Abstract
This paper examines how Indigenous spiritualities can contribute to reimagining Christian ecotheology through the interpretive framework of postcolonial ecofeminism. The fundamental distinction between Indigenous religions and the world religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam lies not in the traditional debate between polytheism and monotheism but in their contrasting conceptions of human nature and the divine (God/Goddess). While Christianity has historically placed humanity at the center of creation, Indigenous traditions understand humans as co-creators within a network of living and non-living beings that sustain cosmic harmony. In these ontologies, humans, animals, plants, rocks, and ancestral spirits collectively shape the unity of the cosmos, and the Earth—Pachamama—is perceived as a living, sentient being deserving reverence and care. The paper situates these perspectives within the post-development discourse of the Global South, which, enriched with pantheistic and spiritual ecological insights, provides ethical and sociopolitical alternatives to the ecological and spiritual crises of the Global North. Drawing on examples such as Pachamamism, a contemporary form of “spiritual ecology” among the Quechua and Aymara peoples, the discussion highlights the relevance of Indigenous epistemologies for theological and ecological renewal. From a postcolonial ecofeminist standpoint, the paper argues that integrating Indigenous cosmologies—rooted in emotion, embodiment, and relational ethics—into Christian ecotheology opens new possibilities for environmental peacebuilding. Such integration redefines ecology as a spiritual and emotional praxis grounded in justice, empathy, and cosmic relationality, where Indigenous wisdom, ecofeminist theology, and Christian thought converge in care for the Earth.
Presenters
Nadja Furlan StantePrincipal Research Councillor, Institute for Philosophical and Religious Studies, ZRS Koper, Slovenia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Indigenous Spiritualities in Global Perspective
KEYWORDS
INDIGENOUS SPIRITUALITIES, ECOTHEOLOGY, ECOFEMINISM, POSTCOLONIAL THEOLOGY, PANCHAMAMISM
