Customer Reviews

A Native American Theology

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In A Native American Theology, Clara Kidwell, Homer Noley, and George Tinker effective collaborate to present an original exercise in understanding Native American theology. While observing traditional categories of Christian systematic theology, there is a reimaging consistent with Native American experience, values, and world view. The authors also introduce new categories from native thought-worlds such as the Trickster (eraser of boundaries, symbol of ambiguity), and Land. Highly recommended reading for Native American studies, multicultural studies, and comparative religion, A Native American Theology concludes with the authors addresses contemporary Native American issues including racism, poverty, stereotyping, cultural appropriation, and religious freedom.

I've read a ton of book on Native/Christian comparisons and contrasts, but this was by far the most stimulating and well-reasoned of them all. The ideology is reasonable and the research is dead-on, and the authors represent tribal traditions with insight and clarity, even from perspectives outside their own tribal affiliations.

I was particularly interested in Tink's treatment of the Trickster ideology in Native cultures. As an Ojibway, I'm familiar with the works of Gerald Vizenor and commented to my wife (reading aloud to me on a road trip), "Oh yeah, Vizenor talks about stuff like this!" And Lo! and behold, but a paragraph later Tink references Vizenor while explaining the significance of Trickster characters in the development and maintenance of tribal mores. The recognition of Trickster stories in the Bible is something easily missed by Amer-European Christians, and yet for Indigenous people they are very apparent; I had even personally noted the Trickster story in the Jesus/Syro-Phoenician Woman account and then Tink alludes to it as well.

I found their treatment of things like land, panentheism, the roles of men and women, sexuality, and concepts of sin and salvation to be intriguing, and I have long preached a very Indigenist world view to Christians who often fail to recognize that such a world view is at the heart of, not contrary to, the systems of Native *and* Biblical premises, if one knows how to read or listen.

I wish I could spend an evening with Kidwell and Tink, just eating dinner and talking long into the night. I find their collaborative ideas to be fascinating and needed.

I can only agree with WichacpiHoskila's review, though it appears we are from different backgrounds. I am a cradle-born Roman Catholic turned Anglo-Catholic with an interest in Native American history](as well as my book Who Have the Power that incorporates all this and has led me further on the path). Anyway, I found the Christology chapter especially stimulating. There is so much to admire in how the authors constructed this book - the depth of the scholarship, the respect for dialogue, and the reading of Scripture. I will continue to study it and recommend it to others.