Ecotheology-Based Leadership in Disaster Mitigation: An Ethnopedagogical Study of the Muhammadiyah Community in Mount Kelud, Kediri

Abstract

This study stems from concerns about the worsening environmental crisis, while disaster mitigation approaches have tended to be technocratic and ignore spiritual dimensions and local wisdom. Previous studies have discussed eco-theological discourse at the organisational level but rarely address leadership practices in grassroots communities. The researchers sought to answer how ecotheology-based leadership models are practiced by the Muhammadiyah community in Mount Kelud, Kediri, in disaster mitigation. This qualitative case study was conducted in the villages of Sugihwaras and Pandansari. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis, and then analysed using an interactive model. Key findings reveal three forms of leadership: spiritual, structural, and cultural, which reinforce each other. The historical factor of the 1919 eruption, the Muhammadiyah institution, local wisdom, and social cohesion form the foundation. The transformative implications are evident in the shift from emergency response to sustainable preparedness. The study recommends integrating local and religious values into national disaster management policies.

Penelitian ini berangkat dari keprihatinan terhadap krisis lingkungan yang semakin parah, sementara pendekatan mitigasi bencana selama ini cenderung teknokratis dan mengabaikan dimensi spiritual serta kearifan lokal. Studi-studi terdahulu banyak membahas wacana ekoteologi di tingkat organisasi, tetapi jarang menyentuh praktik kepemimpinan di komunitas akar rumput. Peneliti ingin menjawab bagaimana model kepemimpinan berbasis ekoteologi dipraktikkan komunitas Muhammadiyah di Gunung Kelud Kediri dalam mitigasi bencana. Penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan studi kasus ini dilakukan di Desa Sugihwaras dan Pandansari. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara mendalam, observasi partisipan, dan studi dokumentasi, lalu dianalisis dengan model interaktif. Temuan penting menunjukkan tiga bentuk kepemimpinan: spiritual, struktural, dan kultural yang saling memperkuat. Faktor historis letusan 1919, kelembagaan Muhammadiyah, kearifan lokal, dan kohesi sosial menjadi fondasinya. Implikasi transformatifnya terlihat pada pergeseran dari respons darurat menjadi kesiapsiagaan berkelanjutan. Penelitian merekomendasikan integrasi nilai lokal dan keagamaan dalam kebijakan kebencanaan nasional.