By 1815, the extent of British colonisation in Australia is still a tiny speck on a vast continent, but that’s all about to change. From about 1820, a radical shift occurs in the British colonial project which leads to a world-shattering experience for Australia’s First Peoples. In this episode we focus on the key part that Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) plays in this story. Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

Was there war between First Peoples and the newcomers from Britain? If so, when did it begin, and how? This episode takes us beyond the limits of Sydney town to discover what was going on in the bush and the reasons for conflict. Who drove these developments, and where did they lead? Note: some parts of this episode may not be suitable for younger listeners. Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

The arrival of the First Fleet and the establishment of a penal colony at Port Jackson meant a collision of worlds on an almost science fiction scale. Did these aliens from Britain think of themselves as "invaders"? How was their arrival received? How do the early years of this story set the trend and the tone for much to come? Jonathan and Jacob zoom in on Sydney town to find a surprisingly human story full of complexity and tension. Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

There is probably no bigger fact for the Australian economic context than the fact that we are a settler colony, so it’s no surprise that colonisation is one of the most contested subjects in Australian politics today. But how many of us actually know the history of what happened? With both sides of the culture war seeming to prefer their own idealised stories, how should Christians begin to get a handle on things here? This episode marks the beginning of our deepest dive series yet for the MannaCast, so strap in – this one may ruffle some feathers! Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

Jonathan interviews Dr Siu Fung Wu about his book, Suffering in Romans. Siu Fung describes how his own childhood experience of poverty in Hong Kong led him to explore themes of suffering in Paul's letter to the Romans, and how understanding the economic hardship of many of the Roman Christians to whom Paul was writing helps us better understand these deep themes in his writing. Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

Did the Mongolians kick start the modern world economy? Can Christianity work in a yurt? What can Australians learn from Mongolia? And why are Jonathan and Jacob talking about Mongolia anyway? Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

It’s an election year! But should Christian involvement in politics be limited to voting? Who should we vote for anyway? More than that, might there be a distinctively Christian way of negotiating our common life together? We bring our Christianity and politics series to a close with a frank discussion of where we find ourselves and forms of political witness in Australia today. Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

On part three of this four-part series we explore the lies, achievements, and compromises in Australia's political settlement. Believe it or not, Australia was once seen as the political laboratory of the world! Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

How did we get here? On this mammoth episode we try to tell the story of politics in "the Christian West" from about 330 AD - present. Sounds crazy? It probably is, but we need to understand where we've come from if we're going to understand where we are (and where to go from here). There's much to learn from this history, as well as things worth preserving if we can.   Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.   Image: The Battle of Gibraltar (1607) by Cornelis van Wieringen.

How do Christianity and politics go together? Do they? Jesus said his kingdom was ‘not of this world’ and yet ever since God made a nation out of Abraham’s descendants the people of God have always been ‘political’ in one way or another. In part one of this series, Jacob and Jonathan try to get a handle on what we mean by 'politics' from biblical times into early church history. Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

We live in a world shaped by the Industrial Revolution, but what do we make of it out the other side? Modern life would not be possible without this transition, but does that just cloud our judgement? Are the immense benefits, on balance, worth the costs? Can we even imagine an alternative? The way we answer these questions has much to do with how we evaluate the moral meaning of history as well as our daily lives. Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

The Industrial Revolution is one of the biggest shifts in human history, but what did it involve, and what does it mean for us today? In part one of this two-part series, Jonathan and Jacob survey what actually changed, how things changed, and what it looked liked for the people who lived through it. It's a story which spans much of the globe, and one we need to understand if we're to live well in the modern world. Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions. Additional credits: Mezhdunami, 2017; Rage Against the Machine, Epic Records, 1992 & 1996.

Which foodstuffs are most at risk of slavery? How does slavery get into—and out of—supply chains? On this episode, Jacob talks to Heather Roberts from Just Kai, an organisation which promotes slave-free choices in food. Food made with slave labour is hidden in plain sight in every supermarket – Heather’s here to tell us how we can be part of the change to a more just food system. Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

To celebrate the launch of Manna Gum's new website and a new logo, Jacob and Jonathan take the opportunity to discuss the what, how, and why of Manna Gum. What is it all about and where is it going? There is no doubt that some things about Manna Gum are a bit unconventional - this episode will help make a little more sense of the method behind the madness. Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

From Constantine to Scott Morrison… that’s a lot of water under the bridge. We live now on the other side of Christendom, but we still live in its shadow. How does all that’s come and gone since the days of “the Christian West” mean Christians should approach politics, power, and active citizenship in Australia today? What might we need to un-learn—and re-learn—in order to gain a clearer view of the good and how to do it in this century? Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

It’s an understatement to say that the legacy of Constantine is a divisive issue! In this episode, Jonathan and Jacob canvas a range of perspectives from scholars of the Constantinian Shift: does the entry of Christianity into the halls of power constitute a failure of the church or does it represent a triumph of the gospel? Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

For the first three hundred years, Christianity was a minority religion on the margins of ancient Roman society. Only half a century later, it was the state religion for a quarter of the world's population. How did this happen, and how should Christians understand this profound shift? In part one of this series, Jonathan and Jacob try to straighten out the history of the first Christian Emperor—Constantine—and lay the foundations for a debate about Christendom, Church, and state which continues to today.  Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

The first five books of the Hebrew Bible present a rich vision of God's gift of abundant life for all, but our view can sometimes be obscured by our distance from its ancient setting. Taking their lead from various Old Testament scholars, Jacob and Jonathan trace the economy of God from Creation to the Promised Land to see how receiving and sharing the gift always means observing limits.   Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.  

In part one of this double episode, we suggested contemporary concepts of Christian vocation often suffer from being too thin or too narrow. In part two, Jacob and Jonathan get stuck into what the “counter-cultural ethical content of the gospel” might mean for thinking about vocation in a variety of Aussie circumstances. How might a richer understanding of the call of Christ on our lives play out in the everyday? Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.

If we’ve heard and believed the good news of Jesus, what are we then supposed to do? If Christian faith is a call, what are we called to? These are the questions of Christian vocation, but if we’ve never heard a voice from God, does this mean we can simply do what we like? Are there things Christian should not do? Are there things we should all be doing? In part one on this topic, Jacob and Jonathan dig into the history and meaning of the Christian call and sketch a bigger vision. Theme music: © Don Stewart, Recorded/Mixed by Unmuzzled Music Productions.