“Ontological Bridge-building for Climate Change Mitigation in Maasailand” (OBCCMM) is a multidisciplinary project that builds bridges across clashing climate ontologies in Maasailand in Tanzania. This holistic project integrates Indigenous knowledge and climate science that is negotiated through ecotheological frameworks. The collaboratively developed core values and learning outcomes are worked into curricula components for four target research groups. This project leverages existing educational and social systems of the church with trusted local leaders for educating and equipping with the best practices of climate change mitigation in Maasailand. Note that the church structures engaged throughout this research project are within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.
Research Problem: This project grows out of recent research that demonstrates a “cognitive dissonance” [clash] between the climate ontologies or "ways of knowing" within the scientific messaging and the traditional Maasai worldview (de Wit, 2020). Thus, the Tanzanian governmental efforts in climate change prevention education are not effective among Maasai, a very traditional people group numbering around two million people in mostly northern Tanzania and southern Kenya, East Africa (de Wit, 2018). However, as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, there is an established basic model of the church providing a strategic role in bridging the cognitive dissonance chasm between the science and a skeptical people group, resulting in effective outcomes among the Maasai (Watt et al., 2009). In addition, the World Council of Churches “calls upon African religious leaders to challenge triumphalist theologies, mobilize for local action, and convene multi-religious meetings on climate change” (Chitando, 2017).
Research question: This research addresses the primary research question, "How can biblical-ecotheology engage climate ontologies (including traditional Maasai and climate science) and Indigenous/traditional knowledges for developing culturally sensitive, best practices of climate change adaptation and mitigation?"
Hypothesis: Through adapting an effective model developed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) in Maasailand as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic (Watt et al., 2009), this model can provide a strategic role in bridging the chasm of cognitive dissonance between the science and a skeptical people group—through leveraging the church’s similar ontological worldview, more trusted local leaders, and its educational structures—resulting in improvements for caring for the environment in Maasailand.
Research strategies and location: This project expands the current research; builds upon the previous church-based pedagogy models; integrates Indigenous knowledge and traditional environmental knowledge (TEK); collaboratively curates core values and learning outcomes; champions women as the core of the societal structures; and develops innovative pedagogical dissemination with robust analysis of results in order to measure and determine best practices of climate change mitigation and adaptation in Maasailand. During the two year mobility phase (Aug. 2023 to July 2025), the researcher was located at Tumaini University Makumira, the local collaborative partner and the primary university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.
Research groups: This project includes collaboratively developing core values and learning outcomes with Maasai stakeholders for creating curricular components (3 lessons) for four research groups: 1) Lay pastors in Theological Education by Extension (TEE) training; 2) Women in community based Bible study groups; 3) Form 2 students in faith-based secondary schools; 4) ELCT confirmation students, as this vehicle of learning was significant in the dissemination of science-based information in the earlier years of the HIV/AIDS pandemic to nurture the health of people, it can also be a vehicle for nurturing the health of the environment.
This research demonstrates that as the local Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania made a difference in the health of the people regarding HIV/AIDS, the local church can make a difference in the health of the environment.
