Faith and identity: Deep roots of Christianity in Pacific culture

Over the past two centuries, Christianity has become deeply intertwined with Pacific culture, as evidenced by the almost double the number of Pacific people with religious affiliation compared to New Zealand.

Dr Terry Pouono, a Pacific lecturer in Theology at the University of Otago, says the rapid adoption of Christianity throughout the region can be attributed to similarities with indigenous beliefs.

“A lot of our writings emphasise the idea of ‘we're part of this cosmos, our identity where we're connected to the land, to the seas, to the skies’.”

Pouono cites Fijian theologian Ilaitia Tuwere, who discusses the vanua, a theology of the land, and the importance of understanding the context that informs a belief system.

“You've got the Western missionaries who came with an orthodox understanding of theology, and although we respected that, we provided an alternative view.

“We see things differently as a Pacific Islander because we have an understanding of the spirits, we have an understanding of the land, we read the gospel from this perspective.”

A brief 200-year history

Captain James Cook's arrival in the Pacific during the 1770s paved the way for trade and partnerships between the region and Great Britain, including the introduction of missionaries.

However, Pouono says some Pacific nations anticipated the arrival of Christianity.

Tonga's wooden chapel in Ha'alaufuli, Vava'u, was built in 1912 and refurbished in 1938. Photo/Supplied

“For example, in Sāmoa, Nafanua the prophetess prophesied there'll be a greater light that will come soon. When the Christian gospel arrived in Sāmoa, they saw that as the fulfilment of the prophecy.”

Much of the early spread of Christianity was driven by John Williams, who, along with his wife Mary, contributed to the first wave of evangelism in 1797.

After spending five years in Tahiti, Williams sailed to the Cook Islands with two deacons from Raiatea. They spread the Gospel while he ferries his sick wife to Australia.

“When he came back to Aitutaki in the Cook Islands,” Pouono says, “most of the islands were evangelised because of the works of Vahapata and Papehia and their understanding of Pacific cultures.”

The early missionaries immersed themselves in the local culture, and Pouono says their success began with converting the community leaders.

“Once Pōmare II was converted in 1819, the Christian message was accepted. In Sāmoa, Malietoa Vainu'upo, 1830, King Taufa'āhau Tupou I in Tonga.

An early church in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. Photo/Supplied

“Basically, when you go to the top dogs and they were baptised, then basically that was the catalyst for the conversion of our Pacific people.”

Not all islands welcomed the Christian faith, and Williams was killed on the shores of Erromango, Vanuatu, in 1839.

A shift in cultural values

Christianity introduced a new social code and brought education and literacy to the Pacific, with Bibles translated into Pacific languages.

Williams even wrote hymns in Cook Islands Māori that are still sung today, such as “Mei te Ua No Runga Mai”.

While Pouono admits some aspects of traditional culture were lost, he believes Christianity has brought peace to the islands.

“There were some aspects of society that were taken away by the missionaries, things like polygamy, cannibalism, sexual intercourse outside of marriage, easy divorces, tribal wars … beheading, these were happening when the missionaries arrived in Sāmoa.”

King Taufa'āhau Tupou I and Pōmare II were early adopters of Christianity in the Pacific. Photo/Wikimedia

Other religious movements emerged, such as the Methodist missionaries in the 1820s and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 1840s. Today, Tonga has the highest percentage of LDS per capita, and Pouno says many in Sāmoa are converting from traditional or mainstream churches.

“There's a strong financial support coming from America, from Utah, and in addition to the less financial pressure, there's also a strong social welfare system happening in the Mormon church, for example, scholarships for their children, quality education.”

Christianity for the modern world

Biblical scripture encourages bringing a “tithe to the storehouse”, which is understood as giving a 10th of one’s earnings.

Pouono says the church economy has changed over the past 200 years but questions whether that is necessarily beneficial.

“My grandfather was a faife'au [church minister] in the small village of Lalovi in Mulifanua many years ago. Our lives are totally different.

Labour missionaries in Tongatapu, Tonga, were involved with contructing church buildings. From left: David Fatani, Kelikupa Tuione, David Maukakala, Moli Ngautuvai, Sione Tuione, and an unknown person (1956-1959). Photo/Supplied

“In those days, reciprocity may have entailed the passing of a basket of taro or coconuts, or even a pig.”

Pouono says modern churches must adapt while remaining true to their core message.

“Our culture is there to serve our people, so our culture is a gift, but when you commercialise culture, the balance is not the same.

“When you transplant a tradition in the multifaceted global world, we may think it's culture, but basically the dynamics or logistics around that culture may change.”