The Theology programme is the only university-based theology programme in New Zealand and draws on a rich heritage of over 60 years of theological education.
Theology Programme Statement on Mātauranga Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi
Kotahi te kohao o te ngira e kuhuna ai
te miro ma, te miro pango, te miro whero
kia mau ki te aroha, ki te ture me te whakapono
hei aha te ahaThrough the eye of the needle pass
the white thread, the black thread, and the red thread
hold fast to charity, to the law, to the faith
Forsake all else1
The Theology Programme acknowledges that in doing Christian theology in Aotearoa New Zealand we must engage with mātauranga Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi.
Theology is informed by remembrance of the past; it seeks justice and reconciliation wherever these are lacking; and it is profoundly enriched as tangata whenua and tauiwi each bring wisdom and insight from their own baskets of knowledge to the shared task of reading Scripture together and seeking to attend to what God is doing in our world.
We are building our capacity in this area, through the appointment of our Lecturer in Māori Theology (Rev Dr Wayne Te Kaawa), through the development of specific papers on aspects of Māori theology, and through each lecturer's commitment to strengthen the Māori content and tikanga of our courses. It's a start.
Background to the above tongikura2
- This proverb is attributed to Kiingi Pootatau Te Wherowhero, the first Māori King who said these words at his Coronation in 1858. This tongikura has been used with the permission of the Office of the Kiingitanga.
- A tongikura is a statement attributed to one of the Māori monarchs.
Teaching Theology
Our courses are taught by committed staff who are accomplished teachers and scholars.
In teaching Theology we assume no particular denominational or theological perspective.
Engaging in the discipline of Theology involves a detailed exploration of the ways in which questions about God, about Jesus, about humanity and about our world have been addressed by people of faith.
How You Can Study Theology
We offer a specialised degree in Theology: the Bachelor of Theology, which is designed to give you both breadth and depth within the discipline.
Biblical Studies and Christian Thought and History can be taken as major subjects in the Bachelor of Arts degree. Theology papers can be included in other study programmes.
There is no end to the value gained from a few papers or a whole degree in Theology.
We teach our papers on campus and by distance, in both semesters, and sometimes in Summer School.
Visit the our people page for details about our teaching and research expertise.
Find out about our papers and qualifications.
Find out about our distance learning programme.