ABSTRACT
The turn of the twenty-first century was characterised by ‘spiritual revolution', with claims that interest in New Age spirituality was eclipsing religion and would continue to do so in the future. Since then, scholars of religion have been more focused on religious diversity and the rise of the non-religious. While interest in spirituality, uptake of spiritual practices, and identification as ‘spiritual but not religious' have continued to grow, spirituality is typically not taken as seriously as religion, at least in political spheres or by academia. This article examines the history and contemporary dynamics of spiritual complexity in Australia, drawing on the findings of two Australian Research Council–funded studies ‘The Worldviews of Australia's Generation Z' and ‘Religious Diversity in Australia' and on a recent project ‘(Con)spirituality, Science and COVID-19 in Australia'. It argues that it is certainly time for spirituality to be taken more seriously in this country and globally, given spirituality's concern with personal and planetary wellbeing, and also the potential risks spirituality can pose due to its association with dis/misinformation, neoliberalism, and violence. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] Le début du 21e siècle a été caractérisé par une « révolution spirituelle », avec des affirmations selon lesquelles l'intérêt pour la spiritualité du New Age éclipserait la religion et que cette tendance se poursuivrait à l'avenir. Depuis lors, les spécialistes des religions se sont davantage intéressés à la diversité religieuse et à la montée en puissance des non-religieux. Bien que l'intérêt pour la spiritualité, l'adoption de pratiques spirituelles et l'identification comme « spirituel mais pas religieux » aient continué à croître, la spiritualité n'est généralement pas prise aussi au sérieux que la religion, du moins dans les sphères politiques ou dans les milieux universitaires. Cet article analyse l'histoire et la dynamique contemporaine de la complexité spirituelle en Australie, en s'appuyant sur les résultats de deux études financées par le Conseil australien de la recherche, une sur les « visions du monde des Australiens de la génération Z » et l'autre sur « la diversité religieuse en Australie », ainsi que sur un projet récent sur « (Con)spiritualité, science et COVID-19 en Australie ». L'article défend l'idée qu'il est certainement temps que la spiritualité soit prise plus au sérieux dans ce pays et dans le monde, étant donné son intérêt pour le bien-être personnel et planétaire, mais aussi les risques potentiels que la spiritualité peut poser en raison de son association avec la désinformation, le néolibéralisme et la violence. (French) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Social Compass is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
Generations of migrants from Asia since the 1800s have endured challenges in locating their place and belonging in Australia due to systemic racism and discrimination against the cultural and religious 'other '. These persistent issues have intensified during the pandemic, especially towards Chinese communities, including international students. In this paper, we investigate the impact of the pandemic on Chinese, Indian and Russian international students in Australia. It reveals how, throughout the first year of the pandemic, international student, ethnic and religious community organizations implemented multiple and overlapping coping strategies to assist international students in Australia, who had been left vulnerable by a lack of government support and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. By highlighting the religious dimensions of these strategies of connectedness and belonging, it contributes new insights in an under-explored aspect in studies on international students in Australia, pointing the way for further investigation.
ABSTRACT
In 2020, as infections of COVID-19 began to rise, Australia, alongside many other nations, closed its international borders and implemented lockdown measures across the country. The city of Melbourne was hardest hit during the pandemic and experienced the strictest and longest lockdown worldwide. Religious and spiritual groups were especially affected, given the prohibition of gatherings of people for religious services and yoga classes with a spiritual orientation, for example. Fault lines in socio-economic differences were also pronounced, with low-wage and casual workers often from cultural and religious minorities being particularly vulnerable to the virus in their often precarious workplaces. In addition, some religious and spiritual individuals and groups did not comply and actively resisted restrictions at times. By contrast, the pandemic also resulted in a positive re-engagement with religion and spirituality, as lockdown measures served to accelerate a digital push with activities shifting to online platforms. Religious and spiritual efforts were initiated online and offline to promote wellbeing and to serve those most in need. This article presents an analysis of media representations of religious, spiritual and non-religious responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne, Australia, from January to August 2020, including two periods of lockdown. It applies a mixed-method quantitative and qualitative thematic approach, using targeted keywords identified in previous international and Australian media research. In so doing, it provides insights into Melbourne’s worldview complexity, and also of the changing place of religion, spirituality and non-religion in the Australian public sphere in COVID times.