Overview

Maori theology is done within a framework of Atua (Divine), Whenua (Land) and Tangata (People). The glue that holds this framework together is whakapapa (genealogy) which in Maori thought is the pinnacle of knowledge and ways of knowing. Wayne Te Kaawa explores and analyses this framework and applies it to key passages of the bible concerning the genealogy of Jesus and his relationship to the environment, in particular to the land and to the people. The theme of ‘people of the land’ within the biblical text is explored from an ‘indigenous people of the land’ perspective. This reveals two things, the indigeneity of Jesus and how Christianity has treated/mistreated indigenous people throughout the world. Overall, Te Kaawa provides a resource that can add to theological discourse in the academy and beyond by showcasing insights from Maori theological reflection in conversation with western theological reflection.

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9780567718105

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Reviews

In Jesus in Indigenous Maori Understanding, Rev Dr Wayne Te Kaawa offers a groundbreaking and richly contextualised Christology shaped by matauranga Maori (Maori knowledge systems). Through the lenses of land (whenua), genealogy (whakapapa), and identity, Te Kaawa re-visions Jesus in dialogue with the lived realities and sacred traditions of tangata whenua (people of the land). Drawing on Indigenous theological voices and biblical texts, this work invites both Maori and non-Maori readers to reconsider the person and message of Christ through the eyes of a people intimately bound to land and ancestral lineage. It is a bold, necessary contribution to global Christological discourse — localised and Indigenous, yet universally resonant. * Dr. Steve Elers, Associate Professor (Communication), LeTourneau University, Longview, Texas, USA *

Author Information

Wayne te Kaawa lectures in Maori Theology at the University of Otago, New Zealand.

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