ABSTRACT

Genesis 2 has been alienated from the African context being traditionally framed as a tool of colonial proselytization. However, a decolonial reading reveals that its primary themes such as the 'earth-bound' origin of humanity and the infusion of divine breath, parallel African indigenous ontologies, suggesting that the text functions more as an indigenous-aligned narrative than a foreign import. Western "hermeneutical colonization" has spiritualized Genesis 2, stripping it of its material "earthiness" and alienating it from the African lived experience of land as a sacred, ancestral entity. Reflecting the phenomenological and decolonial orientation of Professor Umar Habila Danfulani, this study aimed at reclaiming Genesis 2 as an "indigenous text." It employed a comparative decolonial hermeneutic to dialogue the Hebrew narrative with West African creation myths (specifically Berom), focusing on the themes of dust, breath, and cultivation. The study found that liberating Genesis 2 from Eurocentric dualism reveals a holistic anthropology that affirms African "eco-spirituality." Findings indicate that the Yahwistic "stewardship" model aligns with African views of humans as sacred tenants of the earth. This re reading provides a robust framework for decolonizing African theology and fostering "spiritual re-enchantment" in response to contemporary ecological crises.