Theological Studies

Unit overview and content

This unit of study is designed to engage students in a conversation about the ways in which Christian Second Peoples live on Indigenous land. It seeks a critical understanding of the rights and dignity of First Peoples who may also be Christian. After 60,000 years of occupation Australia’s First Peoples found themselves invaded and dispossessed by British colonial power. What does this mean for the way Christian Second Peoples live in this land and forge their identity as a people of Christian faith? This is not an Indigenous Studies Unit.

Learning Outcomes

At the completion of this unit of study, students will be able to:

• articulate a deep understanding of listening, storytelling, and relationship building as primary ways of engaging with First Peoples and what invasion and colonial occupation has meant for them
• demonstrate a critical understanding of why being on Indigenous land, and engaging with and understanding the rights and dignity of First Peoples, matters to Christian theology and life
• demonstrate a critical awareness of the colonial history of Indigenous Australia, including the impact of churches on Australian Indigenous people and their religious identity
• engage in the processes of acknowledgement, reconciliation and justice with a deep understanding, and
• articulate a well-developed understanding of the issues involved in speaking of ‘Second Peoples,’ and what it means for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Peoples who are not descendants of the those who colonised to engage in reconciliation and justice.

Assumed Knowledge 

T8106 and B8101

Study hours

10 hours per week for 12 week session, comprised of

• At least 1 hour per week for online lectures
• At least 3 hours per week of reading.
• At least 6 hours per week of directed study, including optional and assessable online activities.

Teaching methods

Online lectures; online activities; guided reading; scaffolded assessments; feedback on assessments.

Indicative Assessment

At the Institute we use a range of assessment tasks, including essays, research papers, online posts, critical reflections, projects and praxis exercises. Within a unit of study each set of assessment tasks is designed as an integral part of your learning experience. These tasks vary across units and programs. All assessment tasks are aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework level appropriate for graduate awards.