Io as ‘the Soul of Things’: Māori Io Traditions beyond the Supreme God Debate
This talk challenges flawed arguments, missing evidence, and misread history, and proposes a new framework for Iotanga beyond binary origin debates.
Dr Deane Galbraith (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa) - Senior Lecturer in Religion/Mātai Whairuataka - University of Otago/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka
Few debates in the study of Māori religion have proven as durable—or as divisive—as the question of Io. For over a century, scholars have debated whether Io is a traditional component of pre-contact Māori atuatanga or a product of Christian influence.
In this talk, I want to do two things. First, I will argue that the discussion frequently misses key evidence, rests on commonly repeated but unlikely arguments, and misrepresents historical figures. Second, and more importantly, I will propose a new framework for thinking about Iotanga — one that loosens the binary grip of the origins question.
Dr Deane Galbraith (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa) is a Senior Lecturer in Religion/Mātai Whairuataka at the University of Otago/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka. His major areas of research are ancient religion, ancient Judaism, New Zealand 'conspiracy theories',Māorispirituality, and Giant traditions in historical and contemporary religion.
This seminar will be held ‘in person’.