nigeria' 48.
[12] Obasola, 'African Religion and Environmental Dynamics: Implications for human and sustainable development', 205.
[13] Rafiu Ibrahim Adebayo, 'Abuse of religion and environmental pollution in Nigeria: An Islamic perspective', 21(1) Intellectual Discourse (2013) 114.