Rev. James S. Bhagwan is an ordained minister of the Methodist Church and general secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches. This post is based on his remarks presented during the panel “Human Dignity and Faith Traditions in Oceania” at the Oceanian Perspectives on Human Dignity Conference held at BYU–Hawaii in Laie, Oahu, Hawaii, 23–25 April 2024.

I begin by acknowledging that deep spirituality permeates the communities of Oceania and is at the heart of the Pacific peoples’ relationship with each other and with the world. Spirituality is integral to the way we interpret, understand, and interact with one another and with the natural world. And this spirituality is enhanced by the many faith traditions of this world, which have grown roots in our diverse Pacific communities. These faith traditions are shared with 85% of those who share this planet. The language of spirituality—the expression in metaphor, in image, in silence, in hymns of praise and cries for justice, in reflection and meditation, in ethical action, in confession and repentance, and in justice and compassion—is part of our way of life. That spirituality is not only experienced through faith communities but also through indigenous culture—that deep sense of vanua or fenua, of rootedness not only to land but also rootedness in respect and celebration of just relationships with all creation.

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