MannaCast

After eleven episodes exploring the history and themes of settler colonisation, Jon and Jacob step back to reflect on the legacies that live on today, not just for First Nations people, but for the whole nation. And what does all of this mean for a Christian response to the legacies of the past in the present moment? Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

Jonathan chats with Aunt Esme Bamblett about her long life of activism struggling for First Peoples' justice, and her involvement at the centre of contemporary processes of truth-telling and treaty-making in Victoria today. Esme Bamblett is a Bangerang, Taungurung and Wiradjuri woman; CEO of the Aborigines Advancement League; and Member of the First Peoples' Assembly in Victoria. Theme music: © Do...

Jacob sits down with Safina Stewart to discuss the how and why of building relationships between the First and Second Peoples of this continent. Along the way, Safina shares some of her own experiences and some of the challenges she has observed to doing this well. Safina Stewart is a proud Wuthithi and Mabuiag Island woman, an award-winning artist, and Common Grace's Storyteller and Aboriginal an...

There's a lot to unpack if we're to understand the role of Christianity in the process of Australia's colonisation. From the historical context and the history itself, to the theology and the experiences of the actual people on the ground, as well as the contemporary legacies of these things, Jonathan and Jacob settle in for a long and chewy discussion. If you're a Christian and you're Australian,...

With the conquest of Australia pretty much complete by federation in 1901, what will be the status and role of the conquered peoples in this new nation? How does this change over time, and why? On the longest episode of the MannaCast to date (!), Jon and Jacob focus on the story in Queensland and the reality of life for Indigenous peoples in the early-mid 20th century.  (Episode notes available he...

Between 1788 and 1901, the great southern landmass went through a process of enormous change both in the human sphere and beyond. On this episode, Jonathan and Jacob pause the narrative to chew the fat, examining some major themes and turning points in the story so far. How can we characterise this process, and how do we begin to come to terms with it legacy?   (Episode notes available here.) Them...

Was Australia settled or was it conquered? How do you conquer a continent in the space of 70 years? This episode charts the explosive growth of colonisation after 1835 to cover pretty much the entire continent by the time of Federation in 1901.  But that was not the end of frontier violence... (Episode notes available here.) Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions...

The influx of pastoralists and land speculators into Victoria's grasslands was one of the fastest and largest land grabs in colonial history, but it begun with the only known formal land agreement between the First Peoples of Australia and British settlers. What was this agreement between Kulin leaders and John Batman's Port Phillip Association, and how did it usher in the end of the world as they...

By 1815, the extent of British colonisation in Australia is still a tiny speck on a vast continent, but that’s all about to change. From about 1820, a radical shift occurs in the British colonial project which leads to a world-shattering experience for Australia’s First Peoples. In this episode we focus on the key part that Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) plays in this story. (Episode notes available...

Was there war between First Peoples and the newcomers from Britain? If so, when did it begin, and how? This episode takes us beyond the limits of Sydney town to discover what was going on in the bush and the reasons for conflict. Who drove these developments, and where did they lead? Note: some parts of this episode may not be suitable for younger listeners. (Episode notes available here.) Theme m...

The arrival of the First Fleet and the establishment of a penal colony at Port Jackson meant a collision of worlds on an almost science fiction scale. Did these aliens from Britain think of themselves as "invaders"? How was their arrival received? How do the early years of this story set the trend and the tone for much to come? Jonathan and Jacob zoom in on Sydney town to find a surprisingly human...

There is probably no bigger fact for the Australian economic context than the fact that we are a settler colony, so it’s no surprise that colonisation is one of the most contested subjects in Australian politics today. But how many of us actually know the history of what happened? With both sides of the culture war seeming to prefer their own idealised stories, how should Christians begin to get a...

Jonathan interviews Dr Siu Fung Wu about his book, Suffering in Romans. Siu Fung describes how his own childhood experience of poverty in Hong Kong led him to explore themes of suffering in Paul's letter to the Romans, and how understanding the economic hardship of many of the Roman Christians to whom Paul was writing helps us better understand these deep themes in his writing. Theme music: © Don...

Did the Mongolians kick start the modern world economy? Can Christianity work in a yurt? What can Australians learn from Mongolia? And why are Jonathan and Jacob talking about Mongolia anyway? Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

It’s an election year! But should Christian involvement in politics be limited to voting? Who should we vote for anyway? More than that, might there be a distinctively Christian way of negotiating our common life together? We bring our Christianity and politics series to a close with a frank discussion of where we find ourselves and forms of political witness in Australia today. Theme music: © Don...

On part three of this four-part series we explore the lies, achievements, and compromises in Australia's political settlement. Believe it or not, Australia was once seen as the political laboratory of the world! Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

How did we get here? On this mammoth episode we try to tell the story of politics in "the Christian West" from about 330 AD - present. Sounds crazy? It probably is, but we need to understand where we've come from if we're going to understand where we are (and where to go from here). There's much to learn from this history, as well as things worth preserving if we can.  Theme music: © Don Stewart,...

How do Christianity and politics go together? Do they? Jesus said his kingdom was ‘not of this world’ and yet ever since God made a nation out of Abraham’s descendants the people of God have always been ‘political’ in one way or another. In part one of this series, Jacob and Jonathan try to get a handle on what we mean by 'politics' from biblical times into early church history. Theme music: © Don...

We live in a world shaped by the Industrial Revolution, but what do we make of it out the other side? Modern life would not be possible without this transition, but does that just cloud our judgement? Are the immense benefits, on balance, worth the costs? Can we even imagine an alternative? The way we answer these questions has much to do with how we evaluate the moral meaning of history as well a...

The Industrial Revolution is one of the biggest shifts in human history, but what did it involve, and what does it mean for us today? In part one of this two-part series, Jonathan and Jacob survey what actually changed, how things changed, and what it looked liked for the people who lived through it. It's a story which spans much of the globe, and one we need to understand if we're to live well in...

Which foodstuffs are most at risk of slavery? How does slavery get into—and out of—supply chains? On this episode, Jacob talks to Heather Roberts from Just Kai, an organisation which promotes slave-free choices in food. Food made with slave labour is hidden in plain sight in every supermarket – Heather’s here to tell us how we can be part of the change to a more just food system. Theme music: © Do...

To celebrate the launch of Manna Gum's new website and a new logo, Jacob and Jonathan take the opportunity to discuss the what, how, and why of Manna Gum. What is it all about and where is it going? There is no doubt that some things about Manna Gum are a bit unconventional - this episode will help make a little more sense of the method behind the madness. Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixe...

From Constantine to Scott Morrison… that’s a lot of water under the bridge. We live now on the other side of Christendom, but we still live in its shadow. How does all that’s come and gone since the days of “the Christian West” mean Christians should approach politics, power, and active citizenship in Australia today? What might we need to un-learn—and re-learn—in order to gain a clearer view of t...

It’s an understatement to say that the legacy of Constantine is a divisive issue! In this episode, Jonathan and Jacob canvas a range of perspectives from scholars of the Constantinian Shift: does the entry of Christianity into the halls of power constitute a failure of the church or does it represent a triumph of the gospel? Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions...

For the first three hundred years, Christianity was a minority religion on the margins of ancient Roman society. Only half a century later, it was the state religion for a quarter of the world's population. How did this happen, and how should Christians understand this profound shift? In part one of this series, Jonathan and Jacob try to straighten out the history of the first Christian Emperor—Co...