Māori Studies

Level 5

Introduction to Māori Theology.

This course introduces students to the basic principles of Māori theology in Aotearoa. Students will examine and apply tikanga Māori, that underpins and informs theological thinking and reflection to contextual issues. This course will help students to think and engage critically with Māori theological responses to social, political and religious issues and debates.

Level 5

Treaty and Church.

This course begins by exploring the role of church societies in the establishment and development of Te Tiriti o Waitangi 1840. Students will examine and analyse institutional church approaches to contemporary Treaty issues, with a focus on whenua (land) and reconciliation. Students will also examine the roles and responsibilities pf justice seeking churches and their commitment to bicultural, Te Tiriti based relationships.

From the Noble Savage to Cheeky Darkies and Tūhoe Terrorists! 

The paper examines and analyses the impacts of te Tiriti o Waitangi on the social and political development of contemporary Māori society. The paper will investigate the Māori prophetic and protest movements of the twentieth century, as catalysts for radical change in race relations and Māori policy. Students will also examine the influential role of the media in creating and perpetuating common public perceptions of Māori and explore the disempowerment and misrepresentation of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori.

Hallelujah and Haka Boogie!!

This paper explores and examines the development of contemporary Māori music and dance as a tool for ministry and a mechanism for the expression of faith. The paper introduces students to the theoretical and practical application of Kapa Haka in a church context. Students will explore the history of the early Māori Methodist Singers, Orators and Musicians of 1930 and their contribution to the Methodist Church. Students will also be challenged to consider the place of Haka as a form of Māori expression, in modern-day church and worship. 

“Ka haere whakamua me hoki whakamuri” (We must go into the future facing our past)

The paper is aimed at developing cultural competency and understanding of tīkanga Māori to enable respectful and effective interaction. Students will examine Māori spirituality and tīkanga Māori as it is applied to gender, age and leadership-specific roles within both traditional and contemporary contexts. The paper will also encourage the development of skills and knowledge of tikanga Māori in an Aotearoa, Methodist ministry context.

“Ko te kai ā te rangatira he kōrero” (The sustenance of a chief is oratory) 

This is an introduction to oral and written Te Reo Māori. Students will focus on basic grammar and structure of the language, and conversational Māori. The paper aims to develop key competencies in Māori oral literature including karakia, waiata and himene, for application in practical ministry.

This paper is intended to develop skills in the structure and grammar of written Te Reo Māori. The paper will incorporate components of tikanga Māori, as well as transcription of oral and written Māori language texts, with a particular focus on biblical texts. Students will study Māori language manuscripts that reveal and exhibit early Māori theological understandings and the practice of the sacraments.

This course introduces learners to Moana approaches to Research and Ethics. It provides students with a critical overview of existing Moana research methodologies and frameworks and explores how they are applied. Students will also examine ethical issues that often arise with Moana research and participants and apply a practical, informed approach to address those issues. The aim of this course is to encourage and engage theological awareness and interpretive competencies in Moana research and promote ethical practice.

“Decolonisation, once viewed as the formal process of handing over the instruments of government, is now recognised as a long-term process involving the bureaucratic, cultural, linguistic and psychological divesting of colonial power.” Linda Tuhiwai Smith.
This course explores the decolonising of church, by recognising and deconstructing dominant systems and paradigms. It looks at the extent to which churches have propagated
colonial/western/Pākehā-Palagi ways of being and operating, particularly in governance and ministry. The aim of this course is to expose students to theological and sociological discourse that is challenging, innovative and transformative.

This course explores Christianity as it is lived and experienced in Oceania, in communities, on marae and in villages. It explores ways in which Moana and Christian traditions have imposed upon one another, with a particular focus on traditional funerary rites and sacraments. This course provides opportunity for students to engage in te ao Moana perspectives and to discover new theological and sociological perspectives for contemporary church and society.

This course critically examines the development of the theory of hermeneutics within the philosophy of the twentieth century and its implications for the various sectors of theological study. It will then explore various indigenous hermeneutical perspectives, before developing a Māori hermeneutical approach, which will be used to critically examine particular biblical texts. 

Pre-requisite: BMS610
Level 7

This course looks at ways in which mainstream film, tv and media imposes upon Oceania. Students will critically reflect on the socio-cultural and theological impacts of media on church and society. Students will engage and apply a Moana Voice or narrative to their critique.

Pre-requisite: None
Level 7

Course codes with number 730 are special topics papers. They are included
(i)to create a space for in-depth discussion of a particular issue or subject that is deemed significant for training of students for Christianministry and leadership, and
(ii)to accommodate the teaching interests of scholars who visit, or are invited by, the college.
Such special topics will be delivered incrementally from time to time.

Pre-requisite: None

This inter-strand course is designed to equip students for research. The focus will be on research methodologies (both quantitative & qualitative), and that includes Pacific and Maori approaches to research. Research theorists and practitioners will be invited to share their research with special emphasis on methods employed. This course is open to any students but is required for those intending to do a research project. Designing a research proposal is a key requirement for the course.

Pre-requisite: BRMS740

Students who have completed the core and required courses for Moana Studies, and who hold an average grade of B or above, may undertake a thorough study of a topic approved by the
Research Committee. The research project is equal to three 20-credit courses, and to be completed within one semester.