Religion & Beliefs

The stars of The Casketeers on how to live a fulfilling life, rich with tikanga. Following on from the bestseller Life as a Casketeer, Francis and Kaiora Tipene share how they bring the traditional values of tikanga Maori into day-to-day living. Known for their warm hearts, grace... and humour, the stars of the wildly popular Netflix series The Casketeers share more of their life experiences juggling five sons, three businesses, a television show and a life filled with joy, spirituality and happiness.
Read more

A powerful survivor's memoir from a former child resident of New Zealand's infamous Centrepoint Community Shortly before I turned 13, my life changed forever when my family moved to the notorious Centrepoint Community on Auckland's North Shore, then at its peak. Centrepoint was f...ounded by Bert Potter, its 'spiritual leader'. He called himself God. During my four years there I was pressured into inappropriate and often frightening situations by many of its adult members. Like so many others, I have lived with the trauma and shame of these memories, but I have survived. This is my story. In this intimate and harrowing account, Rachel Clare King tells her story of the years she spent in New Zealand's notorious commune, Centrepoint, and life there under the rule of its cult leader and founder Bert Potter. Through the eyes of her young self, Rachel exposes the truth of life at Centrepoint - a hippie dream turned nightmare - with its bizarre rules, hierarchies and social controls. It was a place where children were given drugs, where free sexuality was mandated, including between adults and children, and where to resist was actively discouraged. She describes the fear and confusion of growing up in a corrupt world where wrong was right, and the grief of losing her childhood. She takes us inside the police case and court battle against one of her abusers, and the historic action that ultimately saw Potter and others charged with drug and child sex abuse crimes, and Centrepoint shut down. Surviving Centrepoint was first published under the pseudonym Ella James. Now, for the first time, and using her real name, Rachel shares her journey from physical hurt and emotional pain to the reality of survival and the healing power of telling the truth.
Read more

First published in 2012 and here in a revised edition, He Puna Iti i te Ao Marama is a far-reaching work that attempts to develop the foundations of an indigenous Maori theology.

When Meg's father decides to sell his Prince Edward Island lobster fishing business to her high school nemesis Oliver, she sets out to prove she should inherit it instead. But there is more than just a fleet on the line--her heart is, too.

From master storyteller Witi Ihimaera, a spellbinding and provocative retelling of traditional Maori myths for the twenty-first century. In this milestone volume, Ihimaera traces the history of the Maori people through their creation myths. He follows Tawhaki up the vines into th...e firmament, Hine-titama down into the land of the dead, Maui to the ends of the earth, and the giants and turehu who sailed across the ocean to our shores . . . From Hawaiki to Aotearoa, the ancient navigators brought their myths, while looking to the stars - bright with gods, ancestors and stories - to guide the way. 'Step through the gateway now to stories that are as relevant today as they ever were.'
Read more