Rainbow Spirit theology  During the mission years the Christian message was imposed with no regard for existing Indigenous beliefs and practices which were seen as pagan and satanic. Aboriginals were to convert both spiritually and culturally to ‘whites mans’ way’.  Many aboriginals feeling deep shame as they could no longer care for their land which had been entrusted to them from the Creator Spirit, began to live with guilt and hopelessness.

Indigenous spirituality  Despite this many Indigenous people became Christians. As they began to study theology they began to recognise their own stories and history within the bible, they began to see Christ in themselves and their culture.  They realised a new spirituality was required to bring healing to the people who had suffered so much. In the early 1990’s a group of Queensland Indigenous pastors led by Gorge Rosendale set to work to develop a theology which would affirm Indigenous spirituality and give hope for future generations of Indigenous people

Revelation  Rainbow Spirit theology is actually not new. It is a recognition of the link between Christian teaching and Indigenous culture  Rainbow Spirit theology assumes God the creator has been speaking through Indigenous culture from the beginning- Missionaries did not reveal God to the Aboriginal people, he had already revealed himself to them through their land.  Hebrews 1:1 ‘In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in many various ways’

The Creator Spirit  Known by an Old Testament name:  YHWH  Known by many Indigenous names:  Yiirmbal, Biame, Paayamau, Biral, Wandjina, Ngalyod, Bunjil, Mutjingga The dots are painted with Aboriginal colours, red, white, black and yellow representing people. Yiirmbal’s halo is red, meaning he gives life. The crooked lines in the halo trace life from birth to death, ups and downs, joys and troubles. His eyes: he still watches and keeps all things working. He has no mouth: he has spoken, he has given the laws and teaching to the elders.

The Creator Spirit  To most Indigenous tribes the Creator Spirit or Rainbow Spirit is connected closely to the land or the sea, the Spirit is always as close as the land, not far away in heaven like the missionaries taught.  The Spirit lives deep in the ground, in the subterranean waters and is capable of travelling underground at will.  The Creator Spirit causes life forces to emerge from the land and the sea. The land is alive, dynamic and creative

Theology  Theology- the study of God, is a way of organising our thinking about God  Rainbow spirit theology uses the model of four directions in the land, using the Aboriginal custom of orientating towards the sun.  On the worksheet record the four streams of this theology model

Four streams of Rainbow Sprit theology  North- represents the wisdom from ancient sources- the bible and the land  East- represents the Gospel of Christ  South- represents truths from within, derived from Indigenous culture  West- represents strength of Indigenous people in the future

Theology explained  The land is like scripture- sacred stories and signs are inscribed on the landscape, available to see for anyone who can read them. They point the way to God the Spirit  Christ came not just to save souls for heaven but to free all of creation- lives, communities and land  Theology is discovered in Indigenous stories, history and ceremonies  Rainbow Spirit theology is hoped to free Indigenous people from European ways, enabling them to express their Aboriginality with their Christian faith

The land  The Creator Spirit causes all life to come from the land, including human beings.  To the land humans will return, as human spirits belong to Yiirmbal and are sacred.  Human beings are entrusted with the responsibility to cooperate with the Creator Spirit to both care for and to activate the life forces within the land

The land and identity  Indigenous identity is determined by deep connection to the land through personal dreaming sites, stories and totems which is their spiritual life force and connects them with the Creator Spirit.  The creator Spirit renews the land, and through the land teaches land-care to its custodians- Psalm 104:30 ‘When you send forth your spirit they are created; and you renew the face of the ground

Theology in stories and ceremonies  Like the emu, Indigenous people can track and look back at their stories and ceremonies and find hidden treasure in them.  Just as the European Reformation gave people a chance to explore the dialogue between faith and culture, now has come the time for Indigenous people to also explore that dialogue of faith and culture within their own beliefs, dreamings, customs and ceremonies

Activity  Read the ceremony handout and identify in each ceremony the theology both Indigenous and Non- Indigenous people share  Share your answers with the class

In the beginning…….. ‘ You know we had Jesus before you white fellas came along ’ Monty Prior, Catholic deacon, Townsville John 1:1  ‘ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. In the beginning was the Rainbow Spirit, deep in the land. And the Rainbow Spirit was with God, the Creator Spirit, and the Rainbow Spirit was God. The Rainbow Spirit emerged from the land, transformed the land and bought all things into being on the land. With the Rainbow Spirit came life and the life is the light of all people

Jesus  The mystery of the Creator Spirit is only partially revealed in the Old Testament, just as it is partially revealed in Indigenous culture.  The full revelation of this mystery is found in the person of Jesus Christ. He came to fulfil not only Old Testament Law but also Indigenous Dreaming  The life giving power of the Creator Spirit took on human flesh in Jesus Christ and camped amongst the people as a human being. Jesus became one with us through the land and became part of the Indigenous culture (Jn 1:14)

Jesus  Jesus is therefore not British or German or even Jewish, he is Aboriginal as he who was one with the Creator Spirit and became flesh and camped amongst them. He has been with them since the beginning.  When Christ died he was buried in the land, when he arose he sent his spirit to fill the land and renew it, he also will fill a human spirit and renew it. Aboriginals recognise when they die their spirit also returns to the land, to Yiirmbal.

Jesus  Christ who suffered on the cross continues to suffer with the land and the people, as he is connected to both.  He has come to overcome the evil brought upon the land by European settlers. ‘We know the whole of creation has been groaning in labour pains until now’ Roman 8:22  Through Christ, the people can be reconnected and reconciled to both the land and others. ‘For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility’ Eph 2:14

Activity  Read the stories on the handout.  Write in your notes how Christ can be seen as the reconciler in these traditional Indigenous stories

Hope  Rainbow Spirit theology gives hope to Indigenous people.  It is hoped it will inspire others to be proud of their Aboriginality and give them a freedom to discover Christ – not as he was portrayed by the missions, but rather as he can be found in Indigenous culture deeply connected to the land

Reflection  Write one or two sentences on the following:  What fresh insights can you gain from looking at theology through Indigenous eyes?