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Religiously Inspired Political Activism: A Historical and Comparative Study Author Ranganui (Sparrow), Amber Published 2009 Thesis Type Thesis (PhD Doctorate) School School of Humanities DOI https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/242 Copyright Statement The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367755 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au RELIGIOUSLY INSPIRED POLITICAL ACTIVISM: A HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE STUDY Amber Ranganui BA (Hons) Griffith School of Humanities Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Griffith University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Philosophy January 2009 Abstract What underlies the increased public prominence of religiously inspired political activism, both within church politics and in secular politics in Australia in the late 20th and early 21st Centuries? This thesis draws upon concepts of religious awakenings, Creedal Politics, and ‘Cultural Wars’ that define religious political activism in the American context. It compares and contrasts the Australian situation with that of the US. It then presents case studies of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) an evangelical Protestant vehicle for Christian political mobilization in Australia, and the smaller more conservative, Salt Shakers. This thesis argues that there are two factors that affect Christian political activism that are too often overlooked – these include theological ideas about beliefs and concepts of God; and responses to God and creation. These fundamental principles influence the social and political agenda of religiously inspired political organisations and structure the beliefs and values of their supporters more than traditional church affiliation. This thesis suggests that Christian ideals are not as salient in Australian political and constitutional discourse as in the US, nor do they feed into public ‘Cultural Wars’ to the extent seen in the US. Despite being encouraged by overseas movements, the context and traditions of political, cultural, and religious life in Australia directly influence, if not substantially shape, the outward forms of religiously inspired political activism in this country. Originality of Work This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself. Amber Sparrow Acknowledgements My ability to complete this thesis was challenged by a car accident in which I sustained head injuries that left me with ongoing health issues. My supervisor (Associate Prof Malcolm Alexander) has supported and encouraged me to continue my work until its completion. I thank him for his infinite patience. I also thank the editorial assistance (from Lauren Fletcher) that alerted me to issues of clarity and writing style, as well as helping me with details that I often overlooked. Preface For a number of years I regularly attended the Christian Outreach Centre in Mansfield, Brisbane. My family were connected to the life of the church in various ways, including its Bible College and Primary School. One morning, in October 1995, it was announced that a new Christian lobbying organisation had been formed. This organisation was the Australian Christian Coalition (ACC). Having completed a BA in Political Science some years earlier and achieving Honours in Theology later, the idea of political activism being inspired by religious belief seemed, at first, a novel idea. While I had occasionally read material from the Australian Family Association, I had not considered the notion of religion being the inspiration of political activism or RIPA.1 In the course of the next few years, I followed the ACC’s development and at the same time became aware of other religiously motivated (inspired) political organisations both in Australia and overseas. It was then, in 1995 that I discovered the operation of the organisation Salt Shakers. Upon completing the initial research process for this project, I began to focus on finding an accurate description for these organisations. I turned to material from the fields of history, political science, and sociology, then into areas, such as the scientific study of religion, to discover the answers that I was seeking. While social movement theory and identity politics were both useful, it seemed that something was missing.2 Through this process, it became apparent that issues of structure and operation aside, the key to understanding these organisations lay in the religious inspiration that gave the organisations purpose and an agenda. As a result, I felt that in order to understand religious inspiration, it was necessary to explore its foundation – that is, the theological basis from which religious inspiration arises. Theological differences were not only affecting the churches themselves (Church politics) but also their social message and action. I wondered whether this was somehow linked to the development of these inter-denominational political lobbying organisations. During the course of the next few years, I began to question not only the viability of these organisations, but also whether they were actually a new phenomenon, or perhaps a continuation of the past. I wondered if the key to understanding their function was to examine them from both an historical and institutional context. The other issue that occurred to me was that whilst research on the relationship between Church and political leadership, including historical material, is available; material on RIPA organisations in Australia was scarce. By default, I turned to the vast amount of material on inter-denominational RIPA organisations and the issue of the Church/State divide in America. Upon reading this material and researching the American Christian Coalition, the paramount questions are: is Australia following the trend of the rise of the Religious Right in America? Are we going to experience the same issues regarding the Church/State divide? Is the Religious Right a potentially powerful force in Australia as it is claimed in America? If not, what are 1 The idea of naming this activism ‘religiously inspired political activism’ – came after realizing the connection between different theological thought and the varying forms of political activism. 2 At the final stage of editing the thesis, a decision was made to delete one chapter that discussed Social Movement Theory, as well as material from the Sociology of Religion. It was felt that this material did not aid this project as a whole. the differences and why? The more I investigated these issues; I felt that both nations are unique in their experiences of RIPA and that there are significant historical and cultural foundations for these contrasts. While I have tried to be as objective as possible, my religious worldview affects my perception, selection, and interpretation of material that has constructed this thesis. However, I believe that having an ‘inside view’ has allowed me to explore the important connections between theological change, religious revivals and their impact on society and RIPA in a more authoritative way than an external researcher would. Inter-denominational RIPA organisations are only a small part of the story of Christian activism in Australia. They are, however, an integral part because they are not as confined in their political action as denominational organisations or church leaders. This has been a journey of discovery with my curiosity to understand RIPA in Australia underpinning my work and leading me to write this thesis. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Religiously Inspired Political Activism Defined Introduction: The Thesis Questions 2 1. Religion in Politics: Religiously Inspired Political Activism (RIPA) 3 1.1. What is Religiously Inspired Political Activism? 4 1.2 RIPA in the American Context 5 1.3 RIPA in Australian Politics 8 1.4 Forms of RIPA: The Christian Right and the Christian Left 10 2. The Importance of Religious Political Identity 11 3. Overview of this Thesis 12 3.1 Methodology and Sources 14 Chapter 2: Christian Inspiration, Activism and Identity Introduction 16 1. Links between Religious Inspiration and Activism 16 1.1 The American Creed, Creedal Politics and Activism 16 1.2 Culture Wars: The Struggle to Define America 20 1.3 The Link: Great Awakenings and Religious, Political and Social Change 24 1.4 Summary 30 2. Christian Identity and Activism: Symbols and Vocabulary 31 2.1 Premillennialism and Postmillennialism 32 2.2 The Image and Nature of God and Political Participation 35 2.3 Liberal Theology and the Fundamentalist Counterattack of the 1920s 38 2.4 What is Fundamentalism? 40 3. Summary 43 Chapter 3: Christianity and the State in the American Context: Historical Legacies of Christian Politics Introduction 47 1. Legacies of Christianity in US Politics and Society 47 1.1 Civic Religion 48 1.2 Constitutional Issues: The Bill of Rights 50 1.3 Tax-Exemption and the Restriction of Political Activity 52 1.4 The American Creed: The Formation of Religious Political Passion 53 1.5 Separation of Church and State: Putting it into Practice 53 2. Typology of Christian Movements and the Role of Theology 55 2.1 Conservative Politics of the Christian Right 57 2.2 An Overview: Countermovements that oppose the Christian Right 61 3. Managing Cultural and Religious Diversity 64 3.1. Anti-Vilification laws in the US 65 3.2 Recognition of Culture and Religion 65 4. Summary 68 Chapter 4: The Church and RIPA in Australian Public Life until the 1960s Introduction 70 1. Church-State Accommodation and Religious Pluralism 71 1.1 The Establishment of Religion and its Relationship to Executive Powers 72 1.2 The Constitution: S116 - What it means for Church and State Accommodation 75 2. The Church in Public Life as Education and Welfare Service Providers 78 2.1 Educational Services 79 2.2 Welfare Providers 82 3. Religious Inspired Activism of Christian Movements Organisations 84 3.1 Early Conservative Movement Organisations 85 3.2 Denominational Differences and the Development of Trade Unions and Political Parties 90 4.