Doctrine of creation and the problem of Greek dualism: towards an African ecofeminist critique of the concept of a transcendental God in ecological discourse

Abstract

The ecological crisis is emerging as one of the major global concerns. From a theological perspective, the destruction of creation in Africa can be attributed to the erosion of the African religious understanding of the living nature of creation as being in kinship with humanity. Greek dualism, embedded in missionary enlightenment thinking, has been cited as a key factor influencing the ecological crisis in Africa. This dualism, which portrays creation as inferior to human beings, is largely associated with the influence of Greek thinkers, particularly the Platonic philosophy that shaped the transmission of Greek thought into Christian theology. Plato asserted that the world of forms is divine and masculine, while the material world, representing universalities, is inferior and feminine. This worldview has left a religious and psychological imprint on African Christians, contributing to the exploitation of the environment. A theological reflection on this reality suggests an African ecofeminist theology as a possible approach. This methodology draws on Jürgen Moltmann's social Trinitarian model of God's relationship with humanity, while incorporating the African concept of animism to highlight the interconnectedness of all creation with the divine. It first critiques the idea of a transcendent, apathetic God in response to the ecological crisis, and then reaffirms the African religious view of animism as understood in the African worldview—contrasting this with the missionary interpretation of animism as mere fetishism. This offers a shift from a hierarchical understanding of relationships to one that embraces the sacred interconnectedness of all creation with the divine. The application of African ecofeminist theology provides a contextualized response that also recognizes the agency of African women in understanding how dualism affects both the degradation of creation and their lived experiences. This study will use the Agikuyu community as a prototype to illuminate their pre- missionary worldview and the impact of dualism. Additionally, it will explore the teachings of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa to illustrate how dualism is expressed within the African Christian Church.