HSC SOR2 Topic I: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-1945
Principal Focus
The focus of this study is religious expression in Australia’s multicultural and multi faith society since
1945. The study includes an appreciation of Aboriginal spiritualities and their contribution to an
understanding of religious beliefs and religious expression in Australia today.
Outcomes
H1 explains aspects of religion and belief systems
H2 describes and analyses the influence of religion and belief systems on individuals and society
H3 examines the influence and expression of religion and belief systems in Australia
H4 describes and analyses how aspects of religious traditions are expressed by their adherents
H5 evaluates the influence of religious traditions in the life of adherents
H6 organises, analyses and synthesises relevant information about religion from a variety of
sources, considering usefulness, validity and bias
H8 applies appropriate terminology and concepts related to religion and belief systems
H9 coherently and effectively communicates complex information, ideas and issues using
appropriate written, oral and graphic forms.
,Table of Contents
1. Contemporary Aboriginal Spiritualities 3
1.1 Aboriginal Spirituality as Determined by the Dreaming 3
1.2 Kinship 3
1.3 Ceremonial Life 4
1.4 Obligations to the Land and People 4
1.5 Dispossession 4
1.5.3 The Stolen Generations 5
1.6 The Land Rights Movement 5
1.6.3 The Importance of the Dreaming for the Land Rights Movement
6
2. Religious Expression in Australia - 1945 to the Present 7
2.1 The Current Religious Landscape: 7
2.2.2 Table of Changing Patterns of Religious Adherence 7
2.2.3 Summary of Main World Religions
8
3. Contemporary Religious Landscape in Australia 9
3.1 Christianity as the Major Religious Tradition 9
3.1.1 Immigration 9
3.1.2 Denominational Switching 9
3.1.3 The Rise of New Age Religions 9
3.1.4 Secularism
10
4. Religious Dialogue in Multi-Faith Australia 10
4.1 Ecumenical Movements within Christianity 10
4.1.1 National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) - Formed 1994 10
4.1.2 NSW Ecumenical Council (NSWEC) - Formed 1982 10
4.2 Interfaith Dialogue 11
4.3 Aboriginal Spiritualities and the Process of Reconciliation 12
4.3.1 Involvement of Religious Traditions in the Process of Reconciliation 13
,1. Contemporary Aboriginal Spiritualities
1.1 Aboriginal Spirituality as Determined by the Dreaming
The Dreaming encompasses the metatemporal Aboriginal view of creation and explains how their identity is
connected to the land, ancestors and spiritual beings in an inextricable way.
Aboriginal spirituality is complex and the dreaming incorporates every aspect of music, storytelling, artwork,
food, gathering within a framework of kinship. The dreaming represents all knowledge and understanding and
determines relationships and responsibilities for Aboriginal people, connecting them to the land/country they
belong to.
The Dreaming refers to a central concept which underpins all beliefs and practices in Aboriginal
communities. It tells of the journeys and actions of ancestral beings who created the natural world, linking the
past with the present to determine the future (metatemporal - beyond time).
The dreaming is:
○ The link to ancestral beings
○ Expressed in rituals
○ The sacred spaces that are important to the community
○ The stories of Aboriginal people explaining who they are and relationships
○ Reflected upon and shared through art
○ Inextricably connected to the land as the land is the physical medium through which the Dreaming is
communicated
1.2 Kinship
1.1.1 Kinship Kinship is a term used to characterise a highly sophisticated network of relationships
that governs interactions and responsibilities, including who an individual can marry, who
is tasked with caring for the sick/old or conducting religious ceremonies.
In Australia, there are over 500 different Indigenous countries, flowing into clan groups
and then family groups.
There are obligations within these social networks to care for others in times of need.
Kinship also links to the Dreaming, totems and the ancestor spirits.
1.1.2 Moieties An individual's moiety can be described as a system whereby everything is considered a
half of a whole, and therefore is a mirror of the other.
A person will either inherit their mothers moiety (matrilineal) or their fathers moiety
(patrilineal). You must marry someone of a different moiety. Those who are of the same
moiety are considered siblings, so individuals cannot marry within their moiety.
The two different moieties in a kinship group have a reciprocal responsibility to support
each other.
1.1.3 Totems An individual will have four totems, connecting them to their;
○ Nation
○ Clan
○ Family group
○ Personal totem
Nation, clan and family totems are preordained and their personal one is decided by the
elders when they learn what totem the individual represents. Totems link a person to the
world around them and you become accountable for it.
, Each person has a responsibility to ensure that their totems are protected and are
passed onto the next generation.
Totems are split between moieties to create a balance of protection. For example, a few
people in the same moiety will have a kangaroo as their totem, this means their role is to
educate people on kangaroos and to care for them, as well as this they cannot eat
kangaroos. Totems link a person to the universe.
Aboriginal spirituality is animistic, meaning that the people, land and animals are
connected. The land and its resources must be looked after for future generations.
1.1.4 Skin names Similar to a surname and connect an individual to their
bloodline. It also conveys information about how
generations are linked and how they should interact. Unlike
surnames, husband and wife do not share a skin name and
their children don’t share their parents.
Each nation has its own skin name.
1.3 Ceremonial Life
Ceremonies are a forum for communication in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Indigenous Australians communicate through art, dance, and song, most of which feature in ceremonies.
Indigenous art is highly important for expressing the landscape and the sacred knowledge it contains.
Ceremonies express explanations of life from the dreaming. This is integral to Aboriginal spirituality because
it is an oral tradition, so younger generations learn of their culture this way. Rituals in the ceremonies often
honour the ancestral spirits. To this day, Aboriginal ceremonies play an important role in life.
For example, the initiation of boys and girls into adulthood is a particularly important ceremony and lasts for
weeks. At these ceremonies, the children are taught stories of the land which they can then pass down on-to
future generations.
1.4 Obligations to the Land and People
The land acts as a dwelling and resting place for the ancestral beings. Therefore, the land must be cared
for because it is spiritual, but also ensures the continuation of Aboriginal life in a physical sense.
The dreaming is inextricably connected to the land. The Dreaming explains how the land and its features
came to be. The identity of an Indigenous person is linked with the land because they are born of a totem. As a
result, the Dreaming, the identity of an Aboriginal person and the land are inextricably linked, and this
connection can never be broken, removed or destroyed.
○ A sacred site is a place where a particular event that features the dreaming took place
1.5 Dispossession
Dispossession is the action of depriving someone of possessions, including property and land. When
dispossession is applied to the Aboriginal people, it considers the forceful removal of Aboriginal people from the
land as a direct result of government policies. The Protection policy from 1890-1920 and the Assimilation
policy from 1920-1960 resulted in Aboriginals losing their sense of identity and culture as they were separated
from their land and Kinship groups, unable to form connections with their tribe and participate in ceremonies.
This destroyed the connection they had to their Aboriginal spirituality and the process of regaining this is still
continuing today.
Principal Focus
The focus of this study is religious expression in Australia’s multicultural and multi faith society since
1945. The study includes an appreciation of Aboriginal spiritualities and their contribution to an
understanding of religious beliefs and religious expression in Australia today.
Outcomes
H1 explains aspects of religion and belief systems
H2 describes and analyses the influence of religion and belief systems on individuals and society
H3 examines the influence and expression of religion and belief systems in Australia
H4 describes and analyses how aspects of religious traditions are expressed by their adherents
H5 evaluates the influence of religious traditions in the life of adherents
H6 organises, analyses and synthesises relevant information about religion from a variety of
sources, considering usefulness, validity and bias
H8 applies appropriate terminology and concepts related to religion and belief systems
H9 coherently and effectively communicates complex information, ideas and issues using
appropriate written, oral and graphic forms.
,Table of Contents
1. Contemporary Aboriginal Spiritualities 3
1.1 Aboriginal Spirituality as Determined by the Dreaming 3
1.2 Kinship 3
1.3 Ceremonial Life 4
1.4 Obligations to the Land and People 4
1.5 Dispossession 4
1.5.3 The Stolen Generations 5
1.6 The Land Rights Movement 5
1.6.3 The Importance of the Dreaming for the Land Rights Movement
6
2. Religious Expression in Australia - 1945 to the Present 7
2.1 The Current Religious Landscape: 7
2.2.2 Table of Changing Patterns of Religious Adherence 7
2.2.3 Summary of Main World Religions
8
3. Contemporary Religious Landscape in Australia 9
3.1 Christianity as the Major Religious Tradition 9
3.1.1 Immigration 9
3.1.2 Denominational Switching 9
3.1.3 The Rise of New Age Religions 9
3.1.4 Secularism
10
4. Religious Dialogue in Multi-Faith Australia 10
4.1 Ecumenical Movements within Christianity 10
4.1.1 National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) - Formed 1994 10
4.1.2 NSW Ecumenical Council (NSWEC) - Formed 1982 10
4.2 Interfaith Dialogue 11
4.3 Aboriginal Spiritualities and the Process of Reconciliation 12
4.3.1 Involvement of Religious Traditions in the Process of Reconciliation 13
,1. Contemporary Aboriginal Spiritualities
1.1 Aboriginal Spirituality as Determined by the Dreaming
The Dreaming encompasses the metatemporal Aboriginal view of creation and explains how their identity is
connected to the land, ancestors and spiritual beings in an inextricable way.
Aboriginal spirituality is complex and the dreaming incorporates every aspect of music, storytelling, artwork,
food, gathering within a framework of kinship. The dreaming represents all knowledge and understanding and
determines relationships and responsibilities for Aboriginal people, connecting them to the land/country they
belong to.
The Dreaming refers to a central concept which underpins all beliefs and practices in Aboriginal
communities. It tells of the journeys and actions of ancestral beings who created the natural world, linking the
past with the present to determine the future (metatemporal - beyond time).
The dreaming is:
○ The link to ancestral beings
○ Expressed in rituals
○ The sacred spaces that are important to the community
○ The stories of Aboriginal people explaining who they are and relationships
○ Reflected upon and shared through art
○ Inextricably connected to the land as the land is the physical medium through which the Dreaming is
communicated
1.2 Kinship
1.1.1 Kinship Kinship is a term used to characterise a highly sophisticated network of relationships
that governs interactions and responsibilities, including who an individual can marry, who
is tasked with caring for the sick/old or conducting religious ceremonies.
In Australia, there are over 500 different Indigenous countries, flowing into clan groups
and then family groups.
There are obligations within these social networks to care for others in times of need.
Kinship also links to the Dreaming, totems and the ancestor spirits.
1.1.2 Moieties An individual's moiety can be described as a system whereby everything is considered a
half of a whole, and therefore is a mirror of the other.
A person will either inherit their mothers moiety (matrilineal) or their fathers moiety
(patrilineal). You must marry someone of a different moiety. Those who are of the same
moiety are considered siblings, so individuals cannot marry within their moiety.
The two different moieties in a kinship group have a reciprocal responsibility to support
each other.
1.1.3 Totems An individual will have four totems, connecting them to their;
○ Nation
○ Clan
○ Family group
○ Personal totem
Nation, clan and family totems are preordained and their personal one is decided by the
elders when they learn what totem the individual represents. Totems link a person to the
world around them and you become accountable for it.
, Each person has a responsibility to ensure that their totems are protected and are
passed onto the next generation.
Totems are split between moieties to create a balance of protection. For example, a few
people in the same moiety will have a kangaroo as their totem, this means their role is to
educate people on kangaroos and to care for them, as well as this they cannot eat
kangaroos. Totems link a person to the universe.
Aboriginal spirituality is animistic, meaning that the people, land and animals are
connected. The land and its resources must be looked after for future generations.
1.1.4 Skin names Similar to a surname and connect an individual to their
bloodline. It also conveys information about how
generations are linked and how they should interact. Unlike
surnames, husband and wife do not share a skin name and
their children don’t share their parents.
Each nation has its own skin name.
1.3 Ceremonial Life
Ceremonies are a forum for communication in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Indigenous Australians communicate through art, dance, and song, most of which feature in ceremonies.
Indigenous art is highly important for expressing the landscape and the sacred knowledge it contains.
Ceremonies express explanations of life from the dreaming. This is integral to Aboriginal spirituality because
it is an oral tradition, so younger generations learn of their culture this way. Rituals in the ceremonies often
honour the ancestral spirits. To this day, Aboriginal ceremonies play an important role in life.
For example, the initiation of boys and girls into adulthood is a particularly important ceremony and lasts for
weeks. At these ceremonies, the children are taught stories of the land which they can then pass down on-to
future generations.
1.4 Obligations to the Land and People
The land acts as a dwelling and resting place for the ancestral beings. Therefore, the land must be cared
for because it is spiritual, but also ensures the continuation of Aboriginal life in a physical sense.
The dreaming is inextricably connected to the land. The Dreaming explains how the land and its features
came to be. The identity of an Indigenous person is linked with the land because they are born of a totem. As a
result, the Dreaming, the identity of an Aboriginal person and the land are inextricably linked, and this
connection can never be broken, removed or destroyed.
○ A sacred site is a place where a particular event that features the dreaming took place
1.5 Dispossession
Dispossession is the action of depriving someone of possessions, including property and land. When
dispossession is applied to the Aboriginal people, it considers the forceful removal of Aboriginal people from the
land as a direct result of government policies. The Protection policy from 1890-1920 and the Assimilation
policy from 1920-1960 resulted in Aboriginals losing their sense of identity and culture as they were separated
from their land and Kinship groups, unable to form connections with their tribe and participate in ceremonies.
This destroyed the connection they had to their Aboriginal spirituality and the process of regaining this is still
continuing today.
