Holistic Pasifika Approaches to God, Creation, the Church, and Climate Change

Abstract

This article argues that indigenous philosophies and concepts are valuable partners in addressing climate change with believers in Christ, particularly those communities marked by colonial dualisms separating the spiritual and the material. Drawing on key concepts in indigenous, Pasifika theology, the article describes how preachers can better relate the sacred and the secular in climate justice advocacy. “The relationality of all life” and a “whole of life philosophy” are aspects of Tuvaluan Christianity that decenter humanity as the primary focus of creation. They underscore the interconnected web of created life and its relation to faith in God. After describing these concepts, the article provides an example of how such indigenous concepts might inform a biblical hermeneutic for climate justice preaching.  A translated sermon transcript, originally preached in the Tuvaluan language, is provided in the article’s appendix.