<i>Mupasi</i> as cosmic s(S)pirit: The universe as a community of life

Abstract

&lt;em&gt;Mupasi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt; recalls the belief that humans form part of the community of life within the realm of the cosmic spirit. The assertion seems like a truism that requires no further enunciation. However, belief in the Creator-Spirit, a pneuma-theological understanding of creation, is relatively young in the Christian tradition. In Colossians 1:15-20, Christ is presented as instrumental to creation. Christian tradition therefore tends to present creation in Christological terms. The foundational belief in Spirit-Creator-God has not historically undergirded Christian belief about creation. The Christian faith could therefore benefit from ‘companion’ views of creation in terms of the cosmic spirit. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mupasi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt; is understood as cosmic spirit, the axis of the universe apprehended as an organic whole. The web of life was brought into being, is sustained by, and inhabited by &lt;/span&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mupasi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt;. This retrieval has continuities and discontinuities with Christian belief as Spirit-Creator-God. It is presented here as a notion that calls the Christian faith back to its originating intuitions about creation. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mupasi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt; is appropriated within a pneuma-theological framework that addressed a pressing issue of our time, the global ecological crisis. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mupasi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt; presents an ecological critique that is meaningful for a renewed appreciation of community beyond an anthropocentric focus. The cosmic relatedness brings a renewed vision of the universe as a cosmic community of the s(S)pirit. The cultural and intellectual milieu of &lt;/span&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mupasi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span&gt; is undergirded by a relational conception of reality. It provides a critical lens with implications for ecclesiology that challenges the church’s self-understanding and ways of being.&lt;/span&gt;