Religious Education: Area of Study 3: Contemporary ethical issues in a pluralistic society

Religion in Australia

In this area of study students consider religion in Australia, past and present, and the influences on Australian religious composition, in particular from migration and secularisation.

They explore how the communities and later institutions of these religious traditions perceived themselves and expressed their collective identity in Australia. This expression of collective identity may have been cohesive or diverse, with different religious communities and their distinctive identities contributing to the whole identity of the religious tradition. Students also examine the influence of religion on the personal identity of members. They explore the influence of religious traditions on the development of social infrastructure in Australia, and consider factors such as the laws governing the provision of education and welfare. This exploration should include the interfaith and ecumenical initiatives between and within religious traditions in Australia.

Key Knowledge

• the distribution of and adherence to major religious traditions in Australia, past and present
• the influences of recent religious and non-religious trends on Australian religious composition
• the influences of government policies on the religious composition of Australian society over time
• the way collective identity is expressed by religious traditions in Australia through relevant aspects of religion
• the personal meaning and identity that is found and further developed through engagement with relevant aspects of religion, in particular, spiritual experience
• tensions that can occur between members of a religious tradition over issues of authority, freedom, interpretation of beliefs and teachings, and behaviour
• ​interactions between different religious traditions and within the wider Australian society and reasons for these, in particular:
  • the role of religion in providing social infrastructure in Australian society
  • the role of interfaith and ecumenical interaction in Australia.

Key Skills

• describe data on the distribution of and adherence to major religious traditions
• explain influences on religious composition
• outline how collective identity is expressed by religious traditions
• outline the personal meaning and identity that is found and further developed through engagement with relevant aspects of religion
• describe tensions that can occur between members of a religious tradition
• explain interactions between different religious traditions and within the wider Australian society and reasons for these
• interpret, synthesise and apply primary and secondary source material.