A local theologian has launched her first book putting a spotlight on Samoan and Christian core values, in response to rapid social change developing across the Pacific.

A small ceremony was held at the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.) Fale this week to officially launch the book entitled “Embodying Aga Tausili" which was written by academic and theologian Dr. Mercy Ah Siu-Maliko.

The guests at the launching included the Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) party leader, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, as well as academics from the N.U.S.

Dr. Ah Siu-Maliko is a lecturer in theology at Piula Theological College in Samoa and a research affiliate at the Centre for Theology and Public Issues of the University of Otago in New Zealand. 

She earned her PhD in public theology at the University of Otago and has authored numerous journal articles and conference papers.

Her recently launched book is a groundbreaking contextual approach to public theology that constructs a theological response to social problems by interviewing the Samoan and Christian values of service, respect, dialogue, love and justice.

The public theology that emerges is then applied to the problem of violence against women in Samoa. 

Speaking to the Samoa Observer, Dr. Ah Siu-Maliko said, “the book tells a story of who I am and my journey as a servant in God’s ministry and as an academic.”

The journey of writing her book started in 2015 and then she was offered an opportunity to use what she had researched to turn into a book.

“It was a blessing because it was an offer from one of the prestigious publishers Lexington Press [Books/Fortress Academic].”

“[It was a] a faith journey, this is God’s response to fasting, praying and surrendering everything to God in prayers.”

The local theologian’s journey as a writer was not easy as she said she went through, “mountains and valleys like many other writers.”

“But through those valleys and mountains, God reveals what He wants to be included in this book. 

“It also taught me about patience, two to three years it has been reviewed because they had strict guidelines and a thought occurred to me, I’m tired but once God has purposed you to do something; He will find a way for you to succeed. 

“The success that is represented in this book is not about me, I’m just a vessel, and this is to raise the name of God that our country seems to have forgotten because of the ongoing crisis yet God is listening.”

Dr. Ah Siu-Maliko also talked about the five core values: love, respect, dialogue, reciprocal respect, and justice in the book. 

Furthermore, she gave an example of the relationship between a husband and wife.

“The husband may take it as, the bible says, that ‘wives, obey your husbands’ but there is a mutuality, a relationship that is based on love and respect but the only reason why it’s misused, it’s when a person wants to use it to achieve or to satisfy their own personal agenda.

“In this book, there are stories and narratives from the Samoan public which includes all of us.

“I see this book as a an inclusive passage about people in Samoa regardless of walks of life, backgrounds, but this book represents what it means to be a person living in the Samoan public.”

When speaking about the meaning behind the title of the book, Dr. Ah Siu-Maliko said that when she did her PhD, “the topic was public theology, core values and domestic violence in Samoa but afterwards I decided that the focus here and the solution to all problems regardless of what social issue it is, it’s a reflection of a crisis of values.”

“And that’s what’s happening in Samoa right now. In order to go back and to re-educate ourselves about who we are, we need to be informed about our own values…that’s why I decided on the title “embodying” because the focus in this book is not just knowing the values or speaking publicly about values but it has to start from us in terms of the enactment of values.”

Dr. Ah Siu-Maliko said that a message that the book is trying to portray for its audience is “living out our values is much more important than knowing it.”

“It is more important to have that consistency in living out our values regardless of who we are meeting in public…whether it is a church or a market place we need to be consistent with our values.”

She said that just because you see someone with a higher status compared to someone without a status does not mean you treat the respected well over others.

“In the Bible it says, what you did to the least of them, you’ve done it to me [Jesus] but it’s not saying only the respected or elite of them all [should be treated well]…that’s why it’s really good to be humble.

“We are a Christian country, God will raise us.  

“The enactment or embodiment of values begins from ourselves; we want transformation it needs to begin with us.” 

Professor Murray Rae of the University of Otago said that the book is significant, not only because it is written by a Samoan woman theologian, in itself a groundbreaking achievement.

“But also because it addresses a matter of urgent concern – the need for the church to take gospel into the public square, to speak up in support of women who are victims of violence, and to actively engage in the efforts needed to bring such violence to an end,” said Professor Rae.