ABSTRACT
The African continent has suffered from some grave environmental harms, notably desertification, deforestation, land degradation, air and water pollution. Struggles to manage these challenges, however, have been handicapped by a real failure to understand their nature and possible remedies. One way is to incorporate religion in dealing with the environmental crisis. This chapter aims at showing the role played by indigenous African churches in protecting the vulnerable environment. The indigenous African church’s belief systems and practices are more earth-friendly and consistent with biodiversity; therefore they represent the best chance for successful ecological practices that enhance ecosystem conservation. Focusing on Zimbabwe, the chapter shows that indigenous Africa churches serve as ‘religious green armies’ which keep the earth through conservation of the forests, wildlife conservation, and the protection of water resources. African indigenous churches are stimulated by African traditional religion and cultural beliefs systems, a similar source of religion which inspired their adherents to fight against imperialism in the pre-Independence Chimurenga.
