A Review of African Scholarship on African Pentecostalism and the Natural Environment

Against the background of environmental degradation and uncertainty in Africa, such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity and tropical forests, the question regarding how African Pentecostalism has responded and adapted to its environmental context is worth exploring. Historically, while some African Indigenous Churches (AICs) were considered as environmentally engaging, the newer forms of African Pentecostals are largely considered to have estranged themselves from the natural world, although they have the potential to engage. This chapter reviews the engagements and perspectives of African scholars to the responses of African Pentecostals to the degradation of the natural environment. The chapter specifically explores African scholars’ reflections on the response of African Pentecostals to environmental care; the nature of the response; and the methodologies adopted by these scholars. The chapter also makes a prognosis on the potentials and/or future of African Pentecostalism in engaging the natural environment as well as their methodological implications.