Characteristics and Correlates of Anglican Religiosity in the Dioceses of Sydney and Newcastle and to Present the Findings As an Historical and Sociological Study
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CHARACTERISTICS AND CORRELATES OF ANGLICAN RELIGIOSITY IN THE DIOCESES OF SYDNEY AND NEWCASTLE: AN HISTORICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY A THESIS PRESENTED TO EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY In fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Sociology/Anthropology) by Roy Maxwell Hazlewood, B.A., M.Litt. August 2008 ii Use of Thesis This copy is the property of Edith Cowan University. However the literary rights of the author must also be respected. If any passage from this thesis is quoted or closely paraphrased in a paper or written work prepared by the user, the source of the passage must be acknowledged in the work. If the user desires to publish a paper or written work containing passages copied or closely paraphrased from this thesis, which passages would in total constitute an infringing copy for the purpose of the Copyright Act, he or she must first obtain the written permission of the author to do so. iii ABSTRACT The aim of the study is to investigate the characteristics and correlates of Anglican religiosity in the Dioceses of Sydney and Newcastle and to present the findings as an historical and sociological study. The historical overview shows that the Anglican Dioceses of Sydney and Newcastle developed with two different streams of churchmanship predominant: “conservative evangelical” (low church) and “catholic” (high church) respectively. Historically each diocese has been influenced by the churchmanship of its bishops and by other prominent clergy and laity. The theological colleges at which the clergy received their theological training have contributed to the dominant churchmanship of each diocese. In the case of Sydney it has been Moore Theological College and for Newcastle it has been St. John’s Theological College, first at Armidale and then at Morpeth. Neither diocese, however, is monochrome, each having its conservative evangelical parishes, clergy and people and catholic or broad/central church parishes, clergy and people. Smart’s (1971) six dimensions of religiosity were used to seek explanations for Anglican religiosity. Consideration was given to demographic and other social variables that are related to religiosity. A number of theories proposed as sociological explanation of religiosity were examined and the doctrinal belief theory and the value structure theory were confirmed in the study. Roof’s local/cosmopolitan theory was not confirmed. Data were obtained from 263 respondent lay members who were systematically sampled from the parish rolls of systematically sampled parishes from each diocese. The study showed, based on the combined sample of respondents, that theological (the doctrinal dimension) and moral (the ethical dimension) conservatism were important predictors of the practice of religiosity (the ritual, experiential and social dimensions). The data confirmed that Lehman’s social dimension of ecclesiological localism was a good predictor of the practice of religiosity. The data showed also that some of the demographic variables in the study affected some of Smart’s (1971) dimensions of religion. Some diocesan characteristics were noted in preferred churchmanship, in demographic and other social variables, and in religious belief and practice indicating significant differences between the two dioceses. iv DECLARATION I certify that this thesis does not, to the best of my knowledge and belief: (i) incorporate without acknowledgement any material previously submitted for a degree or diploma in any institution of higher education; (ii) contain any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text; or (iii) contain any defamatory material. I also grant permission for the Library of Edith Cowan University to make duplicate copies of my thesis as required. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank all who have assisted me in the present study. Professor Alan Black of the Centre for Social Research at Edith Cowan University and previously of the University of New England has been my supervisor, mentor and guide. I thank him for his guidance, understanding of my work situation and critical analysis of my writing. I thank the University of New England for the computer work in data entry and statistical calculations using the data. The University of New England also rendered some financial assistance towards covering costs. I thank the staff in the Information Resource Centre at the Central Coast Campus of the University of Newcastle for their assistance in obtaining ABS statistics and journal articles. I thank Edith Cowan University for allowing me candidature following Professor Black’s move to that university. I thank the rectors of the parishes that have participated in the present study and the parishioners who responded to the questionnaire. I thank Maureen and our family for their patience, understanding and encouragement. All have been essential elements in the completion of the present study. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT iii DECLARATION iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v LIST OF TABLES x PART 1 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Changing Levels of Religiosity 1 1.1.1 Changing Levels of Acknowledgement of Religion 2 1.1.2 Changing Levels of Frequency of Worship 3 1.1.3 Changing Levels of Religious Activity 4 1.2 What is “Religiosity”? 5 1.3 The Present Study 6 PART 2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Chapter 2. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF CHURCHMANSHIP IN THE DIOCESE OF SYDNEY 8 2.1 The Church of England 8 2.1.1 The Evangelical Movement 8 2.1.2 The High Church-Oxford Movement 9 2.1.3 Other Styles of Churchmanship 10 2.2 The Church in Early Colonial Australia 11 2.3 William Grant Broughton – Bishop of Australia 1836-47, Bishop of Sydney 1847-53 16 2.4 Frederic Barker – Bishop of Sydney, 1854-82 19 2.5 Alfred Barry – Bishop of Sydney, 1884-89 20 2.6 William Saumarez Smith – Archbishop of Sydney, 1890-1909 21 2.7 John Charles Wright – Archbishop of Sydney, 1909-33 23 2.8 Howard West Kilvinton Mowll – Archbishop of Sydney, 1934-58 25 2.9 Marcus Loane, 1966-82, Donald Robinson, 1982-92, Harry Goodhew, 1993-2001, Peter Jensen, 2001 - , Archbishops of Sydney 26 2.10 Theological Training 27 2.11 The Present Position in the Diocese of Sydney 30 2.12 Concluding Comments 31 3. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF CHURCHMANSHIP IN THE DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE 33 3.1 The Church of England in Early Newcastle 33 3.2 William Tyrrell – Bishop of Newcastle, 1848-79 35 3.3 Josiah Brown Pearson – Bishop of Newcastle, 1880-86 38 3.4 From Stanton to Farran 42 3.5 Theological Training 49 3.6 Concluding Comments 52 vii Part 3 SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS Chapter 4. REVIEW OF RELEVANT SOCIOLOGICAL LITERATURE 53 4.1 Dimensions of Religiosity 53 4.2 Theoretical Framework for the Study of Religiosity 56 4.2.1 Deprivation Theory 56 4.2.2 Status Group Theory 58 4.2.3 Child-Rearing Theory 59 4.2.4 Social Learning Theory 60 4.2.5 Doctrinal Belief Theory 63 4.2.6 Localism Theory 63 4.2.7 Value Structure Theory 66 4.3 Demographic and Other Social Variables Related to Religiosity 66 4.3.1 Gender 66 4.3.2 Age 68 4.3.3 Education 73 4.3.4 Region 75 4.3.5 Socio-Economic Status 76 4.4 Indiscriminate Proreligiousness 76 4.5 Conceptual Framework 78 5. RESEARCH METHOD 80 5.1 The Questionnaire 80 5.2 Who Were Surveyed? 81 5.3 The Sampling Process 83 5.4 Mail-outs and Returns 85 5.5 A Social Profile of Respondents 87 5.5.1 Ethnicity of Respondents 88 5.5.2 Regions in which Respondents Live 88 5.5.3 Education and Occupation of Respondents 88 5.5.4 Gender of Respondents 88 5.5.5 Age of Respondents 88 5.5.6 Respondents’ Friends in Church 88 5.5.7 Respondents’ Length of Time in Present Locality 89 5.5.8 Respondents’ Relationship with the Anglican Church 89 6. ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND SMART’S SIX DIMENSIONS OF RELIGION 90 6.1 Demographic and Other Social Variable related to Religiosity 90 6.1.1 Ethnicity of Respondents 90 6.1.2 Regions in which Respondents Live 91 6.1.3 Education and Occupation of Respondents 93 6.1.4 Gender 98 6.1.5 Age 104 6.1.6 Friends in Church 106 6.1.7 Residential Mobility and Travel Time 107 6.2 Concluding Comments 109 7. THEORIES OF RELIGIOSITY REVISITED 111 7.1 Deprivation Theory and Child-Rearing Theory 111 viii 7.2 Status Group Theory 111 7.3 Social Learning Theory 112 7.4 Doctrinal Belief Theory 112 7.5 Localism Theory 114 7.6 Value Structure Theory 116 7.7 Concluding Comments 116 8. SIGNIFICANT DIOCESAN DIFFERENCES 118 8.1 Preferred Churchmanship 118 8.2 Age, Education, Occupation and Socio-Economic Status 120 8.3 Practice of Religiosity 121 8.3.1 Holy Communion 121 8.3.2 Attendance at Worship and other Church-related Activities 121 8.3.3 Who Talk About Religious Faith and Experience? 123 8.3.4 Reading the Bible 123 8.3.5 Discussing Religious Matters with Friends 124 8.4 Why Join or Remain Anyway? 125 8.5 “Switching” Denominations 126 8.6 Opinions on Various Issues of Faith 126 8.6.1 Doctrinal Issues 127 8.6.1.1 Concerning the Bible 127 8.6.1.2 Concerning Original Sin 127 8.6.1.3 Concerning “The Devil” or “Demons” 127 8.6.1.4 Concerning Women’s Ordination 128 8.6.2 Authority Issues 129 8.6.2.1 Laity’s View on Authority of the Clergy 129 8.6.2.2 Laity’s View on Authority in Marriage 130 8.6.2.3 Laity’s View on Authority of the Diocese within the Parish 132 8.6.3 Moral Issues 132 8.6.3.1 Pre-marital Sex 132 8.6.3.2 Grounds for Divorce 133 8.6.3.3 Grounds for Abortion 133 8.6.3.4 Homosexuality 133 8.7 Some Conclusions 134 9.