The Unexpected Christian Origins of The Treaty of Waitangi with Sam Carpenter

In this conversation, Joey sits down with Treaty of Waitangi expert and scholar, Dr. Sam Carpenter. They talk about the Treaty of Waitangi history and how early missionaries were pivotal in its construction, translation, and acceptance. They also discuss how the current discourse around the Treaty needs a biblical worldview to be interpreted correctly.

Sam teaches into Laidlaw’s Church History courses with a specialist focus on New Zealand religious and political history. He leads Te Rongopai ki Aotearoa Project at Laidlaw that is exploring the multidimensional relationships of Christianity and Māori society. Sam’s research focusses on the intersections of Christianity and Māori society, and on New Zealand political and religious history more generally.

CHECK OUT Sam's personal website for current scholarly-informed opinions on the Treaty of Waitangi and more https://nzhistorian.com/

00:00 Intro
01:38 Sam' work with the Waitangi Tribunal
06:43 What was the Maori spiritual landscape like before Christianity?
12:13 How did Christianity arrive in Aotearoa (New Zealand)?
16:32 How did Christianity grow in Aotearoa (New Zealand)?
19:18 Why did Maori overwhelmingly accept Christianity?
26:33 Maori became early evangelists and missionaries to other Maori
30:23 Why was the Treaty of Waitangi was written?
36:21 How was the Treaty of Waitangi written and translated?
39:43 What the Treaty actually says
43:08 Why did every chief sign the Treaty?
48:13 Why did Maori eventually reject Christianity?
54:58 Bible in one hand Treaty in the other
1:03:06 1934 Declaration of New Zealand Independence
1:07:33 Is the Treaty misinterpreted in 2025?

Podcast hosts are Greame Flett, Jonathan Hoskin, and Joey Millington.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals expressing and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of any affiliated organisations or ministries.