Descola’s Model Of Religion and Nature Examined

A re-evaluation of Philippe Descola’s ontological framework reveals that his concepts of incarnation and figuration, rather than the proposed fourfold scheme, better explain religious practices and human-environment relationships. This insight emerges from a detailed ethnographic study of the Mwali cult in Matobo Hills, Zimbabweconducted through prolonged participant observation and interviews. The research challenges Descola’s model by demonstrating that incarnation and figuration more effectively capture the nuanced ways in which religious forms shape human engagement with nature.

Mtata, K. (2018). Descola’s Model Of Religion and Nature Examined. Modern Africa: Politics, History and Society, 5(2), 77–104. https://doi.org/10.26806/modafr.v5i2.197