Excerpt: Religious Environmental Stewardship, the Sabbath and Sustainable Futures in Africa…

We came across a new essay by Ghanian scholar, Ben-Willie Kwaku Golo on the environmentalism and the sabbath in Africa in Consensus: A Canadian Journal of Public Theology.  Based on the work of fellow scholar Samuel Awuah-Nyamekye, Golo offers a thought-provoking review a number of indigenous local equivalents to the sabbath:

"Diverse practices that are similar to the Sabbath can be found across many Indigenous African religions. For instance, among some indigenous Fante fishing communities on Ghana’s coastline there are sacred days, usually Tuesday, set aside as rest day for fishermen. No fishing is allowed on those days. This gives the sea the time to replenish its fish stock. Similarly, in many inland communities there are days set aside when some lands are not worked, providing rest days for earth and wildlife. For instance, among the people of Dormaa Traditional Area in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana it is prohibited to work the land or go into the bush/forest for any occupational activity on Tuesday. Similarly, among the people of Matse Traditional Area in the Volta Region of Ghana there are many lands on which farming or hunting is prohibited after every five days (following the provincial market day). Awuah-Nyamekye also reports sacred days of Thursday and Friday for the Akan and Fante of Ghana, respectively. He indicates that apart from their religious significance, these days “can serve as giving resting day not only to human beings, but also the animals, forests, lakes, rivers and all that has something to do with the land.” Thus, one could say the Sabbath motif is already central to the major religions of Africa."

Golo's informative and relevant essay, “Religious Environmental Stewardship, the Sabbath and Sustainable Futures in Africa: Implications for Sustainability Discourse,” can be found here.