Responsible Public Theology on Climate Change Devastations: Disastrous flooding in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Climate change is devastating human communities, but it is more devastating to the poor and powerless, especially in the absence of accountable political leadership. This was evident in the recent climate disaster that struck South Africa in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), where the deadliest storm in April 2022 killed about 489 people and devastated many more. This paints a frightening picture of the impending climate apocalypse not only in South Africa but in the global world. In the face of mounting evidence that the threat of climate change is indeed existential, this paper represents a tacit theological obligation to warn nations or sensitize governments to the impending climate catastrophe. Responsible public theology as per this paper’s version calls for pragmatic government policies and a renewed church mission for human security in the face of the looming climate crisis. Although unrelated to the phenomenon of climate change, the Genesis flood narrative is used by analogy to describe the church's mission in the face of the climate crisis encompassing floods. A particular focus is the impact of the environmental and climate change crisis on the impoverished masses living in low-lying risk areas, as was the case with KZN. Given that there seems to be little theological reflection or intensity on this question, this paper represents a potential area for further research that will foster theologically informed dialogue on impacts of climate change.