Religion
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New Zealand is a nation, meaning there is a formal separation between the state and religious entities.1 There is a high degree of religious freedom and diversity throughout the country. While state and religious groups remain separate, religious institutions (especially those part of Christian traditions) continue to play a large role in New Zealand society. For example, many primary and secondary schools, hospitals, aged-care facilities and charity organisations are owned and funded by religious organisations.
Christianity was introduced to New Zealand by European missionaries during and remains the largest religious affiliation in the country. However, roughly half of the New Zealand population does not identify as religious.2 Unlike in some other Western-speaking cultures, there is a lack of common public religious rhetoric (such as ‘God bless America’) that connects the New Zealand national identity with Christianity. Instead, there is a cultural tendency to maintain a distinction between an individual’s private and public life. People tend not to promote or persistently defend their religious views (including non-religious views such as ) in public settings like the workplace. In recent times, there has been an increase in the use of karakia (a Māori prayer) or similar Pacific Island prayers at the start and close of meetings. Conversations about religion are usually welcome in private settings and among close friends and family.
Demographics and Trends
According to the 2023 Census, 51.6% of New Zealanders identified as having ‘no religion’ and 32.3% identified as Christian (including over 20 denominations).2 Other religious affiliations included Hinduism (2.9%), Islam (1.5%), Māori religious beliefs and philosophies (1.3%), Buddhism (1.1%), Spiritualism and New Age religions (0.4%) and Judaism (0.1%). Approximately 2% nominated some other unidentified religion, belief or philosophy, and 6.9% objected to providing a response.2
There has been a significant decline in the number of those identifying as Christian since the early 2000s. The 2006 Census recorded 54.2% of the population as Christian, which has since dropped to 32.3% in 2023.2 At the same time, the number of those who identify with no religion increased from 34.0% in 2006 to 51.6% in 2023.2 This signified the first time that the number of the religiously unaffiliated has exceeded Christians.
Immigration patterns have significantly influenced New Zealand's religious demographics. For instance, the rise of non-Christian religious traditions is largely attributed to increased immigration from Asia.3 Meanwhile, the diversity of Christianity is partly attributed to the arrival of those from Asia and the Pacific (such as Korean Presbyterians and Methodists, and Samoan Catholics and Congregationalists).4
Christianity in New Zealand
Christianity was introduced to New Zealand in the early 19th century when the Anglican-affiliated Church Missionary Society arrived in 1814. More missionary movements arrived in the following decades, such as the Wesleyan-Methodist Missionary Society (1823) and Catholic missionaries (1838), as well as missionaries from Germany (1842) and Scotland (1843).5 The missionary activities of the 19th century had a large impact on New Zealand’s political and social landscape. Many missionaries often became fluent in the Māori language, enabling them to act as mediators and interpreters between the Māori and the colonial government.5
The diversity of Christian traditions introduced by missionaries continues today. In the 2023 census, the largest Christian affiliations were Roman Catholic (5.8%), Anglican (4.9%), Presbyterian (3.6%), Pentecostal (1.3%), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1.1%) and Methodist (0.8%).2 While roughly one in three New Zealanders identifies as Christian, actual church membership and regular attendance are significantly lower.3, 4 Even so, many people who do not attend church regularly still participate in major life-cycle rituals (such as baptism and confirmation) and observe major religious holidays like Easter and Christmas.
Māori Christian Traditions
Many of New Zealand’s mainstream Christian traditions have Māori adherents. In addition, independent Māori Christian traditions are another integral part of New Zealand’s diverse religious landscape. Māori Christian traditions emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries after the interactions between European missionaries and local Māori communities. Today, the Rātana Church (Te Haahi Rātana) and the Ringatū movement are two of the most popular traditions.6 According to the 2023 Census, 0.88% of the population identify as Rātana and 0.24% identify as Ringatū.2
The Rātana Church was founded in the 1920s by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana, a Methodist Māori farmer who gained a reputation as an extraordinary leader and faith healer.7, 8 Major beliefs and ideas of the Rātana Church include the Christian trinity of Matua, Tama and Wairua Tapu (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), the glorifying of the founder as te Māngai (the ‘mouthpiece’ of God), and the healing of illness through faith and the Church.7, 8 The Church also practices a diverse set of rituals that integrate Christian and Māori elements.8 The distinctive architectural style of the Rātana church can be found in various parts of the country.7
The Ringatū movement was founded in the 1860s–1870s by Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūruki, a Māori guerrilla leader who developed this new Māori Christian theology during his imprisonment.7, 8 Ringatū services are held at a marae rather than in a church building and take place on the Sabbath, which followers observe on Saturdays.7, 8 A particularly significant service is held on the 12th day of each month, during which communion is celebrated without the use of bread or wine.9 These services follow a memorised liturgy that includes the recitation of Bible verses, songs, chants, and prayers.9
Traditional Māori Worldviews (Te Ao Māori)
Māori society has held a range of spiritual beliefs and practices long before the introduction of Christianity to New Zealand. Traditionally, the Māori worldview (known as Te Ao Māori) varies from region to region and within regions that have multiple iwi. However, common beliefs are generally based on a distinction between the physical realm and the supernatural realm, the latter of which is populated with beings such as gods (atua), ancestors (tipuna), spirits (wairua) and ghosts (kehu).3 Other key concepts in Māori spirituality include the interconnectedness between people and their natural environment, the presence of supernatural beings like gods and ancestors in nature, and the distinction between the sacred (tapu) and the ordinary (noa).
The Māori worldview emphasises the importance of the reciprocal relationship and interconnectedness between people, landforms and other elements of natural landscapes, especially rivers and mountains. Such natural elements and life forms are thought to be embodied by beings from the supernatural world, such as gods (atua) or ancestors (tupuna). Individuals are connected to these beings through a long (whakapapa) since the beginning of creation. Since gods and ancestors are embodied within the natural environment, great importance is placed on an individual’s ongoing relationship to their ancestral land and surroundings. Thus, a sense of place and belonging in relation to ancestry plays an important part in Māori spirituality and identity.
Another important aspect of the Māori worldview is the distinction between tapu (the state of being sacred, special, restricted, or under protection) and its complementary concept - noa (the state of lacking tapu, such as being ordinary). All things, people, places and objects are categorised as being either tapu or noa.10 This distinction has shaped many aspects of Māori society, including how individuals interact with one another and their environments, as well as social structures and divisions of labour. One example is how high-ranking women were often responsible for performing rituals that removed the sacred (tapu) at the end of sacred activities, such as housebuilding and childbirth.6 The distinction continues to play an important role in Māori culture. For example, pregnant women and those nearing death are considered to be tapu and may be required to be separated from those places, people or objects considered to be noa. If something is considered extremely tapu, it may be placed under a state known as rahui, which is a formalised ban between the tapu space or person and other people.