Texts of Terra
Texts of Terra Contents
A personal journey
The Texts of Terra project started before I even realised. It began with a train journey I made many years ago from Perth to near Sydney. On the trip I was overwhelmed by the size of the country, the vast open spaces, and the different terrain. The experience stayed with me over the years, especially when I began to research the place of the land in the bible.
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After Mabo: Nobody's land no more
UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!
Mabo means letting go of another attitude to the land. It is no longer terra nullius, nobody's land. It is not ours for the taking. If there is to be a real reconciliation with aboriginal people, we non-indigenous people need to develop another relationship with the land. We can learn much from aboriginal people, but if we look into our own heritage, we can find things there which can help us reimagine a new relationship.
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Bible and Australian literature as intertexts
Texts of Terra looks at bible passages about the land, and reads them alongside selected Australian novels in which the theme of the land is also important. This method of reading is often called intertextuality.
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Partners with the land
UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!
Instead of trying to dominate and conquer the land, we need to imagine our relatiionship as mutual. The biblical tradition offers some important insights into the relationship between the earth and its inhabitants.
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The illusion of conquest
Our current climate crisis highlights our need to change how we relate to the land. We inherited from our ancestors a conquest mentality to the land and continued to practice it. Now change is needed, and that means letting go of the conquest mentality.
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The land and the transcendent
UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!
Instead of seeing the land as something alien, it can be an opening to the transcendent for us. In a secular society this is important.
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