Theologies from the Pacific / Postcolonialism and Religions (PDF)

"This is an important collection and collaboration between Pacific theologians, scholars, artists, and advocates who truly understand how to weave together past and present spiritual, political, and cultural concepts and forces shaping the Blue Pacific. They also know what's missing, and have signalled the need for younger voices, women, and people of all genders to join the talanoa and the movement for a sea of theologies in a liberated Oceania."
-Katerina Teaiwa, Professor in Pacific Studies, Australian National University, Australia

"As a scholar of contextual biblical hermeneutics and theology, I have waited for some time for such a volume from Pasifika. Gathering the voices of Pasifika theologians and activists, Jione Havea has put together an anthology which is more than a worthy sequel to the 'Prophets from the South' project of the Council for World Mission."

-Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan, President and Professor of Hebrew Bible, Claremont School of Theology, USA

This book offers engagements with topics in mainline theology that concern the lifelines in and of the Pacific (Pasifika). The essays are grouped into three clusters. The first, Roots, explores the many roots from which theologies in and of Pasifika grow - sea and (is)land, Christian teachings and scriptures, native traditions and island ways. The second, Reads, presents theologies informed and inspired by readings of written and oral texts, missionary traps and propaganda, and teachings and practices of local churches. The final cluster, Routes, places Pasifika theologies upon the waters so that they may navigate and voyage.

The 'amanaki (hope) of this work is in keeping talanoa (dialogue) going, in pushing back tendencies to wedge the theologies in and of Pasifika, and in putting native wisdom upon the waters. As these Christian and native theologies voyage, they chart Pasifika's sea of theologies.

Jione Havea is a native pastor of the Methodist Church, Tonga, and holds research fellowships with Trinity Theological College, Aotearoa New Zealand and Charles Sturt University, Australia. He is the author of Losing Ground: Reading Ruth in the Pacific (2021) and editor of Doing Theology in the New Normal (2021).