THEOREL 201: Religions in New Zealand

Image: I biked past this guy, Ryan Craig, on the northwestern cycle path in Auckland in 2013, but passed him too quickly to work out why he was dragging this cross around the countryside. I was surprised to pass him in the car about a month later again in Kawakawa and then see him a third time when I stopped to buy petrol in Moerewa, Northland.

I asked him what he was doing and he gave me a pamphlet about his journey. He was walking the length of New Zealand marking the bicentennial of the arrival of Christianity here in 1814. The two flags on the back of his rig - the NZ flag and the Tino Rangatiratanga, or Māori sovereignty flag - symbolise the unity of Maori and Pakeha in Christ. He was aiming to make it to the Marsden Cross in time for the commemoration of Samuel Marsden's sermon on Oihi Beach on Christmas Day 1814. I have no idea whether he eventually got there.

Ryan is a beekeeper from Twizel in South Canterbury. He told me the rig weighed 85kg. It even had a brake so he could stop quickly if necessary.

THEOREL 201 Religions in New Zealand

Auckland is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. According to Statistics New Zealand, Auckland's current population is made up of 220 different ethnicities.

This ethnic diversity is also reflected in the diversity of Auckland's religious life. The city has the highest rates of religious affiliation in New Zealand, and higher proportions of most of New Zealand's smaller religious groups live in Auckland than elsewhere in the country.

This course is designed to help students make sense of this diversity in belief and religious tradition by addressing the following the following questions.

• What is religion? Can we find a definition that fits both the pre-Christian Maori worldview, post-contact Maori religion, and the immigrant religions like Christianity, Hinduism or Islam, which have taken root in New Zealand? Do other activities like sport and ANZAC Day commemorations also meet the definition of a religion?
• Is there really any difference between religion and "spirituality," or between religions and "cults"?
• How do migrant religions have to change in order to adjust to life in New Zealand, and Auckland in particular?
• Is New Zealand religiously tolerant? How tolerant should we be? Who needs to "tolerate" whom?
• What does it mean to be secular? How should we understand the rapidly growing number of people who claim to have "no religion"? How should members of religious communities and those with no religion negotiate their lives together?
• What kind of future do religions have in this country?

Lecturers

• Nick Thompson
• Hirini Kaa

Tuākana

• David Tuipulotu-Tuinukuafe

Office Hours

I don't have specific office hours this semester, but I am very happy to meet with you at a convenient time to talk about your assignements, ideas, or anything else related to the course. Please email me for a time. I am most likely to be free on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursday after class, Friday mornings or Fridays after class.

Classes 

This course is made up of 11 modules, which include both lecturing and class discussion. It also includes weekend visits to two Auckland religious communities (you must come on at least one of these).

For more details on the content of classes, please click on the "Modules" link on the left of this page.

Class times are also listed in the course calendar for this site. 

Assessment

• Site Visit Report; 2300 words; 40%; due Friday 27 October
• Three Opinion Pieces; 900 words; 20% each; due on the Friday of the week following the relevant module.

Theological and Religious Studies Policy on Late Assignments. I will give a no-questions-asked extension for any period up to seven days provided that you ask for one, either by email or in person. Beyond seven days I will only give extensions in the exceptional circumstances described in the TRS policy document.