Respecting Country: Deep history, the colonies, and the church (CH1200P)

Undergraduate, 18.0 points

Content

This unit equips you to tell histories of the Country on which your congregation lives and worships. It focuses on seeking understanding and respecting Country through embodied learning. It engages you in telling histories that emerge from relationship with Country, community and story. It examines the deep history of First Nations peoples, the recent history of colonial settlement, decolonising congregational history writing, and the challenges and hopes for the contemporary church on Aboriginal land. You will be introduced to Indigenous methodologies, Indigenous research ethics and relational accountability. You will also learn methods in decolonising historical research and skills that you need to interpret landscape, memory, ceremony, song, material culture, legal, theological, local histories, and the silences in archival sources. This unit walks with you as you research, write and reflect on the legacies of the past in the present.

Unit code: CH1200P

Unit status: Approved (Minor revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 1

Unit discipline: Church History

Proposing College: Pilgrim Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Assess archival, oral, material, and Country-based knowledges while recognising different epistemological traditions
2.

Interpret historical and theological contexts
3.

Apply principles and methods of historical research
4.

Connect theological and ethical aspects of historical research

Pedagogy

Workshops, guest presentations, discussions, lectures, time to share experiences of research. Sessions framed within stories of Country presented by First Nations people.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Brett, Mark G., Naomi Wolfe, Ray Minniecon, & Ben Clarke. "Sovereignty: Australian Stories". Zadok Papers. Zadok Institute for Christianity and Society, 2019.
  • Broome, Richard. Aboriginal Australians: A History Since 1788. 5th edition. Allen and Unwin, 2019.
  • Deverell, Garry Worete. Contemplating Country: More Gondwana Theology. Wipf & Stock, 2023.
  • Griffiths, Billy. Deep Time Dreaming: Uncovering Ancient Australia. Black Inc, 2018.
  • Jones, Ross L, Edward Waghorne, and Marcia Langton, eds. Dhoombak Goobgoowana: A History of Indigenous Australia and the University of Melbourne. Melbourne University Publishing, 2024.
  • Land, Clare. Decolonizing Solidarity: Dilemma and Directions for Supporters of Indigenous Struggles. Bloomsbury, 2015.
  • Martin, Karen Lillian. Please Knock before You Enter: Aboriginal Regulation of Outsiders and the Implications for Researchers. Post Pressed, 2008.
  • Moreton-Robinson, Aileen, ed. Critical Indigenous Studies : Engagements in First World Locations. The University of Arizona Press, 2016.
  • Neale, Margo, ed. First Knowledge series, volumes 1-10. Thames & Hudson, 2020 - 2026.
  • Yoorrook Justice Commission. Reports of the Yoorrook Justice Commission. First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, 2022-2025.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Investigation

Investigate primary sources (including archival materials) and secondary sources for your local project and develop a detailed annotated bibliography

 1000 25.0
Portfolio

Prepare a portfolio of research and reflection including the following: (1) Use primary and secondary source research to prepare a history of Country and present it in a format that will be meaningful for the church community; (2) Reflect on the process of historical research in a 5-min oral presentation that considers theological and ethical dimensions.

 3000 75.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Naomi Wolfe on 20 Aug, 2026

Unit record last updated: 2026-08-20 02:06:59 +1000