Decolonised Hermeneutics of Lived Religion: Conceptualising Preaching in the Context of Ecological Sustainability

Abstract

This study deals with the interface between decolonised hermeneutics of lived religion and ecological sustainability. It demonstrates that preaching becomes a transformative medium for ecological consciousness and justice when conceptualised through a decolonised framework. Beyond technological interventions, transformative shifts in values, behaviours, and policies have been recognised as essential for addressing ecological crises. In this regard, religion has emerged as a crucial force capable of inspiring and sustaining these deeper transformations toward ecological sustainability. However, despite the expanding scholarship at the intersection of religion, ecology, development, and sustainability, there remains a lack of clarity regarding how religion concretely contributes to ecological sustainability and which theoretical frameworks or contextual epistemologies best explain its role in this process. Drawing on Grab’s decolonised hermeneutics of lived religion, the study situates preaching as a contextual narrative capable of shaping environmental values and activism. The paper demonstrates that preaching, when decolonised, functions as a theological act of resistance against exploitative theologies and the commodification of nature, repositioning preaching at the centre of reimagining a participatory, justice-oriented, and earth-conscious future.