Transcript Religious Expression in Australia Post 1945

Religious Expression in Australia
Post 1945
Religious Background prior to WW2
Anglo Irish Celtic
Catholic and Protestant
Mainly Christian
White Australia policy since 1901
Fr. John Thierry
Catholic
William Grant Broughton 1843 C of E.
Samuel Marsden
Rev John
Dunmore Lang
Anglican
Methodist
Changing Patterns of Religious adherence due to
diversity of migration patterns
• Church going people declining especially in traditional
Protestant Churches
• Orthodox increases after WW2 and remains constant
• Catholics increased and are now the largest Christian group
• Pentecostals have increased
• Buddhist, Muslims and Hindus have increased.
Humanist
• Nos. of Jews constant since WW2.
symbol
• Figures of non church going people equates to trend of
people stating “ no religion” on census.
Pentecostal
Christianity as the Major Religious
Tradition
• 2001 Census – decline in Christianity and church
attendance.
• Catholics though, have increased due to migration
• Dissatisfaction with traditional Church
• Aging members
• Secularisation increasing
• Pentecostal( Australian Christian Churches) increasing
• From 1945 “Populate or Perish”. Large numbers of
displaced European migrants accepted into Australia
bringing Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant religious
beliefs with them. A new plurality of Christianity
emerged.
IMMIGRATION
• 1947 Australia agreed to receive 12,000 displaced
persons per year from war-torn Europe.
• By 1951 had accepted a total of 170,000.
• These new immigrants came and brought with them a
new blend of Christianity unique to their particular part of
Europe.
Plurality of Christianity
In the 15 years after WW11.
Ukranian
Catholics and
Orthodox
Russian Catholics and
Orthodox
Polish Catholics
Italian Catholics
Australia post 1945
German Catholics and
Lutherans
Lithuanian, Estonian and
Latvian Catholics
and Orthodox
Maltese Catholics
Greek Orthodox and
Catholic
Yugoslavian
Catholics
Hungarian Catholics
English, Scottish, and
Irish Catholics and
Protestants
• 1960s. “White Australia Policy”
increasingly under challenge.
• Wives and children of Australian citizens
regardless of race, ‘distinguished and
qualified’ people including ‘well-qualified
Asians’ accepted
• Since WW11, Japanese wives and Korean
wives of servicemen, were admitted under
5 year permits.
Finally in 1973 “White Australia” is replaced by a policy of
“Multiculturalism”. The new inclusive face of Australia
changes the largely Anglo Celtic Religious background to a
diversified and pluralistic one.
Post 1960
Diversity of Religion
Vietnamese Catholics
And Buddhists
Post 1973
Multiculturalism
Chinese Catholics , Protestants and
Buddhists
Indian Catholics and Hindus
Sri Lankan Catholics,
Christians and Hindus
Turkish Muslims
Cypriots and Greeks
Orthodox
1975- 1990
Mid East War
Lebanese Maronites
and Muslims
1992 - 1995
Bosnian war
Bosnian and Serbian
Catholics and Muslims
1990 - 2007
Egypt
Coptic Orthodox
1975 to 1985 large numbers of displaced
Vietnamese refugees settled in Australia
These migrants were mainly
Catholic and Buddhist
Diversity of Religion
1990
Iraq and Kuwait
Muslims and Christians
1980 -2007
Philippines, Tonga
And Samoa
Catholics and Protestants
1990 - 2007
Sri Lanka and India
Tamil, Hindus, and Sikhs and Catholics
And Protestants
1990 - 2007
Kurds – Muslim and Christian
Armenian – Orthodox and Christian
Iraqis- Muslims
Chinese – Buddhist and Christian
Somalia and Ethiopia
Catholics, Orthodox and Muslim
Denominational Switching
• Transfer of followers from one Christian denomination or
variant to another.
• Usually found in Protestantism sometimes in other
variants
• People seek to address needs and if not met, go
elsewhere.
• Revolving door syndrome- moving from one to the
other.
• Pentecostalism- evangelical, charismatic form of
Christianity- emphasis on gifts of the Spirit and music
New Age Religions
• With the Rise of individualism, there has been a
general trend of moving out of traditional religions and
their rigidity to seek spiritual fulfillment elsewhere e.g.
• Tarot Cards, Hare Krishna, wisdom in ancient traditions,
numerology, yoga and tai chi, transcendental meditation,
Wicca (witchcraft), paganism and Feng Shui.
•Creation centred, often leaning towards Eastern
philosophy. Seeking answers and guidance.
Wicca
Tai Chi
Secularism
• Religion must not be
separate from society
• Religious values declining
• Replaced by materialism,
skepticism and
individualism.
• Disillusionment with
traditional religions.
• Increase in “no religions”
on census figures.
The Impact of Ecumenical movements in Australia
• Ecumenism – Movement towards unity among Christian
Churches; Variants- Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox.
• Opposite of Sectarianism
• Unity in Christ although diverse in practice and beliefs
• Various levels- joint commissions, practical level and Parish level.
• Two major initiatives for us: NCCA and NSW Ecumenical council.
• Promotes harmony, understanding and appreciation
• Gives stronger witness to the community and builds trust.
JP 11 and the Greek Patriarch,
Christodoulos
The House of Welcome project has been made possible by
funding that has come specifically for the purpose from some
member churches of the NSW Ecumenical Council, from
local church congregations, from other community groups
and from individuals.
National Council of churches of Australia
• Variants of Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox
churches make up the complement of this body.
• Group of 17 member churches sharing a common
Christian understanding who work together to promote
peace, harmony, a love of Christ and a vision of a future
Australia with a sharing community.
• They cover a range of issues and assist the
community in issues of faith and unity, gender
issues, indigenous people, social justice and
international topics.
• By working together, they are paving the way for
an Australia where Christians share and work
together on issues of concern and pray together
as one people of God.
NSW Ecumenical council
• 16 member Churches of the three Christian Variants,
Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox.
• Committed to working together to discover peace and
unity and echo a common voice from a Christian
perspective on issues of concern.
• To work together on specific projects for the greater
good of the community and the world at large.
• Causes include the Christmas bowl appeal, the house of
welcome and theological reflection.
• The house of Welcome assists migrants
and refugees to assimilate into the
wider community.
Formation of the Uniting Church
• In 1977, a unique Ecumenical event happened
in Australia.
• Methodist and Congregationalist and some
Presbyterian Churches amalgamated and
formed the Uniting Church.
• 30 years later – there has been a rise of
individualism in the younger generation and
some numbers have now dropped.
• The Uniting Church continues to
work in social welfare in
Australia.
• Interfaith- cooperation between people of different faiths.
• Promotes mutual understanding, harmony, dialogue,
appreciation, co-operation and interfaith prayer
services. Examples are:
• NSW council of Christians and Jews
• Columban centre for Muslim-Christian relations est. 1997.
• Interfaith dialogue creates respect and
appreciation for religious diversity.
• Helps religions support each other.
The Relationship between aboriginal communities and
religious traditions in the process of Reconciliation
• Christians – first to advocate aboriginal rights and support the
Reconciliation movement and formal apology for the Stolen
Generation
• NCCA’s NATSIEC put on a youth reconciliation service in
Redfern
• Jewish Groups hold a week of prayer every year for
Reconciliation
• Australian Federation of Islam Councils and the Buddhist
Peace Fellowship also support Reconciliation and indigenous
rights.
National Torres Strait and Aboriginal
Islander Commission
The Relationship between aboriginal
communities and religious traditions in the
process of Reconciliation
ANTAR – a Christian Church based group was formed to
advocate indigenous rights. It was chaired by Phil Glendenning
A Catholic who is president of the Edmund Rice centre for
justice and community education
Graham Neate, a Baptist and is president
of the National Native title Tribunal, and works
as a judge on Native title claims. He has an
awareness of the aborigines link to the land and
often holds court beneath gum trees and
bottlebrush on the ground
A Jewish couple, tom and Eva Rona left money
for aboriginal people and this has enabled them
to record the oral history of the Nglyampaam
people of western Australia, helped by an elder.