Indigenous Spirituality and Christianity

The reading for this topic contained selected extracts from “Gondwana Theology” by Rev’d Canon Dr Garry Worete Deverell. At his request, and for reasons of copyright, the reading has been removed after the event.

If you wish to read further on this topic, here are references to Garry's books :

• The Bonds of Freedom: vows, sacraments and the formation of the Christian self (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2008). https://wipfandstock.com/9781606083123/the-bonds-of-freedom

• Gondwana Theology: a trawloolway man reflects on Christian faith. corrected edition (Brompton, SA: ATF Press, 2024).  https://atfpress.com/product/gondwana-theology/

• Contemplating Country: more Gondwana theology (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2023). https://wipfandstock.com/9781666788440/contemplating-country/

Garry is a trawloolway man from northern lutruwita/Tasmania and a priest of the Anglican diocese of Melbourne. He was Academic Dean in the School of Indigenous Studies at the University of Divinity between 2020 and 2024.

You can also listen to two interviews conducted with Garry by Meredith Lake, presenter of Soul Search (a podcast recommended on our web site). The interviews can be found here and are highly recommended for those of you interested in exploring this subject further.

• What are the possibilities for a grounded spirituality, in the aftermath of colonisation? Indigenous theologian Garry Deverell has lived the search for a spirituality that connects land and body.

  Garry joins Meredith Lake to discuss what some of the implications might be, even for non-Indigenous Australians.

  You can listen here.

• What do Aboriginal spirituality and Christian theology have to say to each other? According to Garry Deverell there's plenty, but the conversation can only really begin when there's mutual respect and listening — something that is still missing 235 years after British colonisation.

  You can listen here.

Questions for reflection

• How has your life journey and enculturation affected your perspective of Indigenous spirituality?

• in what way might your understanding of Indigenous spirituality enhance your understanding of your own spirituality?

• What question would you like to ask our guest presenter, Garry Deverell, when you have the opportunity?

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