Australia's Religious Communities

Australia's Religious Communities

Author: Philip J. Hughes

Publisher: Christian Research Associati

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 119

ISBN-13: 1875223711

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An essential reference on Australia’s religious groups with the latest information from the Australian 2011 Census. Church leaders and everyone interested in the changing profile of Australia’s profile will find this invaluable. This book describes the changing profile and participation in each religious group.


Australian Religious Thought

Australian Religious Thought

Author: Wayne Hudson

Publisher: Monash University Publishing

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781922235763

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This book is the first major historical study of Australian religious thought, arguing that religious thought can be found in many of Australia's intellectuals, both in the religiously inclined and in those who are not conventionally religious. Drawing together existing and new research, the book opens up new perspectives and re-thematizes the field in six exploratory studies. Each study is revisionist in some respects. Shapes of disbelief are explored in intellectuals of many types. The concept of sacral secularity is used to promote and to contest discussions of 'the secular' in Australia. Religious liberalism is interpreted as being transnational and as often being a source of social reform. Interactions between religious thought and philosophy are discussed in some detail, as is the development of theology, which has received relatively little attention from historians. Account is also taken of what might perhaps be called post-secular consciousness in many intellectuals. Taking religious thought more seriously suggests possible revisions to the way the national story has been told. There has been more serious intellectual life in Australia than some historians have claimed, and a considerable part of it was in a broad sense 'religious.' The book provides new perspectives on the relationship between religious thought and social reform in Australia. *** "Learned and precise, this book shows what's wrong with the old boundary between secular and sacred in Australia. The implications for rethinking our past, present and future are enormous." -- Alan Atkinson *** Librarians: ebook available on ProQuest and EBSCO (Series: Monash Studies in Australian Society) Subject: History, Australian Studies, Religious Studies, Philosophy]


Muslim Communities in Australia

Muslim Communities in Australia

Author: Shahram Akbarzadeh

Publisher: UNSW Press

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 9780868405803

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This book highlights the complex human diversity presented by Australia's Muslims, as well as their distinctive contribution and the challenges they pose to a still-evolving Australian multiculturalism. Emphasising the diversity of the Islamic experience in Australia, it presents a useful antidote to the stereotypical image that still colours mainstream perspectives of Islam.


Spirit of Australia II

Spirit of Australia II

Author: Philip J. Hughes

Publisher: ATF Press

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 9781920691066

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The second volume of essays to mark the centenary of federation in Australia and examines the issue of religion in society and culture.


Australian Soul

Australian Soul

Author: Gary Bouma

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2007-03-15

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 9781139459389

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Australian Soul challenges the idea that religious and spiritual life in Australia is in decline. This fascinating book describes the character of religious and spiritual life in Australia today, and argues that, far from petering out, religion and spirituality are thriving. Gary Bouma, the leading expert on the state of religious life in Australia, provides the most up-to-date facts and figures and compares the 'tone' of Australian religious practices with those of other countries. Australians might be less vocal and more reticent about their religion than Americans are, but their religious and spiritual beliefs are no less potent. Australian Soul describes and analyses our religious and spiritual life in detail as well as providing a series of case studies that illustrate the range of practices and beliefs in Australia today. Australian Soul predicts a vital future for religion and spirituality.


Beyond Belief

Beyond Belief

Author: Hugh Mackay

Publisher: Macmillan Publishers Aus.

Published: 2016-04-26

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 1925479218

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What do people actually mean when they say 'God'? Around two-thirds of us say we believe in God or some 'higher power', but fewer than one in ten Australians attend church weekly. In Beyond Belief, Hugh Mackay presents this discrepancy as one of the great unexamined topics of our time. He argues that while our attachment to a traditional idea of God may be waning, our desire for a life of meaning remains as strong as ever. Mackay interviews dozens of Australians representing many different points on the spectrum of faith, including some who are part of the emerging 'spiritual but not religious' movement. He exposes the deep vein of ambivalence about religion that runs through our society: we may not actively worship, but we still like to see local churches operating in our midst, and we use 'our' church to marry, christen our babies, educate our children and commemorate our dead. He points out some uncomfortable truths, such as our tendency to call on God only in a crisis, and unpacks our human need for 'answers', even when science can't find them. He endorses the Christian ideal of the good life - a life lived for others - but acknowledges that there are many pathways to that same goal, not all of them religious. Written with all the insight and compassion we have come to expect of our leading chronicler of Australian life, Beyond Belief is an engrossing exploration of the ways we find spiritual fulfilment in an avowedly secular age.


A Principled Framework for the Autonomy of Religious Communities

A Principled Framework for the Autonomy of Religious Communities

Author: Alex Deagon

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2023-02-23

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 1509950656

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This book engages in a theological critique of the legal frameworks and theoretical approaches of Australia, the US and England to create a peaceful coexistence of difference which supports both religious freedom and equality. It develops a new framework for reconciling religious freedom and discrimination in Western liberal democracies and presents a unique approach to practically supporting both religious freedom and equality as fundamentally important objectives which promote more compassionate and cohesive communities. The book applies the idea of peaceful coexistence of difference by assuming the dignity and goodwill of different people and perspectives, and proceeds upon shared virtues such as love which are affirmed by all.


Losing My Religion: Unbelief in Australia

Losing My Religion: Unbelief in Australia

Author: Tom Frame

Publisher: UNSW Press

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 1742240380

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In this challenging and provocative book, Tom Frame, one of Australia's best-known writers on religion and society, examines diminishing theological belief and declining denominational affiliation. He argues that Australia has never been a very religious nation but that few Australians have deliberately rejected belief - most simply can't see why they need to be bothered with religion at all. He contends that vehement campaigning against theistic belief is the product of growing disdain for religious fundamentalism and a vigorous commitment to personal autonomy. Losing My Religion contends tha.


Charting the Faith of Australians

Charting the Faith of Australians

Author: Philip Hughes

Publisher: Christian Research Associati

Published: 2016-05

Total Pages: 179

ISBN-13: 1875223843

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The last 50 years have seen more rapid change than at any time in human history. Changes in technology have changed every aspect of life: from contraception to computation, from communication to community formation. These changes have affected the ways in which Australians have sought meaning in their lives, from the fulfilment of duty to the maximisation of subjective wellbeing. They have affected deeply the role that religion has played in life with the focus moving from the preservation of tradition to personal spirituality. Over the past 30 years, the Christian Research Association has charted these changes. It has done so through the examination of census and survey data and through interviews with thousands of individuals. It has examined these changes in youth culture and rural culture and has explored the impact of migration and the rise of the Pentecostal and charismatic movements. It has suggested ways in which churches and schools might respond to these changes. Part 1 of this book tells the story of these changes and how the Christian Research Association has charted them. Part 2 contains contributions from various researchers discussing how the Christian Research Association has served the churches. Part 3 explores some extensions of and parallels to the work of the Christian Research Association in relation to religious institutions, migration and other research. The story told in this book is a personal story for Dr Philip Hughes, the senior research officer of the Christian Research Association from 1985 to 2016. But it is also a story of global significance as Christian and other religious institutions grapple with changes to their place in society and their roles in changing perceptions of life.