Characteristics of religious knowledge among Australian students

Abstract

Drawing on the Spirit of Generation Y project and extensions of that project undertaken in 25 Australian schools by the Christian Research Association, it is argued that the approach to religious knowledge by Australian students can be contrasted with their approach to other forms of knowledge by four features. These are diversity of opinion in the arena of religious knowledge, a lack of clarity in opinion, the affirmation that one can pick and choose one’s beliefs drawing from a range of sources of religious knowledge and that each person is considered to have the right and responsibility to form their own beliefs. The fact that most Australian students assume that religious knowledge has these characteristics means that this area cannot be taught in similar ways to other areas of knowledge.

Keywords:

• Religious knowledge
• Australia
• Religious beliefs
• Picking and choosing

Notes

1. The Spirit of Generation Y project was funded by 17 organisations. The research team that designed the national telephone survey comprised Associate Professor Ruth Webber (Australian Catholic University), Dr Michael Mason (Australian Catholic University), Dr Andrew Singleton (Monash University) and Dr Philip Hughes (Christian Research Association). The Social Research Centre, Melbourne, was contracted to conduct the national telephone survey.