Theology for sustainable development in Zimbabwe: Unpacking Deuteronomy 20:19–20 in light of SDG 15

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Theology for sustainable development in Zimbabwe: Unpacking Deuteronomy 20:19–20 in light of SDG 15
 
Creator Mudewairi, Milcah
 
Subject Religious Studies, Theology, Environmental Conservation reading for recovery; United Nations Agenda 2030; sustainable development goals; SDG 15; biblical exegesis.
Description This article aims at a ‘green’ reading of Deuteronomy 20:19–20 with special reference to combat deforestation in Zimbabwe. The article relates to Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG 15) of the United Nations Agenda 2030, namely Goal 15 – Life and Land. The article demonstrates that the depletion of the natural environment in Zimbabwe is happening in a way unknown before. It argues that the government of Zimbabwe’s legislative framework for mitigating deforestation is proving to be unsuccessful. This is a pointer that environmental conservation problems in Zimbabwe are also spiritual, hence the need to incorporate additional conservation strategies like biblical hermeneutics. The value addition of this article is the application of the Deuteronomic laws. From the perspective of the exegesis of Deuteronomy 20:19–20 and the surrounding texts, the article focuses on the deforestation in Zimbabwe and aims at the recovering of spiritual strategies of valuing human life without compromising the right of the natural environment. Applying the reading for recovery design, the study gathered data through extensive literature review and biblical exegesis.Contribution: The exegesis of Deuteronomy 20:19–20 is applied to desist from the disproportionate cutting down of trees even during the difficult times such as war, economic hardship and health pandemics. The article contributes to the SDG 15, namely Life and Land. The research envisions that Zimbabwean communities, with the support of the aforementioned exegesis will introduce a programme of deforestation. Trees ought to be considered as of equal value to human beings. The Bible continues to be not bound by space and time and can still be applicable to the contemporary needs of the believers.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor Professor Andries Van Aarde
Date 2023-12-18
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Historical Inquiry
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hts.v79i4.8938
 
Source HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 79, No 4 (2023); 7 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/8938/26075 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/8938/26076 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/8938/26077 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/8938/26078
 
Coverage Zimbabwean Forests Post Colonial Studies in Zimbabwe Ethnicity
Rights Copyright (c) 2023 Milcah Mudewairi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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