Christianity in Australia

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Main article: Religion in Australia

Christianity in Australia is the religion with the most adherents according to the four yearly Australian census. However, Australia is also a highly secularised country, the proportion identifying as Christian has declined from 96.1% in 1901 to 68% in 2001^[1].

White colonisation of Australia from 1788 brought Christianity with it, the early European groups were predominantly Roman Catholic found amongst Irish convicts and Anglican among other convicts and their gaolers. Other groups were also represented, for example, among the Tolpuddle martyrs were a number of Methodists.

During the 1800s, later immigrants have included a broad range of Christian denominations, and many of these now operate autonomously from the overseas founding denominations. Immigrants brought their own expressions of Christianity with them, particular examples are the Lutherans from Prussia who tended to settle in the Barossa Valley, South Australia and in Queensland, Methodists in South Australia, with notable pockets coming from Cornwall to work the copper mines in Moonta. Other groups included the Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Baptist churches.

With the exception of a small but significant Lutheran population of German descent, Australian society in 1901 was predominantly Anglo-Celtic, with 40% of the population being Anglican (then Church of England), 23% Catholic, 34% other Christian and about 1% professing non-Christian religions. The first census in 1911 showed 96.1 percent identified themselves as Christian.

Further waves of migration and the gradual winding back of the White Australia Policy, helped to reshape the profile of Australia's religious affiliations over subsequent decades. The impact of migration from Europe in the aftermath of World War II led to increases in affiliates of the Orthodox Churches, the establishment of Reformed bodies, growth in the number of Catholics (largely from Italian migration) and Jews (Holocaust survivors), and the creation of ethnic parishes among many other denominations. More recently (post-1970s), immigration from South-East Asia and the Middle East has expanded Buddhist and Muslim numbers considerably, and increased the ethnic diversity of existing Christian denominations.

The Christian denominations and European culture have had a significant impact on Indigenous Australians, their religion and their culture. As in many colonial situations the churches both facilitated the loss of Indigenous Australian culture and religion and also facilitated its maintenance.

Christian missionaries attempted to convert Indigenous people to Christianity. The Presbyterian Church of Australia’s Australian Inland Mission and the Lutheran mission at Hermannsburg, Northern Territory being examples.

Contents 1 Social and political engagement 2 Denominations 3 References 4 External links 4.1 Australian denominations

[edit] Social and political engagement

A number of Christian denominations are significant providers of social welfare (including residential aged care and the Job Network) and education in Australia, Australia wide these include The Salvation Army, the Uniting Church’s UnitingCare Australia and the Wesley Missions, the Anglican Church of Australia’s Anglicare and the Roman Catholic Church in Australia’s Centacare. Hillsong Church's Hillsong Emerge is a local example in Sydney, New South Wales.

There are substantial networks of Christian schools associated with the Christian denominations and also some that operate as parachurch organizations. These range from elite, high cost schools to low fee locally based schools. Denominations with networks of schools include:

• Anglican
• Roman Catholic
• Lutheran

A number of current and past politicians present themselves as Christian in public life, these include:

• Federally: Tony Abbott (Roman Catholic, Australian Minister of Health), Steve Fielding of Family First, and previously Brian Harradine, Tasmanian independent (1975-2005), Brian Howe Labor Deputy Prime Minister (1991-1995) and Kevin Rudd (Federal opposition leader, 2006)
• State: Fred Nile and Gordon Moyes in the New South Wales Legislative Council, Andrew Evans in the South Australian Legislative Council and Joh Bjelke Petersen Premier of Queensland (1968 to 1987).

[edit] Denominations

The churches with the largest number of members are the Roman Catholic Church in Australia, the Lutheran Church of Australia, the Uniting Church in Australia, and the Anglican Church of Australia. The Pentecostal churches and charismatic movement are also present with megachurches, predominantly associated with the Assemblies of God in Australia, being found in most states (for example, Hillsong Church and Paradise Community Church and Edge Church). ^[2]

The National Council of Churches in Australia is the main Christian ecumenical body.

The major Christian denominations in Australia with percentages are of the total Australian population at the 2001 census were:^[1]

• 26.6% Roman Catholic
• 20.7% Anglican Church of Australia
• 6.7% Uniting Church in Australia
• 3.4% Presbyterian and Reformed (Presbyterian Church of Australia, Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, Presbyterian Reformed Church (Australia), etc.)
• 2.8% Orthodox
• 1.6% Baptist
• 1.3% Lutheran
• 1.0% Pentecostal (Assemblies of God in Australia, CRC Churches International, etc.)
• 0.4% Salvation Army
• 0.4% Jehovah's Witnesses
• 0.3% Churches of Christ
• 2.7% Other Christian (including 0.3% Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia^[3])

Smaller denominations include:

• Congregational Federation of Australia

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• National Council of Churches in Australia

[edit] Australian denominations

• Anglican Church of Australia
• Antiochian Orthodox Church
• Assemblies of God
• Assyrian Church of the East
• Churches of Christ in Australia
• Congregational Federation of Australia
• Coptic Orthodox Church
• CRC Churches International
• Greek Orthodox Church
• Lutheran Church of Australia
• Religious Society of Friends
• Roman Catholic Church
• The Salvation Army
• Syrian Orthodox Church
• Uniting Church in Australia