Breaking Calabashes: Becoming an Intercultural Community by Rosemary Dewerse

In this simple, easy to read book Rosemary Dewerse succeeds in taking us into critical inter-cultural space with profound care but unavoidable clarity. Drawing on a true story of Hinemoa and Tutanekai, legendary across Maori communities in Aotearoa New Zealand, Rosemary frames the book around exploring four particular “calabashes” that many of our church communities have become locked into - definite ideas on what is acceptable and who is acceptable. We are taken on this challenging journey through the framework of Rosemary's experience, scholarship, substantial personal and familial inter-cultural experience, careful listening and honouring of the stories, insights, experiences and questions of a diverse group of people from a variety of cultural/language backgrounds and settings.