Mercy Ah Siu-Maliko is to be commended for this pioneering work. Her work is invaluable for an emerging body of public theolo­gians in the islands. She has paved the way!
-- International Journal of Public Theology
Mercy Ah Siu-Maliko is a theological pioneer on several fronts. This important work is the first major publication by a Pacific Islander in the field of public theology, at a time when Christians urgently need to take a public stand on the many interconnected social problems facing the Oceanian region and, indeed, the rest of the world. Further, this book makes a significant contribution to contextual theology, in that Ah Siu-Maliko constructs her public theology by interweaving the ’core values’ of Samoan culture with corresponding ethical values in the Christian faith. Finally, this is a courageous development in non-Western women’s theology, as Ah Siu-Maliko applies her values-centered public theology to a pressing social problem in her own Samoan culture, in the other island nations of Oceania, and beyond – namely, the scourge of violence against women. She is to be highly commended for offering this challenging and creative theological gift to the people of Oceania and the world.
-- Feleterika Nokise, Victoria University
This is a very important book, not only because it is written by a Samoan woman theologian, in itself a ground-breaking achievement, but also because it addresses a matter of urgent concern, the need for the Church to take the Gospel into the public square, to speak up in support of women who are victims of violence, and to actively engage in the efforts needed to bring such violence to an end. Mercy Ah-Siu Maliko’s call to the church is offered with humility, wisdom, and compassion, and with a sure sense that the struggle against violence and injustice is a fundamental Christian obligation.
-- Murray Rae, University of Otago
Public theology can play a positive role in changing societies when it is contextual, Scriptural and committed to action. This vivid and engaging book, by a scholar and practitioner immersed in the Bible and her culture, adds significantly to our appreciation of public theology by showing its relevance in the context of Samoa. This work shows Mercy Ah Siu-Maliko to be a pioneer in her field.
-- Andrew Bradstock, University of Winchester
