HSC Course: Foundation Study 2

The focus of this study is the expression of religion in Australia from 1901 to the present.
Outcomes
A student:
H1 explains and evaluates the importance of religion in Australia
H2 analyses and evaluates the influence of Christianity in Australian society
H5 accounts for the range of religious traditions, faiths and elief systems that exist in
Australia
H7 explains and appraises social and cultural influences in religious traditions
H9 applies appropriate language and terminology associated !ith "tudies of #eligion
H10 selects and organises relevant information from a variety of sources and evaluates
information and sources for usefulness, validity and ias
H12 coherently and effectively communicates complex information, ideas and issues
using appropriate !ritten, oral and graphic forms.

Content
"tudents learn aout:
the primary influence of Christianity in Australian society !ithin the period 1901 to
the present:
o the influence of Christianity on at least T$% of the follo!ing areas in Australian
society:
education
&ducation in Australia since 1901 has een influenced strongly y Christianity and in
particular Catholics. 'y 1901 Australian Catholics had estalished for themselves a
strong net!or( of schools to serve their faith and communities) many Catholics elieved
religion is inseparale from life. The government gave no aid to these schools ecause
state aid !as aolished in 1**0 due to sectarian fears) they supported the sectarian pulic
schools.
The lac( of aid to catholic schools meant there !ere less facilities and supplies. Catholic
schools !ere staffed y teaching orders of nuns and rothers paid for y parents and the
community. Catholics loied for state aid ut !ere opposed y the government ased on
sectarian fear of catholic dominance.
+rotestant denominations estalished private secondary school ut these schools had a
much higher fee structure and !ere unaffordale for most people. Tensions et!een
catholic and protestant groups increased over the issue of state aid until 19,- .oulurn
"chool stri(e. The stri(e !as caused y the government threatening to close a catholic
ecause of inade/uate toilet facilities. The Catholics closed their school sending -000
students to state school, only a third of the students could e provided for proving the
need for catholic schools. This paved the !ay for state aid) y 19,- the government
funded science loc(s in all secondary schools.
Today non0government schools receive money on a needs asis up to the maximum
funding of *01 of that received y government schools this has allo!ed a dramatic
increase in the numer of Christian schools and the numer of students in the
independent schools also increased !ith the governments support.
+rotestant schools had een severely affected y the aolition of government aid in 1**0.
%nly the !ealthy schools survived, !ith rich parents paying high fees. 2ost +rotestant
children attended state schools, ut ministers !ere allocated time to give religious
instruction each !ee( to children from their churches
The gro!th of state aid has enaled the Catholic schools to consolidate and expand.
+rotestants, in addition to maintaining their traditional schools, have, since the 19304s,
estalished a net!or( of ne! Christian schools. The Anglicans since 199, have
commenced a ne! school system. These ne!, lo! fee Christian schools offer Christian
education to a !ider range of children !hose parents could not afford it previously.
Christians have also influenced other areas of education esides schools. Churches have
estalished colleges in many universities and one denomination, the Catholic Church, has
estalished its o!n university, the Australian Catholic 5niversity. "ome previously
independent theological colleges have ecome colleges of universities in recent years.
"ectarianism 6 separate school system 6 limited funds 6 Catholics !ant state aid 6
.oulurn school stri(e6 state aid
social welfare
Christianity has had a significant impact on social !elfare in Australia since 1901. 'efore
$$77 the Christian churches did a great deal to help the poor ut did little !hen it came
to criticising government policy to!ard the poor. This changed after $$77. There are
t!o main !ays that Christianity has influenced social !elfare.
8irstly, Christian groups have offered charity assistance to the disadvantaged. The
5niting has helped many people through its $esley inner city mission and lifeline. $hile
the "alvation Army and their red shield appeal feed and provide clothing to the needy.
The "t 9incent de +aul society has settled as many Australian migrants as the federal
government and also provides other support for the needy. As !ell as the 'rotherhood of
"t :aurence also helps in feeding, clothing, housing and counselling the needy ;eg the
unemployed, migrants, the homeless, lo! !age earners<. These organisations operate
aged people4s homes, food relief schemes, migrant assistance, hospital and prison
visitation, hostels and a host of other !elfare activities.
"econdly, Christians in the early part of the -0
th
Century sa! social !elfare in terms of
helping the needy. 2any Christians !ere prosperous and very fe! /uestioned the need
for any change to economic system. 'y the time of the .reat =epression, a small numer
of Christian leaders egan to /uestion aspects of the system. %ne of these !as Anglican
'ishop &rnest 'urgmann) many laelled him a communist for this reason. "ocial
advocacy particularly since $$77 many Christian groups have challenged government
policy and have supported and help setup commissions li(e the Henderson commission
into poverty !hich set the poverty line in Australia. The #everend Alan $al(er ;5niting
church< has een a significant person in this area. 2any Church leaders, including
Catholic Archishop of "ydney, =r .eorge +ell and Anglican Archishop +eter >ensen,
have een active in criticising !hat they see as Australia4s inhumane treatment of asylum
see(ers coming to Australia.
Christianity has had t!o ma?or influences on social !elfare in Australia since 1901. They
have provided charity assistance for the homeless and other disadvantaged people and
have also helped change government policy related to the treatment of the disadvantaged
y criticising the government4s policy to!ard the poor.
o the interrelationship etween the !ustralian physical and cultural
en"ironment and the de"elopment of Christianity in !ustralia
The transplant of Christianity to Australia forced Christianity to respond to the harsh
physical environment !here flood, drought and high temperatures are common place. As
!ell as the uni/ue cultural environment influenced y migrants and indigenous people
has rought aout a numer of specific Christian responses.
8irstly, Christians had to respond to the remoteness of many communities and the rugged
terrain. %rganisation such as the Australian inland mission and the frontier service !ere
organised y Christians as a !ay of responding to this challenge to meet the needs of
outac( settlers.
"econd, Christians responded to the poverty evident in many remote areas. 2ary
2ac(illop, for example setup the sisters of saint ?osephs to educate children and assist
remote communities !ith people living in poverty medical services and regular contact
!ith clergy.
Third, Christianity in Australia is sometimes descried as having a derivative character.
Culturally, most Australian Christian practices have een transplanted from &urope
perhaps) in the future Australian Christianity !ill more fully reflect our particular cultural
environment. The development of Christianity and the cultural environment in Australia
has een interrelated and influence each other greatly) Christianity has influenced the
cultural environment in many !ays such as supporting the needy and providing services
to people in remote areas.
Anglicanism &ngland
Presbyterian "cotland
Catholicism 7reland
Methodism &ngland
$hen +rotestants and Catholics came together in Australia, they !ere not use to
interaction et!een each other, hence causing tension et!een them or sectarianism.
Australian society is secular ut Christianity has had enough influenced that Australian
la!s are ased on Christianity. 7n the early part of the -0
th
century there !as a culture of
sectarianism that isolated Catholics from +rotestants. The issue of sectarianism focused
on education, this resulted in t!o school systems catholic and state schools
The Christian churches also help support many remote communities y providing health
care services, youth hostels and education. This is !hy many remote communities are
Christians. The Christian churches efore $$77 did not challenge government policy ut
provided !hat help they could, this included setting up missions for Aoriginal people
and trying to assimilate them. After $$77 churches started challenging government
policy, and continued their mission !or(. "ince 19304s the churches have adopted a self
determination approach !here the aoriginal communities run the missions and churches
provide support. Australia4s cultural environment !as transplanted from &urope ut has
changed ecause of multiculturalism, the remoteness of communities and the eliefs and
vie!s of aoriginal people.
As Australians have ecome more a!are of the importance of Aoriginal culture in
Australian life, so Christianity has gained more respect for Aoriginal Christianity and its
particular forms of !orship e.g. some churches ;Catholic< incorporating Aoriginal
"pirituality into mainstream Christianity.
7n conclusion, although our response to our uni/ue physical environment has een
remar(ale on such a lage scale and has een the (ey to the survival of Christianity in
Australia and especially remote area. %ur Christian practices are yet to change to suit our
cultural and physical environment etter.
responses y some religious traditions to social change and initiatives in
community development from 1901 to the present:
@ 2inistry in rural and outac( Australia
The response of religious traditions to ministry in rural and outac( Australia !as mainly
a Christian response ecause most 2uslims and >e!s live in the main cities. The different
Christian denominations responded to ministry in remote areas y setting up different
organisations to meet the need of the people in rural and outac( Australia.
The ush rotherhoods !ere Anglo0catholic, first ministered y 'ishop Aathaniel =a!es,
!ho organised to deliver Baggressive ChristianityC and they too( vo!s of poverty,
chastity and oedience. The ush rotherhoods conducted aptisms, marriages and
funerals for communities in isolated areas. "ome examples of these rotherhoods include
"aint +aul, "aint 'arnaus. Ho!ever their !or( egan to fall during $orld $ar 1 !hen
loyalty to the 'ritish &mpire declined, leading to the ceasing of their activities in the
19304s. DHo!ever their greatest achievement has een their effect for the presence of
High Church Anglicanism in many rural regions4.
The Australian 7nland 2ission founded y >ohn 8lynn ;+resyterian< !as another
Christian organisation that helped rural communities. They did this y providing youth
hotels, medical and health services, radio communications and education. They
estalished a net!or( of nursing homes and !ere the first to use planes to provide
medical services ;royal flying =octor service, no! independent<. 'ecame the 5niting
Church4s 8rontier services, they provide 2edical and Health Care, &ducation and
"ocial $elfare in rural areas.
The ush church society !as an evangelical Anglican organisation !ith many !omen
volunteers and married clergy the setup in remote areas and to!nships so they could
provide health and aged care services as !ell as youth hostels. The sisters of "t >oseph
are catholic nuns !ho educated the poor in many rural and remote areas. The Catholic
Church has al!ays een a strong supporter of rural ministry. Almost every to!n
has had a Catholic primary school, and 2asses are often held in halls or other
uildings, social !elfare eing a high priority.
As might e expected in vie! of its small numers, >udaism has not developed a
systematic ministry to rural areas. The difficulty of providing such a ministry is a ma?or
reason !hy there are so fe! >e!ish adherents currently living in country areas ;-1 of
>e!s<. The lac( of such necessities as (osher food, marriage partners and sufficient adult
males to hold a synagogue service has led to a progressive migration of >e!s to the cities.
'ecause of the small numers of >e!s, >udaism !as unale to provide the (ind of
ministry to rural and outac( areas that the Christian churches !ere ale to provide.
The response of Christian tradition to ministry in rural and outac( Australia has een
significant in providing services need y remote communities. The response of other
religious traditions such the 7slamic and >e!ish communities has een minor ecause
most of their communities live in the main cities.
@ The role of religious traditions in the laour movement, conscription, !ars
and the .reat =epression
#aour mo"ement
'y the time of $orld $ar 1 Catholics, !ho !ere mainly !or(ing class, had egun to
really ehind the previously very protestant laour movement, and their influence in the
party egan to increase. 2any influential +rotestants !ere expelled from the party for
supporting conscription during $orld $ar 1, and this led to an increase in Catholic
influence. 2any of the (ey leaders of the :aour party, such as >oseph "cullin, 'en
Chifley, and +aul Eeating have een Catholics.
=uring the 19F00G04s, Catholic memers of the :aour +arty ecame very concerned at
the gro!ing po!er of Communists in the trade union movement. The catholic social
studies movement ;The 2ovement< lead y '.A "antamaria !or(ed to prevent
communist control in the unions. 7ndustrial groups !hich included oth Catholics and
+rotestants !or(ed in the unions !ith the movement to vote against communists
5p until the 19G04s the ma?ority of Catholics supported the laour party. 7n the 19GH the
laour party split ecause the A:+ leader =r H.9 &vatt sa! a threat in the Catholics
involved in '.A "antamaria4s D2ovement4.
7n 19GH the A:+ leader =r H.9 &vatt attac(ed the D2ovement4 and the industrial groups
ecause he elieved they !ere gaining too much influence and sa! them as a threat to
him and the party. The 2ovement did not thin( the A:+ !as doing enough to fight the
communist4s threat in the unions. After the industrial group memers !ere re?ected y an
A:+ conference the industrial groups and anti0Communist memers of the laour
movement !hich included many Catholics ro(e off and formed the =emocratic :aour
party ;=:+< in 19GG.
The =emocratic :aour +arty and campaigned against the A:+ until the 1930s. The =:+
played a ma?or role in (eeping the A:+ out of office during that period. 2any Catholics,
ho!ever, continued to support the A:+, ut the A:+ !as unale to get enough votes to
gain government again until 193-.
Catholic support for the A:+ egan to decline from the 19,0s. The 2enIies :ieral
.overnment4s support for state aid for schools and for the !ar in 9ietnam s!ung some
Catholic voters a!ay from the A:+. The A:+4s stance on social issues such as aortion
and homosexual rights has not helped to !in Catholic support.
Conscription
Conscription !as a ma?or issue in $orld $ar 7 and the 9ietnam $ar. 7n 191, at the time
of $$7 the &nglish government put pressure on the Australian government for more
soldiers so the government tried to introduce the policy of conscription. Catholics
re?ected this strongly mainly ecause of the &nglish over po!ering the 7rish reels the,
the support for conscription came mainly from the +rotestants. The Australian pulic
re?ected conscription in referendums in 191, and 1913) these referendums !ere A%T
defeated on sectarian grounds. =aniel 2annix !as a ma?or critic of conscription and
many Catholics support him. The :aour party had most of the support from the catholic
population, the laour party policy that !as anti0conscription. 7n $$77 conscription !as
supported y most Christians including Catholics, =aniel 2annix even offered his
support for the !ar, some 2ethodists advocated pacifism.
7n the 9ietnam $ar oth Catholics and +rotestants supported conscription to fight off the
communist threat. The 2ethodist #everend =.A Trathen !as a contrast to this ecause he
recommended that his students not enlist for national service.
The >e!ish community response to conscription !as to support it) the >e!ish community
!as not divided on this issue unli(e other traditions. #ai Cohen estalished the
universal service league to support conscription.
$ars
$$%
Churches generally supported the !ar !ith enthusiasm. Catholic clergy sa! the !ar as a
chance to prove their loyalty to the nation, !hich many +rotestants /uestioned. +rotestant
churches tended to ally themselves !ith the interest of the 'ritish.
+rotestant leaders strongly opposed social evils associated !ith the !ar, such as drin(ing,
gamling, "aath rea(ing and lotteries. Church !omen !ere in the forefront of #ed
Cross 8undraising. 2any ministers4 !ives led local #ed Cross committees, and church
concerts !ere held to raise funds.
:utherans supported the !ar, ut their loyalty !as /uestioned in a vie! of the .erman
%rigins of most :utherans. 2any !ere interned or other!ise had their movements
restricted during the !ar.
+rotestant ministers offered themselves as chaplains, or enlisted as soldiers. Catholic
priests tented to give a higher priority to parishes, although there !ere many heroic
Catholic padres. Canon =avid .arland, an Anglican from 'risane, argued for a national
day to commemorate the dead. He !anted a memorial service in !hich all Christians
could participate. The result !as AnIac =ay, !hich !as organised y the churches until
the #": too( over it in the 19F0s.
>e!s !ere grateful to 'ritain for the relative freedom >e!s en?oyed in the empire, and
this gratitude !as reflected in very strong support for the !ar. The percentage of >e!s
!ho enlisted !as higher than for the population as a !hole, percentage of >e!s !ho
enlisted !as higher than for the population as a !hole. >e!s !ere also active on the home
front. #ai Cohen actively encouraged >e!ish participation. >e!ish people contriuted
generously to such odies as the #ed Cross and the Comforts 8und.
$$%%
Churches supported the !ar, ut not !ith the same patriotic fervour as in $orld $ar 1.
Archishop $illiam $and of 'risane spo(e for many !hen he said B!e are fighting for
the very existence of democracy and for the safety of the !hole 'ritish Common!ealth
of Aations4
Catholics supported the !ar, partly ecause of .ermany4s occupation of Catholic Austria
and alliance !ith the Communist 5""#. Clergy volunteered as oth chaplains and
servicemen.
>e!s enlisted enthusiastically as they did in $orld $ar 1. >e!s supported the !ar on the
home front as !ell. 7n 19H0, they erected the 2onash #ecreation Hut in #yde +ar( for
serviceman. This hut !as staffed y >e!ish !omen, !ho also operated the 2artin +lace
Eios( for serviceman in 19H1. >e!s also supported the #ed Cross and other
organisations.
the &reat 'epression
the .reat depression egan in 19-9 ;after the !all street crash< and continued to the mid
19F04s, the Christian churches helped the poor and needy y giving out food and
clothing, providing shelters for the homeless and teaching farming s(ill to unemployed
!or(ers. "econd, the churches egan to criticise the government policies. %ne of these
groups !as called catholic action, and it helped ring aout the introduction of the dole.
>e!s also provided homeless shelter and food for the poor.
The religious traditions during the great depression played a large role in providing for
the needy y providing shelters, food, clothing and other forms of charity and help that
they could provide. The churches also suffered from the effects of the depression ut
continued to provide for the needy.
=ue to the depression there !as less money eing given to the churches ecause of this
the churches had to cut staff and the priest and clergymen !ere paid less and some not at
all in an attempt to continue providing help to the needy.
7ndividual churches gathered food, clothing, money and other supplies for the needy. The
churches also tried to help the unemployed gain employment y finding ?os and also
providing training li(e farming s(ills.
The churches also egan to criticise government policy in regard to the poor and needy.
An example of these groups is catholic action !hich helped ring aout the introduction
of the dole in Australia. The >e!ish tradition also provided homeless shelters and food for
the needy.
The religious traditions during the great depression !ere underpaid, under staffed ut still
helped the needy through charity y providing food and clothing and some training. They
also pressured the government to provide !elfare to the needy in the form of money ;the
dole< as !ell as change government policy.
@ The role and responses of religious traditions inJto at least TH#&& of the
follo!ing issuesJpolitical deates:
0 &uthanasia
0 +overty
0 5nemployment
(uthanasia
2ost Christians oppose euthanasia, this is ased on the elief that life is a gift from god,
and only god has the right to ta(e life.
Catholic )esponse
After the introduction of legalised euthanasia cardinal &d!ard Clancy stated that:
B&uthanasia is an ugly thing and it has to names either murder or suicideC
Aevertheless, the Catholic Church argues that euthanasia maye acceptale !hen only
extreme and intrusive means are needed to (eep a terminally ill person alive.
*nitin+ Church )esponse
The 5niting church holds a more lieral vie! of euthanasia. #ev Harry Herert has
stated: B7 thin( there maye occasions !hen a person is !ithin a fe! days of death, !hen
a person has had /uite a deal of pain, !hen euthanasia might e a good thing.
Other traditions
7slamic response
The Ku4ran the holy oo( of 7slam, stated BAor (ill or destroy ourselvesC, since there is
no such thing as a life not !orth living in 7slam there can e no reason for euthanasia.
,o"erty
+overty is a state in !hich people lac( material goods, employment and career prospects
!hich disadvantage them in relation to the rest of the community. The most significant
cause of poverty eing unemployment. The unemployment rate of males rose from G.*1
to 11.31 and females rose from ,.31 to 10.01 et!een 199-09F. The poorest children
are Aoriginal, reflecting the disadvantaged position of the Aoriginal community in
general.
Christians and their organisation li(e the $esley inner city mission, "aint 9incent de +aul
society and "alvation Army provide facilities for the homeless, aged care, foster care. The
catholic denomination response to poverty is ased on sacramental theology) this is the
elief that a poor person is Danother Christ4. The "aint 9incent de +aul society is the
largest catholic !elfare agency. The Catholic Church pulished Aorigines: a statement
of concern, this dealt !ith the levels of income, health and education and !hy they !ere
so poor. The Catholic Church condemned the 1G1 ."T as it !ould disadvantage the poor
in 199F.
The +rotestant denomination response to poverty is ased on the !ords of Christ D!hen
you did this for my rother, you did it for me4. 7n the early 19304s the Anglican Church
through leadership of Archishop 2arcus :oane of "ydney force government hand to
estalish the Henderson in/uiry into poverty) this in/uiry set the poverty line in Australia.
The >e!ish communal appeal ;>AC< raises several million per year to provide !elfare,
family and aged care services. 2uslims are re/uired to give a portion of their income to
charity as this is one of the five pillars of 7slam.
The religious traditions have provided large amounts of relief to the needy in Australia
and have influenced the government to change their policies
*nemployment
Christian churches have aimed to help the unemployed in t!o (ey !ays firstly social
Advocacy, this means the churches encourage pulic deate aout unemployment issues
and they encourage private usiness and the government to commit to the goal of full
employment. This resulted in the national council of churches issuing the covenant for
employment in 1999.
"econdly the Christian churches are involved in social !elfare. They assist the
unemployed y providing emergency money, temporary hosing, essential items and
training. The "alvation Army has maintained a charter of assisting people to find
employment, programs for unemployed youth, provides training and support for
thousands of Australians.
Agencies li(e "aint 9incent de +aul have chosen to remain out of government contracts
so they can continue their role as social advocates. Anglican 'rotherhood of "aint
:aurence acts as one of Australia4s strongest advocates for the poor and disadvantaged.
2uslims have also tried to hep the unemployed y raising funds to help support 2uslims
rothers and sisters in difficulties. =onations are ta(en at 8riday +rayers and are also
!or(ing !ith !or( place relations and the department of employment to meet the needs
of 2uslims !ho are unemployed
the development of religious plurality and distriutionJprofile of religious
adherence today:
@ 7mmigration after $orld $ar 77
@ The ending of the $hite Australia +olicy
@ The formation of the 5niting Church in Australia in 1933
@ Ae! Age religions
@ #eligious conversion and denominational s!itching
@ +entecostalism and the charismatic movement
%mmi+ration after $orld $ar %%
After $$7, the Chifley :aour .overnment introduced polices designed to expand
Australia4s population to increase the nation4s security, laour force and economic
gro!th. 'ritain has een the largest single source of migrants ut !hen the numers of
'ritain migrants proved too small, the government agreed to ta(e !ar refugees from other
&uropean countries such as 7taly, .reece and +oland. This resulted in an increase of
adherents to Christian variants li(e .ree( %rthodox and 5(rainian Catholic. The massive
post !ar immigration resulted in an increase in all Christian denominations.
There !as also significant increase in >e!ish immigration follo!ing $$77 and in
particular, the Holocaust. Australia accepted >e!ish refugees, ut there !as much more
popular opposition to this. >e!ish numers !ere strictly limited and many >e!s had to
agree to !or( in rural and outac( areas, although this condition !as not enforced.
2igration has greatly changed the character of the Catholic Church. 8rom eing
predominantly 7rish in origin, the Australian Catholic Church no! includes a !ide variety
of ethnic ac(grounds, including 2altese, +oles and a large numer of 7talians.
Conflicts in 7ndochina resulted in many refugees in Australia) 'uddhists arrived from
9ietnam, :aos, Thailand and China. 2uslim migration to Australia has een mainly from
:eanon, Tur(ey, 7ndonesia and 2alaysia. Hinduism has also increased due primarily to
military coups in 8i?i and political upheavals in "ri :an(a. The immigration of non0
&uropeans has een helped y the ending of the !hite Australia policy.
-he endin+ of the $hite !ustralia ,olicy
The immigration restriction act of 1901 etter (no!n as the !hite Australia policy !as
passed to prevent non &uropeans from settling in Australia so as to maintain the
hegemony ;leadership< of the Anglo0Celtic people !ho had come to dominate the country
since 13**. A feature of this policy !as a dictation test !hich had to e passed efore an
immigrant could settle permanently in Australia. The language used could e changed,
and !as chosen to ensure that non0 &uropeans could not pass the test. A policy of
assimilation !as introduced as !ell to prevent society changing. The mainstream
churches called for an end to the !hite Australia policy, even efore the end of $$77.
The $hite Australia +olicy !as gradually dismantled: 19G- @ >apanese !ive of
Australian servicemen !ere admitted under five year permits) 19G9 @ the dictation test
!as aolished)
The $hite Australia +olicy !as officially aandoned altogether in 193F y the $hitlam
:aour government. The ne! policy of multiculturalism !as to have a great impact on
the religious ma(e0up of Australia, as Asian religions egan to e estalished here.
$hen the 9ietnam $ar ended in 193G, tens of thousands of refugees fled from the
countries of 7ndochina. $ith fifteen years aout t!o million had fled. Australia accepted
aout 1-0,000 many of !hom arrived as oat people. 2any of these refugees !ere
Catholics, adding to the already diverse nature of that denomination. A great many !ere
'uddhists, and a fe! !ere +rotestants.
Australia has !elcomed large numers of migrants, many from the 2iddle &ast, !ith
many from :eanon, Tur(ey, and +a(istan greatly increasing the numer of 2uslims in
Australia.
'ritain has remained a large source of migrants. 2any of these have een Anglicans.
2any denominations have experienced diversity as a result of migration. 7t is common
for Christian denominations to offer services in languages other than &nglish and to have
congregation of particular ethnic groups. A policy of multiculturalism ensures a multi0
faith Australia.
-he formation of the *nitin+ Church in !ustralia in 1977
The idea of a union et!een various denominations has een discussed from around
1900, ut it !as not until 1933 that an agreed asis of union !as developed et!een the
+resyterian, 2ethodist and congregational churches. These three denominations merged
to form the uniting church. The title !as intended to suggest that this !as only the
eginning of a process of uniting the various strands of Christianity) it see(s the unity of
Christ church and is therefore an example of an ecumenical development.
A there is no continuing 2ethodist church. "ome congregational groups did not ?oin and
neither did aout a third of +resyterians. 2any of those !ho refused to ?oin !ere
evangelicals, !ho could not accept the asis of the union, especially its vie! that the
ile !as a collection of documents from !hich the !ord of .od could e Dheard and
(no!n4. They preferred to thin( of the ile in tis entirety as the D!ord of .od4.
The uniting church leadership has een vigorous in promoting social ?ustice ;eg for
disadvantaged groups such as the unemployed and Aoriginal people<, .ender e/uality
;eg in the church leadership< and human rights ;eg for the homosexual community<.
"ome issues ;eg the ordination of homosexuals< have led to considerale vision !ithin
the church. Today the uniting church is Australia4s third largest community.
.ew !+e reli+ions
The rise in the practice of ne! age religionsJ spirituality is ecause of t!o main reasons,
the focus on the individual and self fulfilment rather then community and the re?ection of
authority in traditional religions. Ae! age religions include Hare Erishna, "cientology,
the inner peace movement and many others. They have no sacred texts or stories and are
different from cults ecause they are individualistic rather then communitarian or
authoritarian.
There is a !ide variety of Ae! Age religions, !ith significant difference in eliefs and
practices. "ome common features are:
1. 2onism: This is the elief that there is a single eing or force that lies ehind all
of creation. Ae! Age follo!ers often !ant to connect !ith nature in a spiritual
!ay.
-. 'elief in the potential of the human eing: 2any Ae! Age eliefs and practices
relate to self0improvement and self0fulfilment. 'oo(s and videos promote all
(inds of therapies and self0a!areness techni/ues for developing inner peace,
harmony, enlightenment, po!er or spiritual !ell0eing.
F. =esire for understanding of oneself and the universe. 2any Ae! Age adherents
have loo(ed for this understanding through &astern religions such as 'uddhism
and Hinduism. The rise of Ae! Age religions has also seen an increased interest
in indigenous cultures and eliefs.
7n the pursuit of this (ind of spirituality, Ae! Age follo!ers fre/uently engage in
practices such as astrology, fortune telling, some alternative holistic medicine, meditation
in various forms and a range of psychic practices.
%ne difference et!een Ae! Age religions and most traditional religions is that Ae! Age
spirituality tends to e an individual rather than a communal pursuit. +ersonal spiritual
fulfilment is not generally dependant on the support, fello!ship or common eliefs of a
group. They are not necessarily religious they do not have divine eings or scared texts.
They fre/uently have a guru !ho provides ans!ers to fundamental /uestions. Influences
by eastern notions of the cycle of time, rebirth and divine within
#easons for the gro!th of Ae! Age religions movements have included disillusionment
!ith traditional religion, a desire y many to see( personal fulfilment rather than
identification !ith a group and a desire to find ne! !ays of coping !ith the stress of
modern life. "ome large organisations have promoted Ae! Age religion as an aid to staff
development and training. &xamples include 2ind, 'ody and "oul festival. Examples
include: Paganism, Wicca, the craft, astrology, occult and out of body experience
)eli+ious con"ersion and denominational switchin+
)eli+ious con"ersion is a term used to descrie those !ho are ?oining a religion, either
from no religion of from a different religion. Thus a person !ho professes no religion
may e converted to Christianity, !hile another may convert to 7slam. "ome Australians
have converted to 7slam, Hinduism and 'uddhism since the arrival of significant numers
of these groups as a result of the ending of the $hite Australia +olicy in 193F
The main reason for denominational switchin+ is that the estalished church is seen y
people to no longer e meeting their need. #easons such as:
- +eople are loo(ing for religious practices that are more relevant to them
- +eople are loo(ing for religious communities that cater for their specific needs
- +eople are loo(ing for religious groups that are community orientated rather than
hierarchical.
- People who switch tend to be youth
=enominational s!itching refers to the fre/uent practice of Christians ;usually
+rotestants< of changing from one denomination to another, is an important force in
shaping denominational balances of Christianity in Australia. 2any +rotestants loo( for a
church that !ill meet the needs of their family. 8or example, families !ith children may
loo( for one !ith an active youth group or children4s church. They are /uite often
prepared to change from their traditional denomination to achieve this, especially if they
move to a ne! area. Commitment to ones4 family traditional denomination is generally
not as strong in the past, and people are prepared to change churches for a variety of
reasons.
As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, the effects of denominational s!itching have
een minimal. 2ainstream +rotestant churches, ho!ever, have experienced significant
change. 2ost +rotestant churches gain as many memers as they lose) Pentecostal
churches are the main beneficiaries with 28% switching in from traditional churches and
15% switching out. The main losers are the older mainstream denominations li(e the
Anglican, 5niting, +resyterian and :utheran Churches.
,entecostalism and the charismatic mo"ement
The (ey distinctive eliefs of +entecostalism have een:
1. A elief that spea(ing in tongues is the initial evidence of eing aptised !ith the
Holy "pirit ;some +entecostal scholars are /uestioning this elief today<) the
aptism of the "pirit is generally seen as an experience separate from one4s
conversion to Christ.
-. the validity for today of the supernatural gifts that existed in the Ae! Testament
Church, such as spea(ing in tongues, prophecy, divine healing and interpretation
of tongues
F. a elief y many that the second coming of >esus Christ is soon to ta(e place
+entecostal services tend to e less structured, have greater freedom of !orship, involve
memers of the congregation, use more contemporary music and e more aggressively
evangelistic than those in traditional churches.
5ntil the 19,0s, traditional churches tended to e suspicious of +entecostal churches,
particularly over the issue of spea(ing in tongues, sometimes called glossolalia. 7n the
19,0s030s, thousands of traditional, non0+entecostal churches, oth +rotestant and
Catholic, experienced outrea(s of +entecostalism. This led to a radical re0evaluation of
the role of Dspiritual gifts4 in many churches. This spread of +entecostalism into
traditional churches is called DAeo0+entecostalism4 or the Charismatic 2ovement.
'oth +entecostal churches ;e.g. Assemlies of .od< and charismatic churches
experienced rapid gro!th from the 19,0s to the 19*0s, often at the expense of churches
that had not emraced the ne! movement. There are signs that this gro!th is tapering off
at present, although large city churches are experiencing continual gro!th.
"ome religious revivals in Aoriginal communities have een +entecostal in character.
+entecostal churches and, to some extent, charismatic churches, have enefited more than
other churches from denominational s!itching.
Eey aspects of +entecostalism and the charismatic movement that have contriuted to the
diversity of !orship in Australia have een:
- the importance of religious experience, as !ell as elief, in the life of the eliever
- more involvement of lay people
- less formality in !orship, ;no !ritten lurgy, no vestments etc<
- more contemporary styles of music
- an emphasis on youth ;e.g. huge musical events such as Louth Alive concerts<
+entecostalism is a Christian movement that stresses the gifts of the Holy "pirit li(e
healing and spea(ing in tongues) they have an evangelical understanding of the ile as
the asolute rule of life. +entecostal services appeal to youth ecause of its practice of
enthusiastic prayer and sophisticated electronic sound systems as !ell as a more
community oriented group rather then hierarchical. They elieve that the Holy "pirit
provides the gifts of healing, and the po!er to over come sin, poverty and evil spirits.
The Charismatic movement crosses denominational oundaries. Charismatics profess a
po!erful experience of the gifts of the holy spirit ;li(e spec(ing in tongues<. They hold
regular, informal and exuerant prayer meetings, and are also li(ely to attend mainstream
services. Churches that belong to this tradition include: assemblies of God, Christian
Revivalist Crusade, Missionary Alliance and Christian outreach centres.
recognition of common elements in religious expression and !orld vie!s in
Australia today:
@ #eligious harmony and inter0faith dialogue
@ ecumenical developments !ithin Christianity, eg the $orld Council of
Churches, Aational Council of Churches in Australia, the "ydney College of
=ivinity, the Australian College of Theology
@ >oint inter0faith and ecumenical initiatives, eg in times of crisis or tragedy.
)eli+ious harmony and inter/faith dialo+ue
&cumenism: The movement for the unity of Christian churches.
"ectarianism: 7ntense devotion to a particular religious group !hich can lead to conflict
and hostility et!een religious groups.
7nter 8aith dialogue: The finding of common ground et!een people of different religious
traditions
7nterfaith dialogue is cooperation et!een people of different religious traditions.
.ro!ing inter0faith dialogue points to gro!ing recognition and celeration of
commonality in religion. :eaders and adherents of the various religious traditions in
Australia have recognised that they share a similar !orld vie!.
&cumenism stresses the common values and teaching that prevail across the many
churches and denominations ma(ing up the Christian !orld. $ith the +ost $orld $ar -
period ringing dramatic diversification of Australia4s ethnic and religious ma(e0up,
forcing a reassessment of old sectarian !ays. &vidence of the development of 7nter 8aith
dialogue and co0operation !as the 7nterfaith Appeal for +eace staged in "ydney -000 to
stand against religious violence in 7ndonesia. The Aational Council of Churches and the
Australia 8ederation of 7slamic Councils ?ointly initiated the event.
The estalishment of a national Council of Christians and >e!s, dealt !ith the issue of
anti "emitism and formulated guidelines that are used to deal !ith passages in the Ae!
Testament that traditionally have een used against >e!s and >udaism. ;.uidelines:
.uidelines for Catholic >e!s relations, rightly explaining the !ord of the truth<. The
council recognises their common heritage and see( to promote understanding.
The $al( for #econciliation across the "ydney Harour 'ridge on -* 2ay -000 !as also
a strong expression of inter0 faith co0operation. The Columian Centre for Christian @
2uslim relations in "ydney organises meetings to allo! 2uslims and Christians to learn
aout each other4s eliefs and practices. The multi0faith prayer vigil !as held in
"trathfield +laIa on 1G
th
"eptemer -001 follo!ing the terrorist attac(s on the 5nited
"tates on 11
th
"eptemer.
7mportance of inter0faith dialogue in a pluralist multicultural society is seen as interfaith
dialogue provides an opportunity for cultures to intert!ine in the education of other
religious traditions and !ays, this is important in a multicultural society that contains
many religious traditions and cultures
ecumenical de"elopments within Christianity
Ecumenism is a movement promoting, at best, Christian unity and as minimum, Christian
cooperation. Ecumenism stresses the common values and teachings that prevail across the
many churches and denominations making up the Christian world. During the first part of
the 20
th
century, the non-Episcopal Protestant churches were united in their opposition to
Rome. The ecumenical movement in Australia was initially an Anglican and Protestant
affair, with Orthodox churches becoming involved in the 1960s and 1970s. Vatican II
opened up opportunities for the Catholic Church to participate as the Council committed
the Church to ecumenism.
The ecumenical movement bore fruit in 1977 with the formation of the Uniting Church in
Australia. The Church of England founded the Australian College of Theology in 1890. It
is now an ecumenical organisation, accrediting and examining institute for 25 theological
and bible colleges in Australia and New Zealand. The Melbourne College of Divinity
(founded in 1910) and the Sydney College of Divinity (founded in 1983) are ecumenical
federations of tertiary Christian theological institutions that award degrees.
The National Council of Churches in Australia was formed in 1994. Members include the
Catholic, Anglican, Uniting and several Orthodox churches; however, a number of
Protestant churches, including Baptists and Presbyterians, as well as the Pentecostalists
have not joined. The purpose of the council is to deepen the relationship of member
churches to express visibly the unity willed by Christ, and work towards the fulfilment of
their mission of common witness, proclamation and service. The council ma(es
sumissions to governments on ehalf of memer churches. 8or example, it has een
particularly outspo(en against the Australian government4s policy of detaining refugees
and has called for children to e released from detention camps.
The World Council of Churches (founded in 1948) is a fellowship of 336 churches in 120
countries that promotes worldwide Christianity. This organisation descries itself as Dan
international fello!ship of Christian Churches, uilt upon the foundation of encounter,
dialogue and collaoration4. 7t meets every 3 years and see(s reconciliation, theological
dialogue, and the sharing of resources. Christian schools now draw students from a wide
range of Christian as well as non-Christian backgrounds.
Ecumenical developments:
World Council of Churches
National Council of Churches in Australia
Sydney College of divinity
Australia College of theology
The ACCA also operates the Christmas 'o!l appeal, y !hich Christians are ale to
contriute to the need overseas, as !ell as 8orce Ten, a !orld development program to
fight poverty. The ACCA is involved in a !ide range of social ?ustice issues as !ell as the
promotion of Christian unity. There has also een detailed ongoing discussion et!een
the Anglican Church and oth the :utheran Church and 5niting Church to try to ring
aout closer relations.
&cumenism has had considerale, although limited, influence on Christianity in Australia.
7ts impact has een seen in three main !ays.
o =ialogue that is ta(ing place among different denominations on a level
unthin(ale during the sectarian era of the early -0
th
century.
o Christians have een ale to spea( !ith a united voice on such matters as
social ?ustice issues.
o the numer of cooperative activities that have een initiated ;eg
theological colleges<

An examination of the impact of ecumenism sho!s that its influence has een
considerale although, given the diversity of denominations in Australia) it is not
surprising that some churches see their primary role differently and have not committed
themselves to the ecumenical process.
0oint inter/faith and ecumenical initiati"es1 e+ in times of crisis or tra+edy
Perhaps some of the most poignant moments of religious harmony have come in times of
tragedy. Appreciation and respect for religious diversity and commonalties are an
essential part of harmonious relationship !ithin Australia4s multicultural, multi0faith
society. The churches, particularly through their charity organisations, have a strong
tradition of providing humanitarian aid in times of crisis.
o Port Arthur Massacre
Christian ceremonies, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim priest chanted their rites of
purification and peace for the victims in quiet corners of the old convict settlement,
after Australia4s most horrific shooting. The Buddhist sects Mahayana and
Theravada offered prayers.
o East Timor
The National Council of Churches, as well as many individual church groups, rallied
to the aid of East Timor after the Indonesian army and local militia massacred large
numbers of the population and destroyed much of the country. The ACCA too( a
leading hand in providing humanitarian aid to the &ast Timorese. Caritas Australia, a
Catholic organisation, had many people in &ast Timor and for a time !ere the only
source of information out of the region. Australian Church agencies also !ere
critical in the care if &ast Timorese refugees landing in Australia. 7t !as Catholic
Cardinal Clancy !ho called on the Australian government to send in troops
o September 11 and Bali bombings
In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attack Christian and Muslim religious
leaders worked closely together to ensure that Islam is seen by the public as a
religion of peace, and to keep the war against terrorism as a non-religious issue.
Many Christians were concerned that anger about the September 11 attack was
being directed at Muslims in Australia.
Mary McMahon, member of the Catholic Church in Sydney, invited the Lakemba
Islamic community to a Mass of Compassion. In November 2001, accompanied by
the leader of Australias Muslims, members of that community travelled to Redfern
to attend Mass. The Muslim leader read from Quran as part of the Mass.
In return, Muslim community welcomed over one hundred Christians from various
denominations to the Lakemba mosque for celebrations marking the end of
Ramadan. Both parties agreed that the activity had helped to promote understanding
between the groups
o Bosnia
7n 199G >e!ish, 7slamic and Christian pea( odies issued their first ever ?oint press
release on a foreign affairs issue called for strong action on the political situation in
'osnia.
o -sunami appeal
The churches have a strong tradition as !as sho!n during the tsunami appeal of
providing humanitarian aid in times of need.
Students learn to:
demonstrate the influence of religion in Australian society in the period from 1901
to the present
account for increasing diversity in religious adherence in the period from 1901 to
the present
&xamine common elements !ithin and et!een religious !orld vie!s in Australia
today.