The truth about secularism - with Rory Shiner

Christianity in Australia is in decline. The narrative is we had a few golden years at the start, where 96% of the population identified as Christian, but that has been on a gradual decline for decades. 

But if that’s the case: 

- Why does Christianity in Australia go up, not down, after Darwin? 

- In Australia, why does it go up after WWII? 

- If the Church was so strong in the middle ages, why was church attendance so sketchy then?

This week, Rory Shiner joins us to discuss the ways that modern understanding is wrong about secularism. Rory believes we’ve accepted a narrative that isn’t true, and are making massive pastoral and missional mistakes because of it. 

Rory is here to debunk the idea that science beat Christianity in the age of the enlightenment and that the Western World has been gradually becoming less religious since then.  Instead, he points us to the vitality in Australian churches, which is completely separate from the percentage of people who identify as Christian in the census. 

Rory brings a message of hope - but also of warning about the complex mistakes we are making as we reach out to the lost, who may not be as secularised as we assumed.

Anglican Aid

To find out more about how to support Anglican Aid go to http://www.anglicanaid.org.au/tph

Reach Australia National Conference

Reach Australia’s National Conference is happening from 19 to 22 May 2025 on the Central Coast of NSW. This year’s theme is URGENT: The Necessary Task of Mission Before Christ Returns.  For more info.

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