Islamic Ecotheology and the Anthropocene Challenge: Ethical Limits and Theological Possibilities

This article critically examines the current state of Islamic ecotheology and argues that, while it has made valuable contributions to environmental thought, it remains largely confined within an ethical paradigm centered on moral responsibility. As a result, Islamic ecotheology has yet to develop a theologically grounded understanding capable of addressing the challenges of the Anthropocene. The article identifies three interrelated tendencies that shape the field today: (1) an anthropocentric orientation, in which the human being is framed through moral function rather than theological depth; (2) a responsibility-based functional anthropology that limits reflection on the human’s ontological status within creation; and (3) an apologetic tone that tends to defend rather than critically expand the discourse, often remaining detached from the broader intellectual context of the Anthropocene. These tendencies, taken together, reveal the absence of a coherent theological anthropology capable of engaging the challenges of the Anthropocene. The article therefore calls for a shift of focus along two main dimensions. First, a shift in content: the construction of a theological anthropology that moves beyond functional categories of responsibility, and second, a shift in rhetoric: the adoption of a comparative method as an integral part of Islamic ecotheology.