<![CDATA[The global ecological crisis calls for theological reflections that move beyond normative approaches and engage with the lived religious experiences of local communities. This study addresses the limited attention given to indigenous rituals as sources of theological reflection in the development of contextual ecotheology. The research seeks to answer the following questions: How is the Toet Ulan ritual structured and understood within the community of T’eba Timur Village? How does it relate to the theology of creation? What ecotheological dimensions are embedded within the ritual practice? This study employed a qualitative approach using an ethnographic-theological method. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation involving twelve informants consisting of 3 traditional figures, ritual practitioners, religious figures, community figures and ritual participants. The data were analyzed through data reduction, thematic categorization, and theological interpretation in dialogue with the creation narratives of Genesis 1–2 and contemporary ecotheological perspectives. The findings reveal that the Toet Ulan ritual represents an ecotheological expression of the Timorese Dawan agrarian community, articulating an integral relationship among human beings, nature, ancestors, the community, and God as the source of life. Rain is understood as a divine gift, land as a life-sustaining reality that must be nurtured, ancestors as collective ecological memory, and communal solidarity as an ecological praxis. This study proposes the Relational Ecotheology Model of Toet Ulan, which is grounded in four interconnected relationships: human beings with God, nature, ancestors, and the community. This model enriches the study of theology of creation and contextual ecotheology by showing that customary rites can function as a locus theologicus in building the ecological spirituality of society]]>
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