I am visiting Aotearoa New Zealand. Whenever I travel I like to read something authored by people living there. For this trip I’m engrossed in Theology as Threshold, edited by Emily Colgan, Jione Havea, and Nasili Vaka‘uta. A powerful counter to the Western domination of theology, the book advocates the importance of contextual insights and theologies that emerge through (and in) practice. Among other things, the book has informed me about the ‘Treaty of Waitangi’ (in English): Māori, ‘Te Triti o Waitangi’.

In ways that possibly resonate with the current war in the Middle East, the British and the Māori signed two incompatible documents. They were not translations of each other, but two fundamentally different statements of what was agreed. It would appear, in the ongoing USA-Israel-Iran war, that parties walked away from negotiating a ceasefire with two significantly different views about what was signed up to, chiefly about the Strait of Hormuz and Israeli military operations in South Lebanon.

The Mine Bay Māori Rock Carvings

The history of colonial powers flexing their muscle against nations with less military might is both dark and long. As Aotearoa New Zealand demonstrates, living with the consequences of colonialism lasts much longer than the phase of initial settlement.

‘political systems can also be manipulated to ensure that majority democracy continues to support colonization and its values’.

Callaghan, M., Biculturalism and Democratic Decision-Making: Models for Theological Education in Theology as Threshold: Invitations from Aotearoa New Zealand eds. Blyth, C., Callaghan, M., Colgan, E., Dewerse, R., Garner, S., Hall-Smith, B. M., … & Zachariah, G. (2022) Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

While legislation can be important, personal and community change is critical. In post-Apartheid South Africa the law is clear but inter-community tensions and disputes remain. Changing hearts and minds is a more complex and essential process than litigating.

The world is studded with quaint mini-churches that reflect the Anglicanism of Victorian expansion that swept the globe in the 19th century. Places where the religious rationale for colonialism was blessed with spiritual affirmation. Buildings that powered a perceived philanthropy imbued with patronage and the perception that conquest reflected superiority. It is heartbreaking that we still cannot find fairer and more compassionate ways to live creatively with the rich differences that constitute the human race – and our environment. It is a small but significant sign of hope that theologians such as Callaghan articulate and advocate a bicultural approach that is wise, feasible and necessary to work towards shared human flourishing.