Climate Change and Farmers/Herders Clashes in Nigeria: Significance of Christian Environmentalism and Pope Francis’ Laudato Si.

Abstract

This chapter puts forward Christianity as a strong force to reckon with in providing theological and ethical foundations, the impulse and motivation needed to engender change in our attitude towards the environment. Even though there are some voices today who doubt the ability of religion to offer any meaningful impact towards an integral ecology and full development of humanity, the author believes that religion, especially Christianity, can offer a very significant and meaningful contribution to the situation. This is also the stance of Pope Francis and other Christian environmentalists whose thoughts and approaches are to be examined in the chapter. In his encyclical on the care of the environment, Laudato si, Pope Francis, just like many other Christian theologians, harps on the goodness of nature, gives it a theological backing starting with the Book of Genesis when God created the universe out of nothing and declared it verys28 good. The pope observes that the damage we do today on nature is a manifestation that the relationship between human beings and other creatures has become confrontational and unfriendly.