Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

This study examines the interconnectedness of community, sacred ecology, and relational existence through the conceptual framework of “Lines of Becoming.” It responds to the ecological and social crises intensified by modern anthropocentrism, which has reduced nature to an object of exploitation and weakened relational worldviews. Using the hermeneutic method, the study interprets sacred ecological traditions, particularly sacred groves, as lived expressions of relational ontology and communal identity. Drawing on African philosophy and environmental ethics, especially the works of Mbiti, Asouzu, and Berkes, the paper argues that sacred ecology embodies a metaphysics of relation in which human and non-human existence are mutually constitutive. The findings suggest that sacred ecological systems function not only as environmental conservation mechanisms but also as moral and spiritual institutions that sustain biodiversity and communal cohesion. The study concludes that ecological sustainability requires more than technological solutions; it demands a recovery of relational worldviews grounded in reciprocity, complementarity, and indigenous ecological knowledge.

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