CH009-812 - History of Christianity in Australia

  • 2,976 Standard Tuition Fee
  • 12
    Credit Points
  • 0.125 EFT 
  • 8
    AQF level
  • Category developing unit
    B
  • church historyUnit Discipline

Exclusions

Prior to 2020, this unit content was delivered under the unit code CH609.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will

A. Know and understand

Demonstrate Advanced knowledge and understanding of, and the research underlying, the history of Christianity in Australia.

B. Be able to

1. Examine the major phases and developments in the history of Christianity in Australia in their political and social contexts

2. Interpret a selection of primary sources to formulate Critical historical viewpoints on the history of Christianity in Australia

3. Present research and historiographically aware evidence-based perspectives on the history of Christianity in Australia

C. Be in a position to

1. Applying Advanced perspectives from the  ‘Christianity in Australia’ to inform ministry practice as a reflective practitioner

Content

1. The Church as the Convict Chaplaincy (1788–1833)

a. British background, early New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land settlements.

b. Colonial chaplaincy: moral and penal reform problems; relations with civil authorities.

c. Establishment disputes, recognition of non-Anglican churches; the Church Acts.

d. Policies on education; convicts and emancipists; transportation;

e. Missions to the Aborigines.

2. The Churches consolidate (1833–1880)

a. Development from chaplaincy to organised religion with an indigenous ministry.

b. Denominationalism and sectarianism; liberalism and secularism; voluntarism.

c.  The churches in an expanding community; the Gold rushes and their influence.

d. The abolition of State Aid; the churches, State education and the universities.

e. The beginnings and consolidation of one denomination in Australia.

3. The Churches confronted by the twentieth century (1880–1960)

a. Denominational consolidation: relations with Home churches; new religious forms.

b. Socio-political issues 1880–1914: Sunday; Temperance; Federation.

c. The churches and World War I: conscription and sectarianism.

d. The churches and the 1920s and the Depression.

e. The churches and World War II; the Jewish question.

f. The impact of post-war immigration; “White Australia”; the Catholic Groupers; secularism.

4. The Churches today (1960–)

a. The rise of the Bible College movement; the charismatic movement; sectarianism and mass media religion; para-church groups (e.g. Scripture Union, IVF, YMCA, Bible Society).

b. The ecumenical movement and the Australian Council of Churches;

c. Missions to Aborigines and overseas.

d. The churches’ involvement in debates over community issues (eg state aid, divorce, abortion, IVF, conscription; nuclear power, capital punishment, conservation, poverty).

e. Issues with the churches (e.g. church union, women in ministry, baptism).

Students are to study each topic with reference to relevant primary documents.

Set Readings

Documents:

Collections of documents on Australian church history now available on the web, include documents on the Anglican Church of Australia at www.anglican.org.au/archive/ and for the Pentecostal churches, see aps.webjournals.org

Primary Document Collection:

Woolmington, J. (ed.), Religion in Early Australia: the Problem of Church and State (Sydney: Cassell, 1976) and Aborigines in Australian History (Sydney: Cassell, 1973).

Austin, A. G. (ed.), Select Documents in Australian Education 1788–1900 (Melbourne: Pitman, 1963).

Clark, C. M. H. (ed.), Select Documents in Australian History, 1788–1900, (2nd ed.; Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1965).

Crowley, F. K. (ed.), Modern Australia in Documents Vol. I: 1901–1939 (Melbourne: Wren, 1973).

Crowley, F. K. (ed.), Modern Australia in Documents Vol. II: 1939-1970 (Melbourne: Wren, 1973).

O’Farrell, P. J., Documents in Australian Catholic History (2 Vols; Melbourne: Chapman, 1969).

 

General Works:

Piggin, S., Evangelical Christianity in Australia: Spirit, Word and World (Melbourne, Oxford: OUP, 1996). Second edition is entitled: Spirit of a Nation: The Story of Australia’s Christian Heritage (Sydney: Strand, 2003).

Thompson, R. C., Religion in Australia: A History (2nd ed.; Melbourne: OUP, 2002).

Lake, M., The Bible in Australia: A Cultural History (Sydney: NewSouth Books, 2018).  

 

Reference Works:

Dickey, B. (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Evangelical Biography (Adelaide: Evangelical History Association, 1994).

Pike, D. (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography (Melbourne: Melbourne University, 1961).

 

New and Critical Works:

Piggin. S. & R. D. Linder, The Fountain of Public Prosperity: Evangelical Christians in Australian History, 1740-1914 (Melbourne: Monash, 2018);

Piggin. S. & R. D. Linder, Attending to the National Soul: Evangelical Christians in Australian History, 1914-2014 (Melbourne: Monash, 2020);

Chavura, S. A., R. Gascoigne, and I. Tregenza (eds), Reason, Religion and the Australian Polity: A Secular State? (Oxford & New York: Routledge, 2019).
 

Books covering more than one period:

Breward, I., A History of the Churches in Australasia (Oxford: OUP, 2001).

Carey, H. M., Believing in Australia: A Cultural History of Religions (Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1996).

Hutchinson, M., S. Piggin and E. Campion (eds), Reviving Australia: Essays in the Historical of Revival and Revivalism in Australian Christian Experience (Sydney: Centre for the Study of Australian Christianity, 1994).

Kaye, B. (ed.), Anglicanism in Australia (Melbourne: Melbourne University, 2002).

Manley, K., From Woolloomooloo to ‘Eternity’ (SBHT Vol. 16; Carlisle: Paternoster, 2006).

O’Brien, A., God’s Willing Workers (Sydney: University of New South Wales, 2006).

O'Farrell, P. J., The Catholic Church and Community in Australia (Melbourne: Nelson, 1977).

West, J., Daughters of Freedom (Sydney: Albatross, 1997).

 

Convict Chaplaincy:

Grocott, A. M., Convicts, Clergymen and Churches: Attitudes of Convicts and Ex-Convicts towards the Churches and Clergy in New South Wales from 1788 to 1851 (Sydney: SUP, 1980).

 

The Churches Consolidate (1833–1880):

Hutchinson, M. and E. Campion (eds), Long Patient Suffering: Studies in the Role of Women in Australian Christianity (Sydney: Centre for the Study of Australian Christianity, 1994).

 

The Churches Confronted by the 20th Century:

Habel, N. C. (ed.), Religion and Multiculturalism in Australia: Essays in Honour of Victor C. Hayes (AASR, 1992).

Lawton, W. J., The Better Time to Be: Utopian Attitudes to Society Among Sydney Anglicans, 1885 to 1914 (Sydney: UNSW, 1990).

 

Churches Today:

Black, A. (ed.), Religion in Australia (Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1991).

Hughes, P., Religion: A View From the Australian Census (Melbourne: Christian Research Association, 1993).

Kaldor, P. et al, Views From the Pews – Australian Church Attenders Speak Out (Adelaide: OpenBook, 1995).

Loos, N., White Christ Black Cross: The Emergence of a Black Church (Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press, 2007).

Porter, M., The New Puritans (Melbourne: MUP, 2006).

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