Religious Dialogue in Multifaith Australia
Interfaith dialogue: cooperation between different religious traditions as all share a religious world view
Dialogue begins when people meet each other
Dialogue depends upon mutual understanding and trust
Dialogue makes it possible to share in service to the community
Examples in Australia:-
1)The Australian National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims and Jews which commenced in 2003.
2)The Australian Partnership of Ethnic and Religious Organisations, 2003
3)Studies of Religion courses in high schools, where students of different faiths work together
4)The Multifaith Religious Services Centre that ran during the Sydney Olympics
5)ANZAC day service held at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney remembering the suffering of people during war; Buddhist monks and Christian ministers took part.
6)Multifaith prayer vigil held at Strathfield Plaza on 15th September 2001 after the terrorist attacks on the USA. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Tamil Catholics, Anglo Catholics, Anglicans, Korean Christians and Pentecostals groups took part.
It is seen that interfaith dialogue may be the key to solving the increased threat of terrorism facing the modern world. However some conservatives within religion say that there are significant differences between religions that cannot be overlooked. There is criticism of interfaith dialogue in that it requires religions to water down their beliefs to fit better or to become more compatible with other religions. Statements from governments stating that there is the expectation of all people living in a particular country to respect the constitution of that country and to an overriding loyalty to that country, have been criticised by some religious groups that claim that governments expect all to be secularist and compromise their integrity by accepting to only function within a capitalist framework and recognise such things as justice, peace, women’s rights, democracy etc.
Questions:
1)Do you think that interfaith dialogue is important? Give three reasons for your answer.
2)Do you think that loyalty and respect of laws of their new country is important for immigrants? Should you be able to break the laws or norms of the country you live in because it goes against the basics of your religion?
Ecumenical movements within Christianity
Ecumenism: working toward unity and cooperation between the Christian denominations
1)Non-Denominational Approach- ignores differences between denominations, eg. Girls Brigade, Young Men’s Christian Association, or National Christian Endeavour Movement and the Australian College of Theology (ACT)
2)Interdenominational Approach- a collaborative approach, eg. Annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity or Reconciliation, sharing of religious education in schools or fundraising or combined events promoting reconciliation. The National Council of the Royal School of Church Music Australia and the Ecumenical Church Music Committee combine to hold week long summer schools for church musicians. The Australian Hymn Book was publish after collaboration between Anglican, Roman Catholic, Uniting, Church of Christ and Lutheran churches. In 2001 Catholic and Protestant churches united in the National Church Survey.
3)Embracing Differences Approach- church people should know their own faith and the differences with other denominations. It encourages people to meet in each other’s homes, church halls and discuss and learn about other denominations.
4)Working Towards Unity- The belief that the church is God’s and there is a conviction that unity not uniformity is essential to the church’s renewal.
5)Working Towards Understanding- Ecumenism at a state level is the New South Wales Ecumenical Council, at a national level is the National Council of Churches Australia and on the world level there is the World Council of Churches. The aim is to appreciate the common beliefs and experience and draw closer together.
The benefits of ecumenism are:
-promotes unity
-allows for pooling of resources
-assists family unity by interchurch marriages
-means in small rural communities an ordained minister can be financially supported because donations can come from people in the area who are from different denominations
-National Council of Churches (NCCA) can present a united front and be more influential on public policy.
Joint Initiatives
People may nominate themselves Christian on census and surveys but not actually attend church. There is however a majority of people who feel that the churches should work together to organise televised services in times of crisis or celebration. In the cases of refugees of other religions often the burden of organising religious clergy from other religions to provide rites falls on the Christian organisations, eg. A wedding between two Muslim refugees while at the Safe Haven camp was conducted by an Imam but arranged by the Anglican Samaritans staff and the New South Wales Ecumenical Council.
The National Council of Churches
The NCCA grew out of the devastation of WWII. It has 15 member churches including Anglicans, Lutherans, several Orthodox churches (Antiochian, Coptic, Greek, Romanian, Syrian), Salvation Army, Uniting Church, the Religious Society of Friends, the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Assyrian Church of the East, Churches of Christ, Congregational Federation and the Roman Catholic (since 1994). The Baptist and Presbyterian churches are two significant groups who don’t belong.
The NCCA is involved in advancing Indigenous rights, overseas aid, refugees and displaced people, women’s rights, environmental issues, youth issues, social justice issues, peace and overcoming violence.
The New South Wales Ecumenical Council
The NSWEC members (in addition to those in the NCCA) include St Thomas Indian Orthodox Church, the Syrian Orthodox Church, the Mar Thoma Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo church. The Churches of Christ, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Romanian Orthodox have observer status. The NSWEC have similar causes as the NCCA. The NSW Council of Churches is a smaller ecumenical group in NSW and is more conservative and evangelical than the NSWEC. When the two groups met in 2005 to discuss possible cooperation the Council of Churches found that the NSWEC was too liberal and that the two groups had very different outlooks, ethos and activities.
Questions
1)Explain the ecumenical movement in Australia. Discuss its aim, approaches, benefits, and organisations (1/2- 1 page)
2)Outline five areas the NCCA and NSWEC work.
3)What do NCCA and NSWEC stand for? What is the difference?
4)Explain how the NSWEC and the NSW Council of Churches differ?
Revision Questions for topic:
1)The Immigration Restriction Act was better known as the ______
2)Why have people found the Pentecostal services more appealing?
3)New Age religions began in which decade?
Practice extended responses:
1)Account for the religious diversity in Australia (look at migration patterns, acceptance of New Age spirituality and interfaith dialogue)
2)Discuss religious pluralism in Australia (look at denomination switching and ecumenical movement including examples)
3)Discuss the effects of government policy since colonisation on Aboriginal spiritually
4)Discuss how the religious landscape of Australia has changed since 1945
5)The ecumenical movement and interfaith dialogue is the same thing.
Discuss this statement and give reasons why both are important.