The Religions of Oceania (The Library of Religious Beliefs and Practices)

More than a quarter of the world's religions are to be found in the regions of Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, together called Oceania. The Religions of Oceania is the first book to bring together up-to-date information on the great and changing variety of traditional religions in the Pacific zone. The book also deals with indigenous Christianity and its wide influence across the region, and includes new religious movements generated by the responses of indigenous peoples to colonists and missionaries, the best known of these being the 'Cargo Cults' of Melanesia. The authors present a thorough and accessible examination of the fascinating diversity of religious practices in the area, analysing new religious developments, and provideing clear interpretative tools and a mine of information to help the student better understand the world's most complex ethnologic tapestry. Humanities Book Cover 1 Half-Title 2 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 10 Acknowledgements 11 Introduction 12 THE PEOPLING OF OCEANIA 13 THE INVENTION OF THE RELIGIONS OF OCEANIA 19 NOTES AND REFERENCES 26 Part 1 Australia 28 1 Tradition 29 THE DREAMING 29 COSMOLOGY 32 MAINTAINING THE COSMOS 35 THE EMERGENCE OF LIFE FROM LAND 39 WOMEN AND LAND 42 MAKING MEN 46 FROM LIFE TO DEATH 49 THE AUSTRALIAN/PACIFIC ISLAND DIVIDE 52 NOTES AND REFERENCES 55 2 Cults of intrusion 57 THE MACASSANS 58 THE ALL-MOTHER CULT 62 INVASION 66 THE ALL-FATHER CULT 69 MULUNGA AND THE MILLENNIUM 73 CULTS FROM THE PASTORAL WORLD 77 THE WAR AND CARGOISM 81 NOTES AND REFERENCES 86 3 Missions, Christianity and modernity 87 MISSIONS AND MISSIONARIES IN AUSTRALIA 87 MISSION WORLDVIEWS AND ABORIGINAL RESISTANCE 91 TWO LAWS OR ONE? 94 ADJUSTMENT AND ALLIANCE 99 THE MEDIUM AND THE MESSAGE 102 EVANGELICAL REVIVALS AND THE MOVE TOWARDS AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH 106 REINVENTING THE ETERNAL 110 RECLAIMING A PLACE 113 MOTHER EARTH 117 NOTES AND REFERENCES 124 Part II Pacific Islands 127 4 Tradition 128 COSMOS 128 PAYBACK 140 POWER 147 CREATIVE PARTICIPATION 155 BECOMING SPIRIT 160 NOTES AND REFERENCES 168 5 Cults of intrusion 172 CULTS OF VICTORY AND PROSPERITY 174 OF KINGS AND CARGO 179 INSPIRATIONS OF WORLD WAR 185 YOUR OWN CHURCH 190 NOTES AND REFERENCES 196 6 Missions, Christianity and modernity 199 MISSIONS TO SAVAGES 200 ISLANDERS AS MISSIONARIES 205 INDIGENOUS CHRISTIANITY 212 PACIFIC THEOLOGIES 219 NOTES AND REFERENCES 226 Select bibliography 230 I AUSTRALIA 231 1 Tradition 231 General 231 The Dreaming 232 Cosmology 232 Maintaining the cosmos 232 The emergence of life from land 232 Women and land 233 Making men 233 From life to death 233 The Australian/Pacific islands divide 233 2 Cults of intrusion 233 General 233 The Macassans/the All-Mother cult 234 Invasion/the All-Father cult 234 Mulunga and the millennium 234 Cults from the pastoral world 234 The war and cargoism 235 3 Missions, Christianity and modernity 235 General 235 Missions and missionaries in Australia 235 Mission world views and Aboriginal resistance 235 Two laws or one? 235 Adjustment and alliance 236 The medium and the message 236 Evangelical revivals and the move towards an indigenous church 236 Reinventing the eternal/reclaiming a place 236 Mother Earth 237 II PACIFIC ISLANDS 237 4 Tradition 237 General 237 Cosmos 237 Payback 238 Power 238 Creative participation 238 Becoming spirit 239 5 Cults of intrusion 239 General 239 Cults of victory and prosperity 240 Of kings and cargo 240 Inspirations of world war 240 Your own church 240 6 Missions, Christianity and modernity 241 General 241 Missions to savages 241 Islanders as missionaries 241 Indigenous Christianity 242 Pacific theologies 242 Index 243 Book Cover......Page 1 Half-Title......Page 2 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 11 Introduction......Page 12 THE PEOPLING OF OCEANIA......Page 13 THE INVENTION OF THE RELIGIONS OF OCEANIA......Page 19 NOTES AND REFERENCES......Page 26 Part 1 Australia......Page 28 THE DREAMING......Page 29 COSMOLOGY......Page 32 MAINTAINING THE COSMOS......Page 35 THE EMERGENCE OF LIFE FROM LAND......Page 39 WOMEN AND LAND......Page 42 MAKING MEN......Page 46 FROM LIFE TO DEATH......Page 49 THE AUSTRALIAN/PACIFIC ISLAND DIVIDE......Page 52 NOTES AND REFERENCES......Page 55 2 Cults of intrusion......Page 57 THE MACASSANS......Page 58 THE ALL-MOTHER CULT......Page 62 INVASION......Page 66 THE ALL-FATHER CULT......Page 69 MULUNGA AND THE MILLENNIUM......Page 73 CULTS FROM THE PASTORAL WORLD......Page 77 THE WAR AND CARGOISM......Page 81 NOTES AND REFERENCES......Page 86 MISSIONS AND MISSIONARIES IN AUSTRALIA......Page 87 MISSION WORLDVIEWS AND ABORIGINAL RESISTANCE......Page 91 TWO LAWS OR ONE?......Page 94 ADJUSTMENT AND ALLIANCE......Page 99 THE MEDIUM AND THE MESSAGE......Page 102 EVANGELICAL REVIVALS AND THE MOVE TOWARDS AN INDIGENOUS CHURCH......Page 106 REINVENTING THE ETERNAL......Page 110 RECLAIMING A PLACE......Page 113 MOTHER EARTH......Page 117 NOTES AND REFERENCES......Page 124 Part II Pacific Islands......Page 127 COSMOS......Page 128 PAYBACK......Page 140 POWER......Page 147 CREATIVE PARTICIPATION......Page 155 BECOMING SPIRIT......Page 160 NOTES AND REFERENCES......Page 168 5 Cults of intrusion......Page 172 CULTS OF VICTORY AND PROSPERITY......Page 174 OF KINGS AND CARGO......Page 179 INSPIRATIONS OF WORLD WAR......Page 185 YOUR OWN CHURCH......Page 190 NOTES AND REFERENCES......Page 196 6 Missions, Christianity and modernity......Page 199 MISSIONS TO SAVAGES......Page 200 ISLANDERS AS MISSIONARIES......Page 205 INDIGENOUS CHRISTIANITY......Page 212 PACIFIC THEOLOGIES......Page 219 NOTES AND REFERENCES......Page 226 Select bibliography......Page 230 General......Page 231 The emergence of life from land......Page 232 General......Page 233 Cults from the pastoral world......Page 234 Two laws or one?......Page 235 Reinventing the eternal/reclaiming a place......Page 236 Cosmos......Page 237 Creative participation......Page 238 General......Page 239 Your own church......Page 240 Islanders as missionaries......Page 241 Pacific theologies......Page 242 Index......Page 243 "More than a quarter of the world's discrete religions are to be found in the regions of Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, together called Oceania. This is the first book to bring together up-to-date information on this great variety of traditional religious beliefs and practices, which have been profoundly influential on the theories and understandings of religion in general." "A comprehensive survey of the changing and various religions in the Pacific zone, The Religions of Oceania documents traditional cultures and beliefs and examines indigenous Christianity and its wide influence across the region. It covers the backgrounds to and development of traditional religions, and includes analysis of the new religious movements generated by the response of indigenous peoples to colonists and missionaries, the best known of these being the so-called 'cargo-cults' of Melanesia." "The authors present a thorough and accessible survey of the diversity of religious practices in the area, and provide clear interpretative tools and a mine of fascinating information to help the student better understand the world's most complex ethnographic tapestry." --Book Jacket More than a quarter of the world's religions are to be found in the regions of Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, together called Oceania. The Religions of Oceania is the first book to bring together up-to-date information on the great and changing variety of traditional religions in the Pacific zone. The book also deals with indigenous Christianity and its wide influence across the region, and includes new religious movements generated by the responses of indigenous peoples to colonists and missionaries, the best known of these being the 'Cargo Cults' of Melanesia.
The authors present a thorough and accessible examination of the fascinating diversity of religious practices in the area, analysing new religious developments, and provideing clear interpretative tools and a mine of information to help the student better understand the world's most complex ethnologic tapestry. This constitutes the first up-to-date study of the great and changing variety of traditional religions in the regions of Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, collectively known as Oceania.