Article Sidebar

Submitted
18 December 2024
Accepted
17 June 2025
Published
30 June 2025
Download
Pdf
Statistic
Read Counter : 21 Download : 4

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Main Article Content

Abstract

The global ecological crisis is not merely an environmental issue but reflects a theological rupture in the relationship between humanity, creation, and the power structures that sustain them. This study offers a theological critique of colonial ecologies by exploring the spiritual-ecological practices of the Dayak communities in Kalimantan, particularly the conservation of simpukng and the agrarian ritual of nyelapat taun. It employs a qualitative approach grounded in conceptual-reflective literature analysis, utilizing a postcolonial deconstructive methodology within ecotheology to interpret indigenous practices as theological-hermeneutical fields. The study reinterprets these traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) practices in light of the Christian doctrine of Imago Dei, which has often been framed within anthropocentric paradigms. The findings reveal that Dayak spirituality not only supports biodiversity conservation and ecosystem regeneration but also embodies a relational paradigm between humans and nature, rooted in the community’s spiritual laws. Through this approach, the article argues that caring for creation is not merely an ecological obligation but a theological vocation that requires dismantling exploitative power structures. The integration of local wisdom and Christian theology thus opens a decolonial path toward an ecological future that is holistic, just, and spiritually grounded.

Keywords

dekolonisasi teologis Imago Dei krisis ekologi global spiritualitas Dayak Simpukng dan Nyelapat Taun Dayak spirituality global ecological crisis Imago Dei Simpukng and Nyelapat Taun theological decolonization

Article Details

License

Copyright (c) 2025 John Stevie Manongga

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish in Phronesis: Jurnal Teologi dan Misi agree to the following terms:
1. The author holds the copyright and grants to the journal the right of first publication of the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2. Authors may make additional separate contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the published journal version of the work (for example, posting it to an institutional repository or publishing it in a book) with acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (for example, in institutional repositories or on their websites) before and during the submission process, as this can result in a productive exchange, as well as earlier and larger citations of the published work (See Effects of Access Open).

Author Biography

John Stevie Manongga, STT Bethel Indonesia Jakarta

Mahasiswa S3 Teologi, STT Bethel Indonesia Jakarta

References

  1. Anderson, M. Kat. 2005. Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California’s Natural Resources. Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California’s Natural Resources. 1st ed. University of California Press. https://doi.org/10.3120/0024-9637(2006)53[299:TTWNAK]2.0.CO;2
  2. Arwida, Shintia. 2024. “Will the Exodus of Young People Bring an End to Swidden Farming as a Major Forest Use in SE Asia?” Sustainability 16, no. 13: 5302. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135302.
  3. Berkes, Fikret. 2004. “Rethinking Community‐Based Conservation.” Conservation Biology 18, no. 3 (June): 621–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.00077.x.
  4. Berkes, Fikret, Johan Colding, and Carl Folke. 2000. “Rediscovery of Traditional Ecological Knowledge as Adaptive Management.” Ecological Applications 10, no. 5: 1251–62. https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(2000)010[1251:roteka]2.0.co;2.
  5. Bratton, Susan. 2018. “Eco-Dimensionality as a Religious Foundation for Sustainability.” Sustainability 10, no. 4 (March): 1021. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10041021.
  6. Brosius, J. Peter, Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing, and Charles Zerner. 1998. “Representing Communities: Histories and Politics of Community‐based Natural Resource Management.” Society & Natural Resources 11, no. 2 (March): 157–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941929809381069.
  7. Caputo, John D. 2006. The Weakness of God: A Theology of the Event (Philosophy of Religion). ‎ Indiana University Press.
  8. Chapin, Mac, Zachary Lamb, and Bill Threlkeld. 2005. “MAPPING INDIGENOUS LANDS.” Annual Review of Anthropology 34, no. 1 (October): 619–38. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.anthro.34.081804.120429.
  9. Conradie, Ernst M. 2012. “THE CHURCH AND THE ENVIRONMENT: SEVEN STATIONS TOWARDS THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE WHOLE EARTH.” Scriptura 107, no. 0 (August): 156. https://doi.org/10.7833/107-0-133.
  10. Cramb, Rob, C J P Colfer, Wolfram Dressler, Pinkaew Laungaramsri, Quang T Le, Elok Mulyoutami, Nancy L Peluso, and Reed L Wadley. 2009. “Swidden Transformations and Rural Livelihoods in Southeast Asia.” Human Ecology 37, no. 3: 323–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-009-9241-6.
  11. Dorobantu, Marius, and Robert Kremer. 2023. “Interpréter l’humain – l’ Imago Dei à l’heure Du Numérique.” Recherches de Science Religieuse Tome 111, no. 4 (September): 661–78. https://doi.org/10.3917/rsr.234.0661.
  12. Duncan, Christopher R. 2007. “Mixed Outcomes: The Impact of Regional Autonomy and Decentralization on Indigenous Ethnic Minorities in Indonesia.” Development and Change 38, no. 4: 711–33. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7660.2007.00430.x.
  13. Elfström, Manfred, and Sarosh Kuruvilla. 2014. “The Changing Nature of Labor Unrest in China.” Ilr Review 67, no. 2: 453–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/001979391406700207.
  14. Fathurrahman, Muhammad, Ahmad Yani, and Hafiz Ardian. 2023. “ETNOZOOLOGI MASYARAKAT DAYAK KUBIN DESA MANGGALA KECAMATAN PINOH SELATAN KABUPATEN MELAWI UNTUK RITUAL ADAT DAN MISTIS.” JURNAL HUTAN LESTARI 11, no. 2 (April): 407. https://doi.org/10.26418/jhl.v11i2.57597.
  15. Fox, Jefferson, Yayoi Fujita, Dimbab Ngidang, Nancy L Peluso, Lesley Potter, Niken Sakuntaladewi, Janet C Sturgeon, and David Thomas. 2009. “Policies, Political-Economy, and Swidden in Southeast Asia.” Human Ecology 37, no. 3: 305–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-009-9240-7.
  16. Gaynor, Andrea. 2013. “The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia.” Journal of Australian Studies 37, no. 2 (April): 264–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/14443058.2013.784186.
  17. GFW, Global Forest Watch. 2023. “Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia Deforestation Rates & Statistics.”2023. https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/country/IDN/15/?category=forest-change.
  18. Habel, Norman C. 2001. The Earth Story in the Psalms and the Prophets. Paper Knowledge. Toward a Media History of Documents. Vol. 7.
  19. Hansen, M. C., P. V. Potapov, R. Moore, M. Hancher, S. A. Turubanova, A. Tyukavina, D. Thau, et al. 2013. “High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change.” Science 342, no. 6160 (November): 850–53. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1244693.
  20. Hoffmann, Benjamin D, Steve Roeger, Phil Wise, Jane Dermer, Balupalu Yunupingu, Daryl Lacey, Djawa Yunupingu, Banula Marika, Mandaka Marika, and Bill Panton. 2012. “Achieving Highly Successful Multiple Agency Collaborations in a Cross‐cultural Environment: Experiences and Lessons From Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation and Partners.” Ecological Management & Restoration 13, no. 1: 42–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2011.00630.x.
  21. Imang, Ndan, Rujehan Rujehan, and Nella N Duakaju. 2018. “Assessment of Daleh Swidden Agriculture as an Innovative Alternative to Conventional Swidden Under Conditions of External Pressure on Local Forest Management in Kalimantan, Indonesia.” Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity 19, no. 3: 840–48. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d190312.
  22. Kothari, Ashish, Ariel Salleh, Arturo Escobar, and Federico Demaria. 2019. Pluriverse: A Post-Development Dictionary. Edited by Ashish Kothari, Ariel Salleh, Arturo Escobar, and Federico Demaria.
  23. Mulyoutami, Elok, Ratna Rismawan, and Laxman Joshi. 2009. “Local Knowledge and Management of Simpukng (Forest Gardens) Among the Dayak People in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.” Forest Ecology and Management 257, no. 10: 2054–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.01.042.
  24. Narong, Yosef F. 2023. “Alam Semesta Sebagai Tubuh Allah (Telaah Atas Pemikiran Eko-Teolog Sallie McFague).” Jurnal Online Dekonstruksi 9, no. 04: 45–57. https://doi.org/10.54154/dekonstruksi.v9i04.190.
  25. Negruț, Paul, and Ioan G. Pop. 2022. “The Synergistic-Generative Knowledge of God in the I-Thou Encounter.” Revista Romaneasca Pentru Educatie Multidimensionala 14, no. 3 (September): 444–56. https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/14.3/618.
  26. Ormsby, Alison A, and Shonil A Bhagwat. 2010. “Sacred Forests of India: A Strong Tradition of Community-Based Natural Resource Management.” Environmental Conservation 37, no. 3 (September): 320–26. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892910000561.
  27. Prober, Suzanne M, Michael H O’Connor, and Fiona Walsh. 2011. “Australian Aboriginal Peoples’ Seasonal Knowledge: A Potential Basis for Shared Understanding in Environmental Management.” Ecology and Society 16, no. 2. https://doi.org/10.5751/es-04023-160212.
  28. Pui-lan, Kwok. 2005. Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology . Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
  29. Rasmussen, Jennifer B. 2023. “Advancing Environmental Justice Through the Integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge Into Environmental Policy.” Challenges 14, no. 1: 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe14010006.
  30. Septiana, Dwiani, Abdullah; Wakit, and Widodo;Sahid T. 2022. “Semantic Relation in the Traditional Rituals of Dayak Maanyan Community in East Barito.” Tradition and Modernity of Humanity 2, no. 3: 1–15. https://doi.org/10.32734/tmh.v2i3.10145.
  31. Siahaya, Martha E, Thomas R Hutauruk, Hendrik S E S Aponno, Jan W Hatulesila, and Afif B Mardhanie. 2016. “Traditional Ecological Knowledge on Shifting Cultivation and Forest Management in East Borneo, Indonesia.” International Journal of Biodiversity Science Ecosystems Services & Management 12, no. 1–2: 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/21513732.2016.1169559.
  32. Siwy, Hendrico X. 2024. “Memelihara Surga Bumi: Analisis Persepsi Gereja Terhadap Ekoteologi Melalui Sudut Pandang Kejadian 2:15.” VLM 6, no. 1: 148–63. https://doi.org/10.59177/veritas.v6i1.271.
  33. Su, Kaiwen, Jie Ren, Yueting Qin, Yilei Hou, and Yali Wen. 2020. “Efforts of Indigenous Knowledge in Forest and Wildlife Conservation: A Case Study on Bulang People in Mangba Village in Yunnan Province, China.” Forests 11, no. 11: 1178. https://doi.org/10.3390/f11111178.
  34. Sugirtharajah, R S. 2005. The Bible and Empire: Postcolonial Explorations. The Bible and Empire: Postcolonial Explorations. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511614552.
  35. Sumarni, Sumarni, Muhammad E Wijaya, and Astrid M Sugiana. 2023. “Safeguarding Indigenous Rights and Territories: Integrating Dayak Ngaju Wisdom in Peatland Ecosystem Management.” Udayana Journal of Law and Culture 7, no. 2: 121. https://doi.org/10.24843/ujlc.2023.v07.i02.p01.
  36. WALHI, Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (. 2021. “Darurat Ekologis.” January 28, 2021. https://www.walhi.or.id/darurat-ekologis.
  37. Whitney, Elspeth. 2015. “Lynn White Jr.’s ‘The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis’ After 50 Years.” History Compass 13, no. 8: 396–410. https://doi.org/10.1111/hic3.12254.
  38. Zdunić, Nikola. 2017. “Political Elites and Urban Social Movements in Croatia: Political Opportunities of the Citizens’ Initiative Srđ Is Ours.” Österreichische Zeitschrift Für Politikwissenschaft 45, no. 4. https://doi.org/10.15203/ozp.1108.vol45iss4.