Philip Hughes, Alan Black, John Bellamy, Peter Kaldor

Identity and Religion in Contemporary Australia

Introduction

Identity and religion in contemporary australia. Discover religious identity & spirituality in contemporary Australia. National survey data reveals links between attendance, beliefs, ethnic identity, and generational shifts among youth.

Abstract

This paper draws on data from two national surveys conducted by Edith Cowan University and NCLS Research to examine the nature of religious identification in Australia. It finds that the importance of religion to people's sense of identity is closely related to church attendance, religious beliefs, and the importance of ethnic identity. Some people describe themselves as 'spiritual' rather than 'religious', although most people opt to describe themselves using both terms or neither. The lower levels of importance of religion to identity among younger people are associated with lower levels of involvement in religious organizations. The importance attributed to spirituality has been largely retained through the generations, but is now expressed somewhat differently. For many younger people, spirituality is being explored quite apart from involvement in, or identification with, religious communities.

Review

This paper addresses a highly pertinent and evolving topic: the multifaceted relationship between identity and religious/spiritual engagement within contemporary Australian society. Drawing on data from two national surveys, the study promises a robust empirical examination of how individuals in a developed Western context identify with, or detach from, traditional religious frameworks. The abstract effectively outlines the paper's central aim, which is to dissect the nature of religious identification, particularly highlighting its correlation with various forms of practice and belief, and its nuanced expression across different demographics. A significant strength of this work lies in its utilization of extensive national datasets, providing a solid foundation for its findings and enhancing their generalizability. The paper offers valuable insights by identifying key factors, such as church attendance, religious beliefs, and ethnic identity, as crucial determinants in the importance individuals attribute to religion in their sense of self. Furthermore, it adeptly navigates the often-debated distinction between 'spiritual' and 'religious' identification, revealing a complex landscape where many adopt a combined approach or neither term. The generational analysis is particularly compelling, demonstrating that while younger people show reduced religious identification and organizational involvement, the importance of spirituality has largely persisted, albeit expressed in novel ways, often disconnected from traditional religious communities. While the abstract presents a compelling overview, a deeper exploration in the full paper regarding the specific methodologies employed in measuring 'identity,' 'belief,' and 'spirituality' would be beneficial for a complete understanding of the study's parameters. Future discussions could also elaborate on the potential implications of these evolving patterns for religious institutions and the broader social fabric of Australia, moving beyond associations to explore potential causal pathways or underlying societal shifts. Nevertheless, this paper appears to offer a timely and empirically rich contribution to the sociology of religion and identity studies, providing critical data points for understanding secularization and the dynamic landscape of belief in modern Australia.

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