Episode 136 - Christianity, Colonisation, and Māori Identity: Henare Whaanga, Part 1

In this episode, I sit down with Henare Whaanga at the Truth Matters Conference for an honest chat about faith and identity. Henare shares his journey to Christ and what it’s been like walking with Jesus as Māori - which hasn’t always been easy...

We tackle big questions too, like whether Christianity was just a tool of colonisation, and how forgiveness radically shaped Māori in the 19th century. It’s real, thought-provoking, and such an important conversation to have.

Part two drops 23 October, where we’ll go even deeper into what’s shaped the shift in Māoridom away from Christianity, explore the resurgence of Māori spirituality, and talk about how it is possible to reconcile faith and culture.

Click here to watch this episode on YouTube.

For more information and resources from Thinking Matters head to www.thinkingmatters.org.nz

• 0:00 – Coming up: What to expect in this conversation with Henare Whaanga
• 1:09 – Welcome & Introduction: Meet Henare and hear a little about him
• 2:17 – Henare’s Journey to Christ: Personal testimony of how he found faith
• 7:45 – Being a Christian in a Māori Space: Challenges of following Jesus within Māori communities
• 10:04 – Is Christianity a Tool of Colonisation?: Exploring historical and cultural questions
• 17:30 – Forgiveness and Māori History: How the concept of forgiveness shaped Māori society in the 19th century
• 20:48 – Coming up in Part 2