This episode features someone who is making waves in the Aboriginal theology space. Professor Anne Pattel-Gray is a renowned academic and theologian who heads up the School of Indigenous Studies at the University of Divinity.
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Professor Pattel-Gray tells host Kirralee Nicolle of the trauma and struggle she experienced growing up Indigenous in Queensland, and of the importance of her cultural identity to her faith journey.
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“Everything you do in life you’ve gotta fight, you’ve gotta fight for every step that you take,” she says. “It’s never given to you, it’s never made easy. You get to a point where sometimes you get exhausted [by] the fighting. For me, the fight within me is a response to the call of God on my life. God’s called me to stand up and to hold the church accountable.”
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Professor Pattel-Gray also speaks of the ongoing effects of colonialism on the church in Australia.
“A new way of being church has to be nurtured,” she says.
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Everyday Saints is a podcast from The Melbourne Anglican which features the faith stories of those from Melbourne and beyond. To listen to more episodes, see here. To view the show on Spotify, see here.
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