Mana from Heaven : A Century of Maori Prophets in New Zealand

In the period from 1820 to 1920, more than prophets arose in New Zealand leading distinctive movements in response to the message brought by Christian missionaries. Although many served as vehicles for social protest, these movements were primarily attempts to affirm spiritual and racial identity in the face of rapid cultural change.

Mana From Heaven records the evolution of Maori spirituality from early contact, particularly considering the influence of the translated scriptures, and showing how and why the movements differed in distinct periods.

Regarded as the definitive work in its field, the book analyses the principal influences in Maori religious movements during the first century of European settlement and gives vivid portrayals of the dozens of individuals who shaped the responses to the new beliefs.

Mana From Heaven was published 1989 by Moana Press; 2nd edition 1999 Reed Books; 3rd edition 2013 by Libro International as an e-book; this edition 2020 by Flaxroots

Bronwyn Elsmore is a fifth generation New Zealander. She has a PhD degree from Victoria University of Wellington, is a past senior lecturer at Massey University, and author of many other works including Like Them That Dream: the Maori and the Old Testament, and Te Kohititanga Marama, New Moon New World: the Religion of Matenga Tamati, as well as works of fiction.