Studies of Religion Master Class: Religion in Australia 1945 to Present

Acknowledgment of Country

• Acknowledged the traditional custodians, the Wongo people of the Euro Nation.
• Respect for the world's oldest continuously living culture.
• Importance of reconciliation and honoring First Nations’ deep connection to the land.

Introduction

• Focus on religious dialogue in multi-faith Australia post-1945.
• Importance of independent research, analysis, collaboration, and communication.
• Emphasis on post-1945 religious expressions in Australia.

Key Areas of Study

• Religious Dialogue: Ecumenical movements within Christianity and Interfaith dialogue.
• Aboriginal Reconciliation: Relationship between Aboriginal spiritualities and religious traditions.

Ecumenical and Interfaith Dialogue

• Definitions: Ecumenical vs. Interfaith
  • Ecumenical: Within Christian denominations.
  • Interfaith: Between different religious traditions.
• Recommend listening to a podcast to understand the difference.

Important Organizations and Councils

• National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA)
• New South Wales Ecumenical Council
• Examples to know:
  • Australian National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims, and Jews.
  • Australian Partnership of Religious Organizations (APRO).

Providing Evidence and Examples

• Importance of using recent events and initiatives as examples.
• Encourage independent research to find initiatives.

Exam Preparation: Multiple Choice and Short Answer Questions

• **Strategies for Multiple Choice: **
  • Use questions to study related topics.
  • Understand terms like ecumenism, Interfaith dialogue, sectarianism, secularism.
  • Analyze options to eliminate incorrect answers.
• Sample Questions Discussed:
  • Founding of the Uniting Church (1977).
  • Ecumenical movements and interfaith initiatives.
  • Understanding secularization and denominational switching.

Five Marker Responses

• Use the stimulus provided in the question.
• Refer to stimulus more than once in your response.
• Include statistics from sources like the National Church Life Survey.
• Discuss impacts and provide more than one example.

Tips for Effective Response

• Use examples relevant to post-1980 developments.
• Distinguish between ecumenism and Interfaith dialogue correctly.
• Provide current examples and statistics.
• Ensure responses are concise and within allocated space.

Sample Responses

• Examples of high-scoring responses from past exams.
• Importance of integrating stimulus and current examples.

Practice and Independent Research

• Encouraged to write their own questions and simulate exam conditions.
• Focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing answers.

Conclusion

• Success in studies of religion requires independent research and understanding the subject deeply.
• Motivation to strive for personal best in assessments.