Seeking phronesis from Indigenous knowledge for eco-pastoral care during the African Anthropocene

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The article brings practical theology into dialogue with African Indigenous Knowledge (AIK). The conversation stands in service of informing eco-pastoral care during the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene is framed in the African context to arrive at the notion of the African Anthropocene which poses unique challenges to the continent. Eco-pastoral care is envisaged as the active engagement of faith communities in biodiversity conservation. As it is assumed that practical theology and pastoral care are at their core Western notions, the research is performed as part of the contextualization discourse, seeking theoretically to further embed them in the African context. This motivates the discourse with AIK as an ancient source of wisdom that may further motivate African faith communities to act as pastoral stewards of the earth as it may resonate with African culture and ways of being in the world. This research proposes that the task of practical theology resides in initiating and stimulating conversations with African faith communities who are the custodians of AIK that can lead to the construction and practice of eco-pastoral care.