Articles

Selected Articles: From 2019 – 2025

• Pasifika Futures: Navigating Development with Indigenous Wisdom. Suva: United Nations Development Program, 2025. https://www.undp.org/pacific/publications/pasifika-futures-report-navigating-development-indigenous-wisdom
• Upolu Luma Vaai, ‘Climate Change in Pasifika Relational Itulagi.’ Otago: Toda Peace Institute, 2025. https://toda.org/assets/files/resources/policy-briefs/tr-212_climate-change-in-pasifika-relational-itulagi_vaai.pdf
• Esther D. Reed, Dion Forster, and Rudolf von Sinner with Ernst M. Conradie, Upolu Luma Vaai, Jörg Haustein, Daniel Heide, and Ángel F. Méndez-Montoya. ‘Christian Ethics.’ In St. Andrews Encyclopedia of Theology, Aug. 2024. https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/ChristianEthics  
• Upolu Luma Vaai. ‘Philosophical vectors of oceanic diplomacy and development: the Samoan wisdom of restraint meets the Australian indigenous relationalist ethos.’ Australian Journal of International Affairs 77 (2024):677-681. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10357718.2023.2268049
• Upolu Luma Vaai, ‘An Indigenous Philosophy of Restraint: A Quest for a Pasifika ‘Whole of Life’ Development Consciousness.’ In Upolu Luma Vaai and Aisake Casimira (eds). The ‘Whole of Life’ Way: Unburying Vakatabu Philosophies and Theologies for Pasifika Development. Suva: PTC Press. 2024. https://press.ptc.ac.fj/product/the-whole-of-life-way/
• Ernst Conradie and Upolu Luma Vaai (eds). Making Room for the Story to Continue: An Earthed Faith 4. An Earthed Faith: Telling the Story Amid the Anthropocene. Oregon: Cascade Books, 2024. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1779953410
• Upolu Luma Vaai, ‘There is no unity without unity with the dirt”: reDirtifying Ecumenism as Pasifika Sees It.’ In Upolu Luma Vaai and Mark Lamport (eds). The Story of Christianity in Oceania. The Global Story of Christianity: History, Context, and Communities. Oregon: Cascade Books, 2024. https://wipfandstock.com/9781666729764/restoring-identities/
• Upolu Luma Vaai, ‘We are Earth’: reDIRTifying Creation Theology.’ In Upolu Luma Vaai and Aisake Casimira. reStorying the Pasifika Household. Suva: PTC Press, 2023. https://www.amazon.com.br/reSTORYing-Pasifika-Household-English-Upolu-ebook/dp/B0DQVDXPGQ
• Upolu Luma Vaai, “Others are Enjoying Life from our Death: Eco-relational Theology and a Methodist Ecological Revolution in the Pacific.” In Methodist Revolution: Evangelical Engagements of Church and Society. Edited by Joerg Rieger and Upolu Luma Vaai. Nashville: GBHEM Publishing, Feb. 2022. https://www.amazon.com/Methodist-Revolutions-Evangelical-Engagements-Church/dp/1945935944
• Upolu Luma Vaai, “Eco-relational Spirituality: A (K)new Story for the Earth from a Pasifika Perspective.” In Transformative Spiritualities for the Ecumenical Pilgrimage of Justice. Edited by Fernando Enns, Upolu Luma Vaai, Andres P. Lozano, Betty Pries Geneva: WCC Publications, March. 2022. https://www.oikoumene.org/news/newly-published-transformative-spiritualities-for-the-pilgrimage-of-justice-and-peace-illuminates-a-sacred-walk
• Upolu Luma Vaai, “A Dirtified God: A Dirt Theology from the Pacific Dirt Communities.” In Theologies from the Pacific. 15-30. Edited by Jione Havea. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021. https://www.amazon.com/Theologies-Pacific-Postcolonialism-Religions-Jione/dp/3030743640
• Upolu Luma Vaai, “From Atutasi to Atulasi: Relational Theologizing and Why Pacific Islanders Think and Theologize Differently.” In Theologies from the Pacific. 235-250. Edited by Jione Havea. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021. https://www.amazon.com/Theologies-Pacific-Postcolonialism-Religions-Jione/dp/3030743640
• Upolu Luma Vaai, “Faith and Culture.” In Christianity in Oceania.235-246. Edited by Kenneth Ross, Katalina Tahaafe-Williams, and Todd M. Johnson. Edinburgh: Edinburgh Press, 2021. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctv21pts6j
• Upolu Luma Vaai. “A Lasting Memorial to the Pacific Islander Missionaries: A Brief History of the Islander Missionaries Memorial Chapel, PTC.”Journal of Pacific History 36 (2021): https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cjph20/57/2-3?nav=tocList
• Upolu Luma Vaai, “Pacific Spirituality and Changing the Climate Change Story,” In Religious Soft Diplomacy and the United Nations: Religious Engagement as Loyal Opposition. 241-258. Edited by Sherrie M. Steiner and James T. Christie. New York: Lexington Books, 2021. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/religious-soft-diplomacy-and-the-united-nations-9781498597364/
• Upolu Luma Vaai, “Lagimalie: Covid, De-Onefication of Theologies, and Eco-Relational Wellbeing.” In Doing Theology in the New Normal.209-221. Edited by Jione Havea. London: SCM, 2021. https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334060642/doing-theology-in-the-new-normal
• Upolu Luma Vaai, “The Eco-Relational Story of the Cosmic Aiga: A Pasifika Perspective.” In Taking a Deep Breath for the Story to Begin…An Earthed Faith 1. Edited by Ernst Conradie and Pan-chiu Lai. Durbanville: Aosis / Cascade, 2021. https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Deep-Breath-Story-Begin/dp/172528331X
• Upolu Luma Vaai. “The Sail.” In Weaving Theologies in Oceania: Culture, Context and Practice. Edited by Beatrice Green and Keiti Ann Kanongata’a. Cambridge: Cambridge Publishing, 2020. https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-5855-7
• Paulo Baleinakorodawa and Upolu Luma Vaai. “Fiji COVID Poverty Crisis.”Global Outlook. Tokyo: Toda Peace Institute, 2021. https://toda.org/global-outlook/fiji-covid-poverty-crisis.html
• Upolu Luma Vaai. “The Dance of Relationality: Vision for a Pacific Itulagi Education for Life.” In From the Deep: Pasifiki Voices for a New Story. Edited by James Bhagwan, Elise Huffer, France Koya Vaka’uta, and Aisake Casimira. Suva: Pacific Theological College, 2020. https://pacificconferenceofchurches.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/From-The-Deep-Pasifiki-Voices-for-a-New-Story-final-Web-version.pdf
• Upolu Luma Vaai. “Foreword.” In Reweaving the Ecological Mat Framework: Toward an Ecological Framework for Development,Edited by Cliff Bird, Arnie Siaki, and Meretui Ratunabuabua. Suva: Pacific Theological College, 2020.
• Upolu Luma Vaai. “Editorial: The 55^thAnniversary of the Pacific Theological College.” The Pacific Journal of Theology 58 (2020):1-5. https://archive.org/details/pacificjournaltheology_II_58_2020
• Upolu Luma Vaai. “Relational Theologizing: Why Pacific Islanders Think and Theologize Differently”, The Pacific Journal of Theology, 58 (2020):40-56. https://archive.org/details/pacificjournaltheology_II_58_2020
• Pacific Theological College, Covid-19 Wellbeing Statement, https://unitingworld.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PTC-Covid-19-Wellbeing-Statement.pdf
• Upolu Luma Vaai and Gladson Jathanna. “Let the House Speak: Memorialising the Islander Missionaries Chapel for Re-Storying Ecumenism as the Pacific Household of God.” The Pacific Journal of Theology59 (2020):4-20. https://spats.org.fj/pacific-journal-of-theology/
• Upolu Luma Vaai. “Editorial.” The Pacific Journal of Theology59 (2020):4-20. https://spats.org.fj/pacific-journal-of-theology/
• Upolu Luma Vaai. “A Call for an Eco-Relational Theology of Mission”. The Pacific Journal of Theology57 (2019):59-64. https://spats.org.fj/pacific-journal-of-theology/
• Upolu Luma Vaai. “Relational Theology and Reforming the Pacific”. In Reflecting Reformation and the Call for Renewal in a Globalized and Post-Colonial World. Edited by Claudia Jahnel. Neuendettelsau: Erlanger Verlag fur Mission und Okumene, 2019.
• Upolu Luma Vaai. Pacific Eco-Relational Spirituality and Changing the Climate Change Story. Tokyo: Toda Peace Institute, 2019. https://toda.org/assets/files/resources/policy-briefs/t-pb-56_upolu-luma-vaai_we-are-therefore-we-live.pdf
• Volger boege, john campbell, kevin clements, kirsten davis, and upolu luma vaai (eds). Toda pacific declaration on climate change, conflict and peace. Tokyo: toda peace institute, 2019. https://toda.org.