Towards an 'otualogy: Rethinking the Doctrine of God in Tonga

"The book breaks a new ground through the invention of the word 'otualogy. It represents a variation on the received task of a western theology which is expressed in conversation with Tongan cultural and social realities. It considers how the doctrine of God was 'miss-given' by the missionaries, 'miss-taken' by the Tongan hierarchy and thus 'miss-placed' subsequently in culture. The argument seeks to move away from linear line of thought and engage with a 'tidalectic' series of ebbing waves and flows. This book is unique insofar as its consideration of the missional legacy and consequences is through a theological doctrine rather than an historical study or through biblical hermeneutics. The argument is set within a wider context of international theological scholarship." Clive Pearson, Head of School of Theology, Charles Sturt University