Rev. Djiniyini Gondarra was an Australian aboriginal pastor, theologian, and church leader, and the author of Father, You Gave Us the Dreaming (Bethel Presbytery, 1988) when this article appeared. He was also the chair of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, an organization working to strengthen and support the aboriginal church and peoples in Australia.
Jim Wallis of Sojourners interviewed Djiniyini Gondarra during a Conference on Aboriginal Theology and the Gospel in Pilawuk, South Australia. The two excerpts are from a sermon delivered by Gondarra, titled "Aboriginal Culture and Christianity." - The Editors
Jim Wallis: What does developing an Australian aboriginal theology mean for you?
Djiniyini Gondarra: It means doing theology by looking at the very important values within our own aboriginal culture and spiritualities. These values are fundamental to our people and to their faith journey.
For a long time now, aboriginal Christian theologians and lay people have been converts to Western Christianity in both its theology and context. It is time that aboriginal theologians see that we have a rich spirituality and that it is into this cultural context that the gospel can bring about some wonderful things.
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