In Colonial Contexts and Postcolonial Theologies, Mark G. Brett and Jione Havea feature sixteen essays originally prepared for a conference at Whitley College (2012), organised with the purpose of remapping the ‘geography of knowledge’ in the Asia-Pacific region (p. vii). The Postcolonialism and Religion series was intended to foster innovative spaces for native interpretations of Christianity, privileging indigenous voices neglected in the academy. This second book, though, features authors from different social, geographical and ethnic locations, setting a tone that is more multihued and constructive compared with the first volume. The essays are organised in four sections: theology, Bible, colonial histories and postcolonial practices, although the postcolonial hermeneutical framework of the book blurs any rigid disciplinary boundaries.
The section titled ‘locating theology’ is composed of four essays, each offering a particular look into the theological task in the Asia-Pacific. Postcolonial theorist Bill Ashcroft explores the relation between theology and postcolonial studies. Focusing on transformation as a key emphasis for postcolonial theories, he advances a constructive postcolonial theology that not simply rereads the texts of the Empire, but also interprets religion through the agency of colonised peoples. After analysing Catholicism as a colonial institution in the Philippines and some indigenous responses to it, Gemma Cruz presents the concept of struggle as a heuristic lens for a Filipina postcolonial theology. A native of Samoa currently teaching in the Fiji Islands, Upolu Vaai focuses on the concept of ‘de-heavening’ to challenge imperialist representations of a trinitarian God. As an alternative, he suggests a down-to-earth hermeneutics that privileges Samoan islanders’ categories. Finally, ecofeminist Jean Oh urges postcolonial theories to move beyond anthropocentrism, identifying nature as the new muted subaltern.
The section titled ‘relocating the Bible’ opens with Samoan scholar Makesi Neemia's exploration of priestly interpretations of land in the Hebrew Bible vis-à-vis an analysis based on ancestral land rights in Samoa. Keith Dyer discusses the hybrid nature of the communities of Jesus’ followers in Mark, arguing that they move beyond anti-colonial rhetoric to create a third space. Yusak Setyawan shows how the Bible, initially perceived as a foreign book, was indigenised in Indonesia through the adoption of contextually sensitive methods of interpretation. Tongan biblical scholar Jione Havea reads Genesis narratives with a focus on the Canaanites to shed light on identity politics in the Pacific islands. Considering her ancestors’ migratory patterns, she rethinks nativity and home around the concepts of arrival and belonging rather than in terms of birth or blood.
Ian Clark and Fred Cahir open the section on colonial histories by examining the Aboriginal accommodation strategy of recognising some white men as ngamadjidj (‘resucitated Aboriginal people’, p. 137) to allow for more pacific racial relations. Brian McCoy focuses on the impact of colonialism on Aboriginal men, examining the imposed separation of Aboriginal boys from their parents. He explores how the association of power, superiority and control with white men impacted Aboriginal images of God. Mark Brett examines the historical injustices of Australian colonial law in connection with land and sovereignty, discussing also the use of the ‘doctrine of discovery’ and of Christian supersessionism to legitimise colonial ideology.
The final section, ‘postcolonial practices’, opens with Peter Lewis’ study of processes of amnesia, denial and colonial blindness, which contribute to keep colonialism ingrained in Australian bureaucracy and society. He proposes a theological reading of the ‘structures of invasion’ that denounces their idolatrous nature and challenges their epistemological privilege. Steve Taylor and Tim Matton-Johnson examine the relationship between indigenous eucharistic practices and colonialism. Fiji-born scholar Seforosa Carroll explores the concept of home as embodying different levels of relationship to form a framework for belonging and hospitality. Anne Elvey revisits the issue of land ownership and the violence of terra nullius, focusing on rituals of welcome and acknowledgement. Finally, Mark Yettica-Paulson, an indigenous Australian community organiser, uses ancient memory and intercultural learning as frameworks for studying the relationship between Christian mission and Australian Aboriginal people, urging Christians to engage indigenous traditions in the process of resisting disconnecting trends in the ‘modern era of forgetfulness’ (p. 256).
This book introduces a mosaic of voices, narratives and conversations important for Christians not only in the Asia-Pacific, but also in other places where the connections between different forms of Christianity and different forms of colonialism need to be examined. It is also a helpful resource for scholars, students and religious leaders interested in increased collaboration between religious studies and postcolonial theories. Storyweaving is the emphasis the runs throughout the book. At points, though, the plurality of narratives and disciplines makes the essays feel dispersed. The inclusion of a general introductory essay and of a closing essay would have been helpful for better intertwining of different essays and sections. In his introduction to the series, Joseph Duggan describes its goal of decentring the epistemological status quo. The first book gave clear priority to indigenous voices speaking out of their own contexts. In Colonial Contexts there is an attempt to move towards more constructive discourses, making contributions from non-indigenous voices more necessary. Such a move, though, requires greater vigilance, since it risks the recolonisation of scholarly cartographies that the series intends to overcome.
