The Christian Maramatanga Society is a small Christian-based denomination originating in New Zealand in mid-1920s.
History
Following a theological debate in the Rātana Established Church of New Zealand, Mrs. Ngapaki Hakaraia left the church to form her own movement at
Kai Iwi, a settlement in New Zealand to the west of
Wanganui
Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whangan ...
. It is said that when Mr.
Tahupotiki Wiremu Rātana, Mangai, founder of the Rātana Established Church of New Zealand (commonly known as
Rātana Church
The Rātana movement ( mi, Te Haahi Rātana) is a church and pan-''iwi'' political movement founded by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana in early 20th-century New Zealand. The Rātana Church has its headquarters at the settlement of Rātana Pā near ...
) "closed the Bible", many thought that he implied that the members of the church should not read the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
as well. This influenced Mrs. Hakaraia into forming her own church to ensure that the Bible "remained open". However, Rātana did not imply this but rather that the Bible be closed in order to stop fanciful prophecies being heralded from the Book of Revelation in the future.
Following the Rātana church, the Society actively engaged in politics.
Today
The church continues today with a small membership.
References
* Henderson, James Mcleod (1963). Ratana The Man, The Church, The Movement (1st ed.) A.H & A.W. Reed Ltd {{ISBN, 0-589-00619-3.
*
Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 153, 27 December 1944, Page 4 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19441227.2.23
*
Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 154, 28 December 1944, Page 7 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19441228.2.96
*
Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 57, 4 September 1943, Page 8 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19430904.2.68
Christian denominations in New Zealand
Māori religion