‘O Iesū ua lawa – Jesus is enough.
About the Apologetics Series
The Moʻolelo Kūʻiʻo Apologetics Series exists to defend truth, clarify history, and strengthen faith. Too often, myths, folklore, or romanticized retellings cloud Hawaiʻi’s Christian story. Our goal is not to dismiss culture or heritage, but to shine light on what is true and trustworthy, so that the gospel of Jesus Christ is honored without distortion.
By addressing false narratives and carefully examining sources, each volume provides believers and students with tools for discernment. At its heart, the series stands on a simple conviction: ‘O Iesū ua lawa – Jesus is enough.
Moʻolelo Kūʻiʻo Apologetics Series – Volume 2
The Black Box: A Lesson in How to Embellish Hawaiʻi’s Christian History
Moʻolelo Kūʻiʻo is releasing the second book in our Apologetics Series, uncovering the truth behind one of Hawaiʻi’s most persistent modern myths, the so-called “Black Box Bible” said to have been brought ashore by the first missionaries in 1820 .
This work traces how a simple tourist guide reference to a “square box” in 1923–1936 was gradually transformed into a mystical “Black Box” prophecy through embellishments in travelogues, newspaper columns, and even James Michener’s, Hawaii. Despite its popularity in churches and on the internet, no missionary-era sources confirm the existence of a “Black Box.”
Instead, the book shows how folklore, fiction, and cultural reinterpretation blurred into myth, overshadowing the real and powerful story of the gospel’s arrival in Hawaiʻi, the lives of ʻŌpūkahaʻia, Hopu, and the missionary company, and the monumental turning of Hawaiʻi toward Christ. Our team has uncovered the surprising truth.
Moʻolelo Kūʻiʻo Apologetics Series – Volume 1
Io ‘Supreme God of Polynesia’
Mo‘olelo Kū‘i‘o’s report explores the historical origins of the "Cult of Io," a movement some evangelical churches now equate with the Judeo-Christian God. The report argues that linking Hawai‘i’s pre-Christian history to Biblical beliefs misrepresents both Hawaiian culture and historical facts.
Before Christian influence, Hawaiians adhered to the ‘Ai Kapu system, which was later abandoned, leading to widespread evangelism and literacy through the Hawaiian Bible (Baibala Hemolele). A modern narrative claims Hawaiians were a lost tribe of Israelites who originally worshiped Io as the Biblical God. The report disputes this, presenting evidence to counter the claim and inviting readers to review the findings.