Facing Climate Change Risk: Green Theology Commitment Crisis in Ritual Practices

Henky Fernando (Research Fellow, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta - Universitas Gadjah Mada)
Eko Ariwidodo (Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Universitas Islam Negeri Madura, Pamekasan)
Qodariah Barkah (Fakultas Syariah dan Hukum, Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Fatah, Palembang)
Eny Boedi Orbawati (Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik, Universitas Tidar, Magelang)
M. Nastain (Fakultas Ilmu Komunikasi dan Multimedia, Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta)
Yuniar Galuh Larasati (Fakultas Ilmu Budaya, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta)
Farahdilla Kutsiyah (Fakultas Ekonomi dan Bisnis Islam, Universitas Islam Negeri Madura, Pamekasan)

KARSA: Jurnal Sosial dan Budaya Keislaman (Journal of Social and Islamic Culture)
Vol. 33 No. 2 (2025)

The crisis of commitment to green theology has been sublimated into collective consciousness, making the potential ecological damage caused by ritual practices often seem normal or acceptable. However, this issue tends to be overlooked in academic discussions. This study adopts a qualitative descriptive approach using a case study method. Data collection and analysis were conducted intensively by examining online news articles published between May 29 and June 11, 2025, using the keywords “climate change, ritual, and ecological knowledge” via the Google search engine. The findings indicate that ritual practices conducted in natural settings frequently disregard their long-term ecological implications. This situation is further exacerbated by the use of non-environmentally friendly ritual materials, such as plastic and synthetic substances, which leave residues that are not easily biodegradable. The lack of waste management and the absence of ecological rehabilitation efforts following the rituals reflect a weak commitment to green theology in the implementation of tradition-based rituals. The significance of this study lies in its emphasis on the need to reorient traditional ritual practices so that they are theologically and ecologically integrated, thereby supporting environmental preservation without compromising religious intentions and cultural values.