Tawhid-Based Ecotheology and Environmental Conservation: The Role of Eco-Pesantren in Lampung, Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to examine how tawhid-based ecotheological values are constructed, internalized, and translated into environmental conservation practices at Pesantren Ushuluddin and Pesantren Mathlaul Anwar in Lampung, Indonesia. The study adopts a qualitative approach using a multiple-case study design. Data were obtained through field observations, in-depth interviews with kiai and pesantren administrators, and analysis of relevant documents. A descriptive-interpretive analysis was employed to examine how theological principles shape environmental awareness and practices within the pesantren. The findings demonstrate that tawhid is understood beyond the theological affirmation of God’s oneness as an ecological worldview that establishes a relationship between God, human beings, and nature. This understanding is reflected in the principles of khalīfah, amānah, mīzān, maṣlaḥah, and the avoidance of isrāf and fasād. These theological values are cultivated through kiai leadership, religious learning, exemplary conduct, communal activities, and the pesantren’s hidden curriculum. Their internalization is reflected in various environmental initiatives, including waste management, tree planting, organic farming, green-space development, environmental cadre formation, student empowerment, and institutional collaboration. Based on these findings, the study recommends integrating tawhid-based ecotheology more systematically into pesantren education, institutional governance, environmental programs, and community empowerment. The study further develops a Transformative Tawhid-Based Eco-Pesantren Model comprising four interconnected stages: theological construction, value internalization, ecological actualization, and social transformation. The model offers a conceptual framework for strengthening environmentally oriented Islamic education by connecting theological commitment with concrete ecological responsibility.