The MÃÂori people have a Polynesian religion that, prior to the introduction of Christianity to New Zealand was the main religious belief for MÃÂori. By 1845, more than half of the MÃÂori population attended church and Christianity remains the largest religion for MÃÂori. Very few MÃÂori still follow traditional MÃÂori religion, although many elements of it are still observed. Several MÃÂori religious movements have been born out of Christianity, such as the RÃÂtana movement.
Traditional MÃÂori religion, the pre-European belief-system of the MÃÂori, differed little from that of their perceived homeland, Hawaiki Nui, aka RaûiÃÂtea or Raiatea, conceiving of everything â including natural elements and all living things â as connected by common descent through whakapapa or genealogy. Accordingly, MÃÂori regarded all things as possessing a life force or mauri. Illustrating this concept of connectedness through genealogy are the major personifications dating from before the period of European contact:
(Some sources reference a supreme personification: Io; however this idea remains controversial.)
MÃÂori followed certain practices that relate to traditional concepts like . Certain people and objects contain mana â meaning prestige or authority, often as a spiritual essence. In earlier times, tribal members of a higher rank would not touch objects which belonged to members of a lower rank â to do so would constitute "pollution"; and persons of a lower rank could not touch the belongings of a highborn person without putting themselves at risk of death. "According to Best, MÃÂori politics was 'almost... theocratic', since 'fear of the gods was the strongest preserver of order. [...]'"
The word tapu can be interpreted as "sacred", as "spiritual restriction" or as "implied prohibition"; it involves rules and prohibitions. Two kinds of tapu operate: private tapu (relating to individuals) and public tapu (relating to communities). A person, an object or a place which is tapu may not be touched by human contact, or in some cases, not even approached. A person, object or a place could be made sacred by tapu for a certain time.
In MÃÂori society prior to European contact, tapu was one of the strongest forces in MÃÂori life. A violation of tapu could have dire consequences, including the death of the offender through sickness or at the hands of someone affected by the offence. In earlier times food cooked for a person of high rank was tapu, and could not be eaten by an inferior. A chief's house was tapu, and even the chief could not eat food in the interior of his house. Not only were the houses of people of high rank perceived to be tapu, but also their possessions â including their clothing. Burial grounds () and places of death were always tapu, and protective fencing often surrounded such areas.
In the 21st century, MÃÂori still observe tapu in matters relating to sickness, death, and burial:
On Christmas Day in 1814, at Oihi Bay, a small cove in Rangihoua Bay in the Bay of Islands, at the invitation of chiefs Te Pahi and Ruatara, the Reverend Samuel Marsden of the Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS) conducted the first Christian service on New Zealand land. The 1837 'MÃÂori New Testament' published by the CMS missionary and printer William Colenso was the first of the Bible translations into Oceanic languages. Demand for it and for the Prayer Book that followed grew exponentially, as did Christian MÃÂori led and public Christian services, with 33,000 MÃÂori attending regularly. Understanding of the Bible increased and social and economic benefits, decreased intertribal violence, and increased peace and respect for all people in MÃÂori society, including women, and decreasing slavery.
In 1845, 64,000 MÃÂori were attending church services, over half of the estimated population of 110,000. By then, there was probably a higher proportion of MÃÂori attending Church in New Zealand than British people in the United Kingdom. Large numbers of converts joined the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, both of which are still highly influential in MÃÂori society. The New Zealand Anglican Church, (the missionary church), was the largest MÃÂori denomination. MÃÂori made Christianity their own and spread it throughout the country often before European missionaries arrived
The MÃÂori aspect of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand has long been recognised by the ordination of MÃÂori priests as Bishop of Aotearoa; a well-known and sometimes controversial holder of that title was the late Most Rev. Sir Whakahuihui Vercoe, who is remembered for a speech he delivered in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II during a Waitangi Day ceremony. The Roman Catholic Church also ordains MÃÂori to high positions. Other churches, including the Presbyterian Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also gained MÃÂori converts from the 1880s on, and by 1901 there were nearly 4,000 MÃÂori members in 79 branches of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Today, MÃÂori Christians incorporate Christian prayer into MÃÂori karakia.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, several new MÃÂori Christian sects arose, combining various aspects of Christianity with MÃÂori philosophies. These include:
In the 2006 New Zealand Census, 16,419 people stated their religion as Ringatà «, and 50,565 RÃÂtana. The RÃÂtana Church has also had considerable political strength.
Islam
The proportion of MÃÂori followers of Islam is low. Although the number of MÃÂori Muslims grew rapidly at the end of the 20th century to 1,074 at the 2006 census, the total number of New Zealanders identifying as MÃÂori was 565,329. Thus, the total number of identified MÃÂori Muslims was 0.19 per cent of the MÃÂori population in 2006. This dropped to 0.1 per cent in the 2018 census.