Following Jesus in Invaded Space: Doing Theology on Aboriginal Land

by Chris Budden

Synopsis: Christianity is never just about beliefs but habits and practices-for better or worse. Theology always reflects the social location of the theologian-including her privileges and prejudices-all the time working with a particular, often undisclosed, notion of what is normal. Therefore theology is never "neutral"-it defends particular constructions of reality, and it promotes certain interests. Following Jesus in Invaded Space asks what-and whose-interests theology protects when it is part of a community that invaded the land of Indigenous peoples. Developing a theological method and position that self-consciously acknowledges the church's role in occupying Aboriginal land in Australia, it dares to speak of God, church, and justice in the context of past history and continuing dispossession. Hence, a "Second people's theology" emerges through constant and careful attention to experiences of invasion and dis-location brought into dialogue with the theological landscape or tradition of the church. Endorsements: "I've puzzled about why there has been such a relatively sparse body of contextual and 'place-based' theology emerging from white Australia. Perhaps what has been lacking is the appropriate approach to the Australian landscape. I believe that Chris Budden's theology of 'Second Peoples' provides that approach. This book opens up a project that will hopefully animate a fresh, vigorous, and distinctively Australian theological conversation, especially between First and Second Peoples. But Budden's work is relevant to all of us who dwell on lands that have been invaded and occupied, and who are struggling to understand how to live the Christian tradition as inheritors of a legacy of conquest and continuing racism. This is an important contribution to imagining our future as a post-Constantinian church." --Ched Myers, author of Who Rolled Away the Stone? Author Biography: Chris Budden is the Minister of the Uniting Church in the Newcastle (NSW) area. He is an Associate Researcher in the Public and Contextual Theology Strategic Research Centre at Charles Sturt University and adjunct faculty member at the United Theological College (Sydney). He has authored a number of articles in public theology.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Indigenous, Justice, Nonfiction

190 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2009

Reviews

[Jenny Esots · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Budden is a theologian who is able to write in an open and accessible way. I particularly appreciate his acknowledgement of his own story and how this impacted on his exploration of racism, hiddenness, shame, indigenous life and theology.
I should have returned this book to the library by now, but find I am holding on to it - there is more to uncover on how the church learns to listen to the voices it has so often ignored.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my reflections on this book, see the post at my discernment blog.

The points that weren't made in that post:
Chris is a friend and mentor of mine
While he was writing this book, he and I were working together on another, related project
In reaction to this book, I decided that I needed to pick up Dorothy McRae-McMahon's Everyday Passions A Conversation on Living to get a queer, feminist perspective from another member of the same denomination as Chris. (And me.)

[joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Budden asks so many good questions as a 5th Generation Brit living in Australia. Invaded space, his important theological distinction, helps settle a tension that many settlers and indigenous people still see differently. His questions about social location of the Church, where it's missed out, and where it needs to be come together well when he asks whether the presence of Christ among the disenfranchised means that the Church is also there.

My main gripe: the theological framework was Western. He could have found the same or better sources from indigenous theologians and scholars. This oversight undermined his main thrust to me. If he was trying to make an argument for Reformed Christians, perhaps this was the wisest move.

[Pablo Palet Araneda · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading it, I think, I'm more aware of the difficulties of "normalcy": our non conscious assumptions, the place where, and the people with who, we stand and make judgements. Contextual theology is that theology aware of its context: its social place, its partners in dialogue.
White people in Australia as Second people. Church and theology in Australia, whether they want to be truly Australian, must accept First people as authentic voices in their own right.

[Rob Nicholls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Budden has written a very helpful book to read alongside books by indigenous Christians. His perspective and his theological explorations reveal why we need a larger and open conversation about invasion and theology in the Australian church. There needs to be dialogue but it seems we, the invaders, need to get ourselves sorted out first.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Australia