| The picture of religious life in Australia has changed. It is considerably different in the 1990s from what it was in the 1950s, or even in the 70s and 80s. Many people have predicted that interest in religion would decline, but instead there are strong signs of growth.
While some Australians are expressing renewed interest in the churches, others are looking at a wide range of religious resources outside the churches. They are exploring resources within traditions of other major world religions including Buddhism and Hinduism. Some are finding their spirituality in a new relationship with nature. This book presents a wealth of new data on the religious interests of Australians based largely on the 1993 and 1994 National Social Science Surveys. These surveys are conducted by the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University.
The book focuses particularly on what this interest in such a variety of forms of spirituality means for the churches. Does it indicate that many in the population have passed the churches by, and if so, why? There is a great deal of data here on Australians' attitudes to the churches, services, sermons and the clergy. However, the book suggests that the ways people are exploring spiritual issues may reflect changes in the structures of society.
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