Religious Freedom in Australia - a New Terra Nullius?

Religious Freedom in Australia - a New Terra Nullius?
Author: Iain T Benson
Publisher:
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2019-09-05
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781925826623

The papers in this book flowed from a Religious Liberty Conference convened jointly by the Sydney School of Law of The University of Notre Dame Australia, the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University and the Research Unit for the Study of Society, Ethics and the Law at the University of Adelaide in 2018. The papers reflect insights and concerns about religious freedom when the Ruddock Review was considering whether religious liberty in Australia needed greater protection. Since that time, the Morrison government has commissioned the Australian Law Reform Commission to report on five of the Ruddock recommendations, the Australian Human Rights Commission has released a discussion paper of its own and the Commonwealth Attorney-General has released a draft Religious Discrimination Bill for discussion. The matters raised in these papers remain valid.

A Principled Framework for the Autonomy of Religious Communities

A Principled Framework for the Autonomy of Religious Communities
Author: Alex Deagon
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 447
Release: 2023-02-23
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1509950648

This book engages in a theological critique of the legal frameworks and theoretical approaches of Australia, the US and England to create a peaceful coexistence of difference which supports both religious freedom and equality. It develops a new framework for reconciling religious freedom and discrimination in Western liberal democracies and presents a unique approach to practically supporting both religious freedom and equality as fundamentally important objectives which promote more compassionate and cohesive communities. The book applies the idea of peaceful coexistence of difference by assuming the dignity and goodwill of different people and perspectives, and proceeds upon shared virtues such as love which are affirmed by all.

Freedom of Religion or Belief

Freedom of Religion or Belief
Author: Paul T. Babie
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2020-05-29
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1788977807

Using the metaphor of ‘constitutional space’, this thought-provoking book describes the confluence and convergence of powers in a constitutional system, comprised of the principled exercise of the legislative, executive and judicial powers of constitutional government. Addressing the issues surrounding the freedom of religion or belief, the book explores the dimensions of constitutional space and the content of this freedom, as well as comparative approaches to defining and protecting this freedom.

Weaving Theology in Oceania

Weaving Theology in Oceania
Author: Beatrice Green
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2020-10-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1527560406

Clear assessment of our needs in a global society, and sound creative solutions from an Oceanic perspective and beyond, form the subject matter of this book. Here, the cries of suffering from women in violent relationships, people yearning for growth and dignity, others with mental and emotional trauma, and mother Earth herself are heard, and enlist support and direction from those whose energy and insight are centred in faith, hope and love and firmly anchored in Christian professional academic endeavour. The book is patterned after the woven mats, roof and sails of the great ocean-going canoe to image the diversity of content of this extraordinary gathering of hearts, hands and minds. While it reflects the global scholarly Christian concern and outreach indicative of our times, and a theological approach that is interactive and interdependent, it reveals a ‘weaving’ that is unfinished because the voyage must continue onwards, in an attitude of deep listening and open questioning. As such, the work gathered here represents an energetic contribution towards courageous engagement in the travail that characterises our extraordinary transitional era as we move towards a new consciousness, and the book will be of particular interest to academic theologians, educationalists, Church authorities and pastoral workers from the Oceanic region. However, it will also inspire and inform comparable groups from other parts of the world simply because what is presented here has universal implications.

Religious Ideas in Liberal Democratic States

Religious Ideas in Liberal Democratic States
Author: Jasper Doomen
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 207
Release: 2021-07-29
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1793618399

Religious Ideas in Liberal Democratic States adds new context to the ongoing debate over the scope of religious freedom, drawing from a variety of perspectives to discuss the meaning of religion itself within a democratic state. This book argues that categorizing religion as a solely private affair is too narrow an interpretation and questions whether ideas like freedom, human dignity, and equality can be truly actualized in a neutral and secular state. Contributors explore the impact of religion, acknowledged or not, on legislation, human rights, and group rights through legal, historical, and sociological lenses. Scholars of constitutional law, jurisprudence, international law, and political science will find this book particularly useful.

The Inherence of Human Dignity

The Inherence of Human Dignity
Author: Barry W. Bussey
Publisher: Anthem Press
Total Pages: 278
Release: 2021-02-15
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1785276530

Focused on the more practical level, volume 2 seeks to understand the work dignity may do as a foundation for law, how it is related to religious liberty, and how we should adjudicate religious liberty disputes at the individual and corporate level. What is the sphere of human dignity that the law should be trying to protect? Is the role of dignity helpful as a foundational legal concept, and if so, how exactly? What is the status of religious liberty as a component of human dignity, and how is it to be balanced with other individual rights, such as freedom of expression? And finally, to what extent can the law adjudicate corporate religious claims?

Christianity and Constitutionalism

Christianity and Constitutionalism
Author: Nicholas Aroney
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 513
Release: 2022-09-27
Genre: Constitutional law
ISBN: 0197587259

The first volume of its kind, Christianity and Constitutionalism explores the contribution of Christianity to constitutional law and constitutionalism as viewed from the perspectives of history, law, and theology. The authors examine a wide range of key figures, including Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Moses, Martin Luther, and Roger Williams, offering innovative and thoughtful analyses of the relationship between religious thought and constitutional law. Part I features contributions from historians and is focused on the historical influence of Christianity on constitutionalism, recounting how the relationship between the Christian faith and fundamental ideas about law, justice, and government has evolved from era to era. Part II offers the analyses of constitutional lawyers, focusing on the normative implications of Christianity for particular themes or topics in constitutional law. The chapters in this section orbit around several central doctrines and principles of this field--including sovereignty, the rule of law, democracy, the separation of powers, human rights, conscience, and federalism--evaluating them from a range of Christian perspectives. Part III rounds out the study with theologians focused on particular Christian doctrines, exploring their constructive and sometimes critical implications for constitutionalism. As a whole, Christianity and Constitutionalism breaks new ground by offering wide-ranging, interdisciplinary contributions to the study of the relationship between the Christian religion and constitutional law.

Religion Matters

Religion Matters
Author: Paul Babie
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 345
Release: 2020-03-02
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9811524890

This book draws together leaders in science, the health sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences to investigate the role of religion, its meaning and relevance, for their area of specialization. It provides a much-needed fresh perspective on the way in which religion operates within the modern, neo-liberal world. The book approaches the topic by way of a critical engagement between religion, broadly defined, and the individual disciplines in which each of the contributors is expert. Rather than simply taking the dogmatic position that religion offers something to every possible discipline, each of the chapters in this collection addresses the question: is there something that religion can offer to the discipline in question? That is the value of the book – it takes a truly critical stance on the place of religion in contemporary society.

Religious Soft Diplomacy and the United Nations

Religious Soft Diplomacy and the United Nations
Author: Sherrie M. Steiner
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 373
Release: 2021-04-21
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 149859736X

The engagement of religious diplomacy within the United Nations systems has become increasingly important for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The editors argue that effective religious diplomacy must reflect the great diversity of religious and spiritual expressions within human communities. The editors argue that this can best be achieved through a worldview shift within the United Nations systems. Religious engagement in the United Nations systems has been understandably constrained by limited and formal organizational structures and conventions. However, the existing patterns of engagement mitigate against the very goals they seek to achieve. The editors argue that expanded, yet measured, religious inclusion will strengthen social cohesion in the global community. Contributors demonstrate how communities become stronger when marginalized minority voices are included in public discourse. The editors further argue that governance has a responsibility to ensure a safe environment for this interaction. The editors propose that the United Nations adopt the posture of "loyal opposition", that is inherent in parliamentary democracies, to serve as a guideline for expanded religious engagement. The contributors advance this proposal with illustrations from multiple contexts that address a diverse array of social problems from perspectives rooted in theory and practice.

Religion after Secularization in Australia

Religion after Secularization in Australia
Author: Timothy Stanley
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 199
Release: 2015-09-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1137551380

Religion's persistent and new visibility in political life has prompted a significant global debate. One of this debate's key features concerns the nature and impact of secularization. This collection of essays draws together leading sociologists, historians, philosophers of religion, and political theorists in order to provide a broad and up-to-date account of religion after secularization. Contributors explore the meaning and conceptual legacies of religion, as well as the unique features of the Australian case such as religion as it relates to law, education, gender, media, and radical political movements. Intervening in the current debate, this book provides summative accounts of the historical, cultural, and legal interactions that have informed Australia’s relationship to religion and secularization. Contributors critically analyze and engage with secular political theory concerning the public sphere, while also dissecting deliberative politics and democratic practices. This book propels the debate over religion’s place in public life in new directions and promotes urgently needed public understanding.