The Cultural Groundwork for a Bahay Kubo Model of Eco-Theology

Abstract

The realization that the biotic world is in peril due to man-made projects and activities with deleterious effects of global proportions has spawned considerable interest in philosophical and theological research in this area. Many of these studies offer theoretical models challenging the mentality, behaviours and attitudes that diminish or ruin Mother’s Earth’s limited resources, while others signal an intention to redefine what it means to sustain ecological vitality. The 2015 encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato Si, has further inspired religious thinkers to enter into dialogue with all peoples concerning the environment. This paper takes its cue from the Pope’s deliberate use of ecological or home-related language and hearkens to his call to be part of the inclusive conversation about our common home. It proposes a cultural approach to doing eco-theology in the Philippine context, using the iconic native house Bahay Kubo as a theoretical model.  The proposed model hinges on the vernacular meaning of Filipino values that the researcher considers cultural elements that can potentially be correlated with eco-Scriptural teachings. The paper is a cultural contribution to the cause of religious environmentalism, using Filipino vernacular architecture as its starting point and potential guide to an inculturated eco-theology.[1]

Key Words: Bahay Kubo, Vernacular Architecture, Eco-Theology, Inculturation

[1] For the research I did  which partly form the textual basis of my current article, I am indebted to the Office of Research of the University of San, Cebu City for the research facilities the office granted me during the second semester of the academic year 2015-16.