Tutoatasi Toalima

PhD Student in Study of Religon

Philip Fountain and Geoff Troughton

Religious Freedom in Sāmoa

This research seeks to identify the relationship between religion and politics in Sāmoa. The interactions of the two entities in history, past and present, might highlight Sāmoa's state of religious freedom. Specific issues such as the eradication of religious worship and sacraments during Covid-19 lockdowns, and tax exemption of 'ministers of religion' puts religious freedom a matter needed high scrutiny in Sāmoa. In doing so, a cultural research framework is proposed identifying religious freedom from a contemporary and cultural approach. As a framework, the contemporary and cultural approaches are weaved into a hermeneutic perspective to offer a self-understanding of how religious freedom operates in Sāmoa. This research will enable us to know whether Sāmoa is a Christian or a religiously free nation.