I have written this book in response to an invitation of my mentors, The Rainbow Spirit Elders, who wrote, Abraham, the peacemaker, respected the peoples of the land. We ask the same. Abraham recognised the God of the land. We ask the same. Abraham and the peoples of the land shared mutual blessings. We ask the same. Rainbow Spirit Theology 1997, p. 85 My goal in this book is to follow the Abraham trail through the legends of Genesis and beyond so as to retrieve, where possible, how Abraham related to the indigenous Canaanites, their God and their land. What I believe I have retrieved provides a precedent for settlers who have dispossessed the land and discounted the faith of the Aboriginal Peoples where they settled. In the light of the Abraham precedent and subsequent colonial history, it is time to go beyond making another apology and make a formal acknowledgement that leads to a genuine treaty process. Norm Habel In this book, one of Australia's most distinguished elders in the field of biblical studies takes us back to the beginnings of the biblical narrative, and asks us to look again. Abraham and Sarah did not arrive in Canaan with an assertion of settler sovereignty. They were immigrants who lived peaceably among the Canaanites and respected an Indigenous name for God. If communities of faith follow Abraham's trail today, it leads to new covenants and treaties. Norman Habel sounds a compelling call to repentance. Mark G. Brett, Professor of Old Testament, Whitley College Norman Habel is a Professorial Fellow at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. He has long been involved in issues of biblical interpretation, eco-justice and restorative justice for Aboriginal Peoples. He was the scribe in the preparation of Rainbow Spirit Theology and the author of Reconciliation, Searching for Australia's Soul. His eco-justice works include The Earth Bible series, Discerning Wisdom in God's Creation and Exploring Ecological Hermeneutics.
