Christianity in Australia/draft

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Christianity is the dominant religion in Australia.

Christianity has been the largest religion in every Australian census, but the proportion is declining from 96.1% in 1901 to only 68% in 2001^[1].

[edit] History before 1900

Before the arrival of European settlers (beginning in 1788), the indigenous Australians had a religion based on the Dreamtime.^[2].

Throughout the nineteenth century, missionaries attempted to convert the indigenous people to Christianity, with varying success^{[citation needed]}. Migration to Australia was predominantly from Christian countries in Europe, apart from significant minorities coming to the Victorian Gold Rushes and for use as pearl divers around Broome.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Denominations

As migrants came to Australia, they brought their religious denomination with them. It is quite common for a country town with only a few hundred residents to have two or three different churches.

The major Christian denominations in Australia 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
• 2.8% Orthodox
• 1.6% Baptist
• 1.3% Lutheran
• 0.4% Salvation Army
• 0.4% Jehovah's Witnesses
• 0.3% Churches of Christ
• 1.0% Pentecostal
• 2.7% Other Christian

(Percentages are of the total population)

The largest individual congregations are churches such as Hillsong Church, Planetshakers and Paradise Community Church which are affiliated with the pentecostal Assemblies of God in Australia.^[3]

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} Religion. 1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2004. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved on March 27, 2005.
2. ^ Eliade, Mircea (1973). Australian Religions: An Introduction. London,: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-8014-0729-X. 
3. ^ Reporter: Jana Wendt, Producer: Christopher Zinn (2005-07-03). Hillsong: Songs of praise — and politics. Sunday. NineMSN. Retrieved on April 18, 2006.