POINTERS June 2023

Description

INSIDE THIS ISSUE OF POINTERS:

Demographics, Culture and Religion Across Australia’s Capital Cities

Visiting the various capital cities around Australia, we are aware of the different vibe and ethos of each city. Most of the cities were founded by Europeans beside a body of water close to the sea, but not right next to the sea. Having a nearby port was important in the 19th century as a source for connections with the rest of the world and for the delivery and export of goods. How the cities have grown from recent immigration and internal migration has affected the different religious profile of each city.

A Reflection on Australia’s Religious and Non-Religious Profiles – By Dr Tanya Riches

This is the edited text of a response given at the Sydney launch of Philip Hughes’ book, Australia’s Religious and Non-Religious Profiles, held at Alphacrucis University College in Parramatta on Friday 12 May 2023.

Religious Identity and Spiritual Discernment: A Response to Australia’s Religious and Non-Religious Profiles – By Associate Professor Robyn Wrigley-Carr

This is the edited text of a response given at the Melbourne launch of Philip Hughes’ book, Australia’s Religious and Non-Religious Profiles, held at the University of Divinity in Box Hill, Victoria, on Thursday 30 March 2023.

Stories of Growth in Australian Pentecostalism

Pentecostalism was a tiny, virtually invisible, part of the Australian religious landscape in 1970. But it is now highly visible and much larger. Pentecostal and charismatic churches are found in almost every town and suburb and every large city has several Pentecostal mega churches (defined as churches with over 1,000 adherents and more than one campus), some of which are also establishing branches overseas…

Exploring the details behind the Census Data

Behind every Census category lies a great variety of organisations and connections between people, particularly highlighted in the religion variable. In this article, Robert Humphreys explores some of the diversity that lies among those who are classified as the Brethren and as the Churches of Christ. Robert Humphreys has long been involved in such research, being the co-author, with Rowland Ward, of Religious bodies in Australia: A Comprehensive Guide, published by New Melbourne Press.

Enduring nature of the values which underpin Australian society: Selected findings of recent research from the PM Glynn Institute

Australian Catholic University’s PM Glynn Institute is a public policy think tank, which aims to analyse issues of concern and contribute to deeper thinking and public conversation about issues affecting the Catholic Church and the wider Australian community. It recently released findings from its second survey, carried out in 2022, on hope, trust and belonging. The survey followed a similar survey undertaken in 2018, and the datasets from both surveys provide a ‘before-and-after COVID-19’ snapshot of Australians’ attitudes, values, lifestyles and aspirations. The surveys were nationally representative of the Australian population aged 18 and over, and statistically weighted against 2021 Australian Census data.