Reading Laudato’Si from an African Context

The course introduces students to the historical, political and economic dimensions of the ecological crisis in Africa. It will also introduce students to hopeful signs and innovative models of sustainable land use, food production and economic entrepreneurship underway in some poor communities in Africa. The course is designed around Pope Francis’ two central convictions in Laudato Si namely: (1) the close connection between the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor, and (2) the spiritual “wound” that lies at the heart of the ecological crisis – our inability to live as creatures made from the dust of the earth. The overall objective of the course is to help students to see the connections between the spiritual wound, the ecological crisis and poverty in Africa. It will also help students appreciate how Christian faith and theology can contribute to the healing of the wound, and in so doing inspire fresh experiments of an integrated approach, which fights poverty, protects nature and restores human dignity.