He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama: A Little Spring in the World of Light

How to reconcile the deeply held Christian beliefs of Māori with the indigenous world view that they have inherited and are in many cases rediscovering? In Pā Henare’s view, the traditional Christian message has fallen short of speaking intimately and powerfully to the Māori experience. Māori are crying out for a form of Christianity that is ‘theirs’. He Puna Iti i te Ao Mārama offers one response and contribution to this call by attempting to develop the foundations of an indigenous Māori theology. Pā Henare addresses both the kaupapa (principles) and the tikanga (process or method) whereby such a theology can develop, and then sets out some foundations for it through concepts rooted in Māori culture and history.