Religion in Australia post-1945

Question 1

What is assimilation policy?

Answer 1

An official government policy which aimed to integrate small minority groups into the dominant cultural group. This results in the loss of culture, traditions and language of the minority group.

Question 2

What is crown land?

Answer 2

Public land owned by the Commonwealth of Australia and managed by the Australian Government

Question 3

What is dispossession?

Answer 3

The forced removal of Aboriginal people from their native lands

Question 4

What is the dreaming?

Answer 4

A term for the Aboriginal spiritual beliefs about creation and existence. It includes connections to ancestor spirits, rules governing relationship between people and land, and the past, present and future

Question 5

What is freehold title?

Answer 5

A tenure of real property where there is absolute and permanent ownership of the land

Question 6

What does metatemporal mean?

Answer 6

Refers to a concept which incorporates the past, present and future as a complete and present reality

Question 7

What is native title?

Answer 7

A form of land title which recognises Aboriginal people as rightful owners of their traditional land
(Native Title with capital letters refers to the legislation)

Question 8

What are sacred sites?

Answer 8

Places that have spiritual significance for Aboriginal people as they are connection with ancestor beings from the Dreaming and are places where rituals such as initiation are carried out

Question 9

What is the Stolen Generation?

Answer 9

The term used to refer to the Aboriginal children who were removed from their families between 1900 and 1972 by the government and church missionaries in an attempt to assimilate them into European society

Question 10

What is a sunset clause?

Answer 10

A statutory provision under the Native Title Amendment Act 1998 which sets a time frame within which all native title claims would have to be made for them to be considered

Question 11

What is the Ten Point Plan?

Answer 11

(AKA Native Title Amendment Act 1998) - an outline of the Governments legislative response to the Wik decision. Many argue that it was aimed at leaving native title owners with little or no power over the land

Question 12

What are totems?

Answer 12

They represent a person as they existed in the Dreaming in the form of an animal, plant or natural phenomena. They are links between an individual/community and particular ancestor spirits

Question 13

What is kinship?

Answer 13

kinship ties identify a complex system of belonging, relationships and responsibilities within a clan that are based on the Dreaming. Kinship is determined by family connections and a connection to the land, spirits and Dreaming

Question 14

What is secularism?

Answer 14

A movement towards a disconnection of everyday life from religious or spiritual matters

Question 15

What is denominational switching?

Answer 15

A transfer of followers from one Christian denomination to another

Question 16

What is ecumenism?

Answer 16

A movement towards unity amongst Christian denominations

Question 17

What is interfaith dialogue?

Answer 17

Formal discussion aimed towards developing greater mutual understanding between different religious traditions

Question 18

What is a New Age Religion?

Answer 18

An umbrella term to cover a wide range of spiritual beliefs and practices aiming to foster individual fulfilment in the form of personal happiness, health and meaning in life

Question 19

What is pentecostalism?

Answer 19

A Christian denomination that is charismatic and evangelical

Question 20

What is a charismatic movement?

Answer 20

A Christian movement that emphasises the power of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and healing the sick

Question 21

What is evangelicalism?

Answer 21

It represents the need to have a conversion experience and a personal relationship with Jesus. Believers are often called ‘born again Christians’

Question 22

What is a fundamentalist?

Answer 22

A person who believes in the strict, literal interpretation of scripture in a religion

Question 23

What is the revolving door syndrome?

Answer 23

A phenomena whereby large numbers of Pentecostals remain within the church for only a short period of time

Question 24

What was the ‘White Australia’ policy?

Answer 24

A government policy (Immigration Restriction Act 1901) which aimed to exclude non-European people from migrating to Australia

Question 25

When was the White Australia policy dismantled?

Answer 25

1973 (although it started to progressively decline after World War II)

Question 26

What are the key Protestant movements?

Answer 26

Lutheran
Reformed/Presbyterian
Anglican 
Free Churches (Baptists, Methodists, Quakers, Salvation Army, Pentecostal churches)
The Uniting Church

Question 27

When did Catholicism become the most common Christian denomination?

Answer 27

1986

Question 28

What was the first major world event which begun the changing religious landscape?

Answer 28

World War II (After 1945)

Question 29

What were the first other religions to come to Australia and why?

Answer 29

Italian Catholics and Orthodox Christians from Eastern Europe

Question 30

What was the impact of the Vietnam war (1960’s-70’s)?

Answer 30

Large influx of southeast Asian refugees
Some where Christian, Buddhist, Hindu
Refugees from Lebanon, Turkey brought Islam

Question 31

Give reasons for the emergence of New Age Religions (3)

Answer 31

1. 1960’s - strong reaction to perceived failure of established Churches to make the world a better place
2. People feel the need to explore and develop their own personal spirituality in different ways
3. People wish to have a creation-centred spirituality

Question 32

What are examples of New Age Religions? (3)

Answer 32

1. The Family International (salvation, apocalypticism, distrust of the outside world)
2. Astrology
3. Feng shui

Question 33

What are some factors contributing to increasing secularism? (4)

Answer 33

1. The view that mainstream religions are outdated
2. Growing consumerism, scepticism and materialism
3. Emergence of science and technology to explain previously unexplainable phenomena
4. Various scandals within established churches

Question 34

Name 3 Ecumenical movements in Australia (and dates)

Answer 34

1. National Council of Churches in Australia (1994)
2. NSW Ecumenical Council (1982)
3. Uniting Church in Australia (1977)

Question 35

What is the NCCA?

Answer 35

National Council of Churches in Australia
- Works broadly on social justice issues and ecumenical charities and the sharing of resources among rural Australian churches

Question 36

What is the NSWEC?

Answer 36

NSW Ecumenical Council

• Accommodates 11 dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church in NSW and ACT
• It allows united reflection and unity between denominations to work on social justice issues
• seeks to provide local initiatives which promote ecumenism at a grassroots level

Question 37

What is the UCA?

Answer 37

Uniting Church in Australia

• MOST Methodists
• 2/3 Presbyterian
• ALMOST ALL Congregational
• Consolidating of resources due to falling numbers, similar beliefs

Question 38

What are some examples of inter-faith dialogue?

Answer 38

The sanctity of human life is a fundamental aspect which runs through all world religions, therefore all religions combine in events such as the Boxing Day Tsunami, Bali Bombings etc, to provide support
They also cooperate on social justice issues such as indigenous rights, unemployment, poverty, asylum seekers