In an ABC Religion & Ethics opinion piece, Whitley Professor Mark Brett and Naomi Wolfe urge Australian churches to face their colonial histories and take real steps toward justice for First Peoples.
Spiritual Sovereignty
They call for recognition of “spiritual sovereignties”, the enduring ancestral ties between First Peoples and their lands, which persist alongside, not beneath, Crown sovereignty.
History and Complicity
The authors trace colonial legal doctrines, from the “doctrine of discovery” to terra nullius, showing how they enabled the dispossession of Indigenous Australians. Churches, they argue, were not passive observers but beneficiaries of this system.
The Call to Action
Brett and Wolfe urge churches to give up state-granted privileges rooted in stolen land and wealth, and to offer compensation, not as charity, but as a moral and theological duty grounded in Christian ethics.
The Yoorrook Justice Commission Context
In July 2025, the Commission found colonisation in Victoria amounted to genocide and systemic displacement, issuing 100 recommendations including reparations, land returns, Indigenous-led governance, and formal apologies. Churches were singled out for their historical gain from dispossession, echoing Brett and Wolfe’s call for restitution.
Why This Matters Now
This piece challenges people of faith to move beyond symbolic gestures to truth-telling and tangible action. Reparations, partnerships with First Peoples, and land justice are not abstract ideals; they are necessary steps toward healing.
Closing thought:
If churches truly believe in justice, the time to act is now, not only to reckon with the past, but to help shape a more just future.