Religion

St. Benedict's The Painted Church, Kona, Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Hawaii’s religious heritageis diverse. As you would expect in a land where many cultures thrive side-by-side, Hawaii residents practice a number of religions. Most are Christians, and their churches include Roman Catholic, Church of Christ, Assembly of God, Church of Latter Day Saints and Jehovah Witnesses, among others. We also have followers of Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism.

Some Native Hawaiians also pray to the ancient Hawaiian gods, and a few of our most respected cultural practitioners trace their lineage back to the Volcano goddess Pele. The Hawaiian panoply is anchored by the four primary gods: Kane (the creator), Ku (god of war), Lono, (god of agriculture and fertility) and Kanaloa (god of the ocean).

A lele is a jumping-off place to the spirit world. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

In pre-Western-contact society, the kahuna (priests), were an important class just below the alii (royalty). With the arrival of American missionaries in 1820, the old religion gradually fell out of favor, and was replaced by Christianity. Today we can most easily see how the Hawaiian gods remain a living presence when we watch the ancient hula being performed. Many dances are in honor of the gods and nature, which have always been closely intermingled. Nowhere is this connection more vivid than at hula performances at the outdoor hula mound in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where dancers honor Pele and her creative force.