Inside this issue:

Contemporary Political Challenges for Religion in Australia

As religion first emerged in human society, it was usually indistinguishable from politics. Tribal leaders declared themselves as having spiritual powers… The religious sources of traditions and ethical principles are being judged in the light of contemporary ethics based on reason and experience, and religions are having to defend themselves. That is now happening in Australia.

Funding the honorary chaplain: Exploring the possibilities of public funding for sports chaplaincy in Australia

It has been argued that Australians regard sport as sacred to their way of life, offering an alternative ‘religion’ which provides identity, meaning and belonging. Some Christian churches have recognised this importance and have shaped their ministries accordingly (Reid, 2014). One such ministry linking the church with sport is that of sports chaplaincy.

Report on the 35th Conference of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion
The ISSR Conference, usually hosted in European countries, is one of two truly international conferences dedicated to the sociology of religion… According to organisers, the 2019 ISSR Conference hosted 500 delegates over the course of four days… The theme of the conference was ‘The Politics of Religion and Spirituality’.

The Indian Diaspora: Hindus and Sikhs in Australia Second Edition
On 25th July 2019, the second edition of The Indian Diaspora: Hindus and Sikhs in Australia was launched by Prof. Bhajan Grewal and Prof. Marika Vicziany at the Australia India Institute, Melbourne University.