Religion and Change in Australia

This timely book offers a panoramic overview of the enduring significance of religion in contemporary Australian society. Applying sociological perspectives and contemporary theories of religion in society, it challenges conventional assumptions around the extent of secularisation in Australia and instead argues that religious institutions, groups, and individuals have proved remarkably adaptable to social change and continue to play a major role in Australian life. In doing so, it explores how religionintersects with a wide range of other contemporary issues, including politics, race, migration, gender, and new media. After the Second World War, Australia, in common with other western societies, appeared to have become increasingly secularised. Religious observance declined dramatically, and it was commonplace to speak of Australia in the post-war period as a secular society. However, Religion and Change in Australia employs a range of social theories to challenge this view. The 2016 census revealed that over half of the population still identify as Christian. In politics, the socially conservative religious right has come to exert considerable influence on the ruling Liberal Party, particularly under John Howard and Scott Morrison. New technologies, such as the internet and social media, have provided new avenues for religious expression and proselytization whilst so-called 'Mega-Churches', have been built to cater to the increasing population and the expanding suburbs. The adoption of multiculturalism and increased immigration from Asia has led to a religiously pluralist society, though this has often been controversial. In particular, the position of Islam in Australia has been the subject of fierce debate and Islamophobic attitudes still remain. Atheism, non-belief and alternative spiritualities have also become increasingly widespread, especially amongst the young. Religion and Change in Australia analyses these developments and uses sociological theories to offer new perspectives on religion andits continued relevance within Australian society. It argues that if Australia is today a post secular society, the processes of desecularisation have happened differently at the micro, meso and macro level. This book is therefore a vital resource for students, academics and general readers seeking to understand Australia in late modernity and contemporary debates surrounding religion and secularisation--