Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Australian Christian Church'

Since the 1960s Australia has experienced a significant demographic shift as large numbers of people have moved from rural areas and large cities to take up residence in small coastal towns. The resulting populations have a number of distinctive features which make them both a challenge and an opportunity for the Church as it seeks to minister effectively. The underlying proposition of this thesis is that since there are distinctive demographic features of these towns, and since the church is called to minister effectively, there may well be approaches or ministry philosophies which enable the church to be more effective in these populations. Distinctive Populations Using data from the 2001 census a comparison between the Australian national figures and those of coastal towns between Newcastle and Tweed Heads showed that overall the population of the coastal towns was older, less formally educated, had lower income levels, more mobile, more likely to be Australian citizens, more likely to be married or divorced, more likely to describe themselves as Christian and members of the Anglican Church than the Australian average. The Survey With the assistance of the National Church Life Survey, thirty churches in coastal towns between Newcastle and Kingscliffe, were contacted. These churches (Anglican and Protestant) were those which had had the highest number of ‘newcomers’ in the 2001 National Church Life Survey. NCLS wrote to these churches on my behalf and invited them to contact me if they were prepared to participate in my study. In the end I interviewed ordained and lay leaders as well as members of six churches. There were a number of features common to these churches including: the ordained leaders had what might be called orthodox theological views; the ordained and lay leaders were clear about the vision and direction of the church; the ordained and lay leaders were in agreement as to the role of the ordained leader – that role was clearly leadership; the welcoming nature of the congregation is vital; and the use of contemporary music and worship style. The Mission of the Church Whilst the mission of the church has been seen in different ways over the past two thousand years, it is clear that the central theme of the teaching and practice of Jesus Christ was the Kingdom or Reign of God. By his teaching and very powerfully through his actions Jesus demonstrated the reality of the new in-breaking reality. The early church was clear that it saw itself as being sent by Jesus to continue his mission of proclaiming the kingdom in the power of the Holy Spirit. Effective Church Given that the mission of the church is to focus on the Kingdom or Reign of God, it is important that this be done in an effective a way as possible. One of the challenges in this is to determine what ‘effective’ means for the church. For some, being effective means numerical growth in church attenders. For others, being effective means being a ‘healthy’ church. My conclusion is that being effective, whilst not dismissing church growth or church health, means an attitude, and that is, being focused on proclaiming the reality of the Kingdom of God. As the church is more focussed on this task, it is effective. Being Effective in Rapidly Growing Coastal Towns There seem to be a number of challenges facing the church in rapidly growing coastal towns as the church seeks to focus on the Kingdom of God. If the kingdom is good news for the poor, the question then is: who are the poor of coastal towns? An immediate need in coastal towns is community for those who are newly arrived, or poor, or otherwise on the margins of the society. The church needs to be a welcoming and inclusive place for those in need, and a place which actually helps people with their physical poverty. The church also needs to confront its own operating model in order to be effective. Too often the church is focused on its own survival and not on the kingdom. The church in its local mode seems like a religious small business. Focus on the ‘growth of the business’ may well lead to a loss of focus on the kingdom. For the church to be effective in rapidly growing coastal towns the church must take seriously the culture of those towns and seek to express its focus on the kingdom in ways that bring good news to the reality of those communities.

This thesis contributes to the ongoing discussion of modern Chinese identity by pro-viding a case study of Cheok Hong CHEONG. It necessarily considers Australian atti-tudes towards the Chinese during the 19th century, not least the White Australia Pol-icy. The emergence of that discriminatory immigration policy over the second half of the 19th century until its national implementation in 1901 provides the background to the thesis. Cheong was the leading figure among Chinese-Australian Christians and a prominent figure in the Australian Chinese community and the thesis seeks to iden-tify a man whose contribution has largely been shadowy in other studies or, more commonly, overlooked by the parochialism of colony/state emphasis in many histo-ries of Australia. His role in the Christian church fills a space in Victorian religious history. Although Cheong accumulated great wealth he was not part of the Chinese mer-chant class of the huagong/huaquiao traditions of the overseas Chinese diaspora of the 19th and 20th centuries. His wealth was accumulated through property investments following the spectacular collapse of the Victorian banking system during the 1890s. His community leadership role arose through his position in the Christian Church rather than, as was generally the case, through business. His English language skills, resulting from his church association, were the key to his role as a Chinese community spokesman.¶ Cheok Hong Cheong left an archive of some 800 documents in the English lan-guage covering the major people, incidents and concerns of his life and times. His Let-terbooks, together with the archives of the various Christian missions to the Chinese in Australia in the 19th and early 20th centuries, shed light on one person’s life and more broadly, through his involvements on the complex relationships of Chinese emigrants, with the often unsympathetic majority of Australians.¶ This is a case study of a Chinese identity formed outside China and influenced by a wider set of cultural influences than any other Chinese-Australian of his time —an identity that justifies the description of him as an ‘Alien Son’. Cheong’s story is a con-tribution to the urban and family history of an important ethnic sub-group within the wider immigrant history of Australia.¶ While Cheong remained a Chinese subject his identification with Australia cannot be questioned. All his children were born in Australia and he left just twice after his arrival in 1863. He visited England in 1891-2 and in 1906 he briefly visited China. Identity and culture issues are growing in importance as part of the revived relation-ship between the Chinese of the diaspora and the economic renewal of the People’s Republic of China and this thesis is offers a contribution to that discussion.

The Catholic Church is made up of many church communities of different rites, with the main classifications being the Roman rites and the Eastern rites of the Catholic Church. With the influx of migrants especially since the Second World War there has been growth in Australia, in the number of Catholics belonging to the many Eastern rites including Byzantine Catholics, Coptic Catholics and Chaldean Catholics. The Second Vatican Council documents encouraged members of the Catholic Church of the Latin traditions to know and understand the rich traditions of the Easterners so that the full manifestation of the catholicity of the Church and full knowledge of its divinely revealed heritage are preserved. One can ask how familiar are Catholics of the Roman rites with the beliefs, practices, liturgy, devotions and historical development of the other rites in the Catholic Church? The aim of this thesis is to give understanding about the Melkite Catholic Church in Australia. It takes the reader on a journey from Antioch in Syria to Australia in the third millennium, showing that the Melkites trace their roots to Antioch where believers were first called Christians. This thesis elaborates on who the Melkites are by firstly looking at the origins of this church community and thereby establishing the authenticity of this church community since it was established by the apostles and their co-workers, with the apostles being empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The thesis enumerates the key aspects of the early church at Antioch including theology, liturgy and the structure of the church, with these findings being foundational for the Melkite Church in Australia today. The thesis describes worship in the Melkite Church with emphasis on the development of this worship especially for the sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation and the Eucharist. It explains important ritual, symbols, architecture and artwork and concluded that these express the key beliefs of this church community. The fundamental dogmas in the Melkite Church are the teachings on the Holy Trinity and the Incarnation. The thesis elaborates on these dogmas explaining how they were important in the early church at Antioch and how understanding of them was developed by important theologians revered in the Melkite Church, in previous eras and today. The Christian faith is a living faith. In writing this thesis the importance of Tradition for God’s revelation to His holy people is emphasised. In its study of the sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation and the Eucharist, the thesis was able to show that the celebration of these sacraments was linked to the early church at Antioch. It especially looked at what was happening at the time of St John Chrysostom at Constantinople. This time frame saw the beginning of the development of the Byzantine Rite. There is elaboration on the link between the Byzantine rite (the rite of the Melkites today) and the Antiochene liturgy. As well the thesis expounded on the understanding of the three fold ministry of bishop, priest and deacon at Antioch and the importance of the ordained ministry today. It concluded that the four sacraments discussed above were foundational in the early church and are essential in worship in the Melkite Church today. The thesis explained important details about the sacraments of Marriage, Penance and the Anointing of the Sick. It especially explained the development of the Sacrament of Penance. The thesis acknowledges the validity of all rites in the Catholic Church and concluded that encouragement must be given for the preservation of the various rites in the Church. This is important for the Eastern Church communities as they contain a rich heritage, which is an integral part of the Church of Christ. An important conclusion was that the development of the church at Antioch must be understood in the light of Tradition the living and lived faith, which passes on all that the church believes and celebrates in its worship of the Holy Trinity. The Melkite Church of Antioch was first called Christian.

Following the completion of four minor research projects as part of a doctoral program at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, the writer developed an interest in the church-based values and beliefs held by students in Ministry Training Colleges (MTCs). The four minor projects revealed that a strongly embedded culture seemed to exist within the Assemblies Of God (AOG) in Australia. The aim of this study was to investigate the transmission of church-based values to students in an AOG, Ministry Training College (MTC) context. It undertakes this task by asking five Research Questions: What values are transmitted in AOG church contexts? ; From what principal sources do the values come? ; Why are the values transmitted in AOG church contexts? ; How, and by what means, are these values transmitted? ; and How and why would students choose to acquire these values? After briefly describing the religious context in Australia, defining the meaning of values, and examining various models of transfer, the dissertation includes a review of the literature relevant to values processes. The review is organized according to the Research Questions. From this, a theoretical explanation is produced that anticipates how values processes may impact on MTC students in an AOG context. A suitable method was selected, namely interactive interviews, from which to obtain data relevant to the Research Questions. Six student subjects from a MTC in Australia, as a selected group of AOG participants, were subsequently interviewed and the data were organized, presented and analyzed. The data analysis and interpretation confirmed the theoretical position taken as far as their overall applicability to values transfer was concerned, namely: the values transmitted are primarily charismatic values, with some lesser emphasis on character values; the sources from which the values come are primarily Christian-influenced; the values are transmitted in AOG contexts because AOG churches, departments and ministries aim to be change agents in the community, to promote church continuance, and to a lesser extent, to motivate their members; the values are transmitted through various AOG communicative methods and through utilizing suitable venues for facilitating transmission. Low-Road conditions (i.e., transferring values across highly similar situations) are utilized; and MTC students choose to acquire values because of their personal interests and passions, including their desire to be accepted within the AOG church. However, the data also indicate that the unique, personal characteristics of MTC students strongly impact on the way they engage with values processes. In short, the students are highly compliant and committed to the church. However, each student respondent has his/her own set of reasons and characteristics for cooperating with church-based values. The dissertation concludes by identifying a number of issues raised by the data, that need further investigation, and by discussing some of the implications arising from the data. Its key finding is that AOG students tend to eagerly acquire church-based values, even though they have different reasons for doing so, and that they present themselves to the AOG church as highly compliant. In this sense, students may be seen as "made in the image of the church".

This thesis is a phenomenology highlighting the phenomenon of declining youth attendance at mainstream churches where traditional church music is used in worship and the emergence of megachurches where young people are attending and contemporary popular styles of music is used in worship. An Australian Broadcasting Authority survey in 1999 revealed that music is a major influence in the lives of youth, assisting in their identity creation, in their making friends, and in relieving their stress. The survey also notes that youth prefer contemporary popular music and, in particular, rock. This is in stark contrast to the traditional music played and sung in mainstream churches, which tends to be neither meaningful nor relevant to youth, largely because they do not identify with it. An increasing proportion of youth are rejecting the mainstream traditional churches such as Anglican, Catholic, Baptist, Uniting Church. National Church Life Surveys in Australia show that by 2001, only fourteen percent of church attenders were young adults. Young non-attenders complained they found church services boring and unfulfilling. This declining youth membership does not auger well for the mainstream church’s future. It is clearly evident that, in Australian society a culture gap has emerged between the secular world and the mainstream Christian church. This thesis examines the role of contemporary popular music in attracting young people to church. Although, in comparatively recent times there has been some movement towards contemporizing worship services in mainstream churches, the change has met strong resistance, but that resistance is based on invalid arguments and the mainstream church is yet to respond effectively to the increasing culture gap and growing alienation of the young. Mainstream congregations are not adequately encouraged to participate in singing praise and thanks to God. Although the lyrics of songs that focus on thanks and praise can teach a Christian message, as well as promote an awareness of the presence of God, the importance of this aspect of worship appears to have been overlooked, even though music has always been a part of worship, with multiple biblical scriptures cementing its pivotal role. In 1980 twelve people began Christian City Church (CCC), a new church which was not one of the mainstream churches, with a vision to communicate the Christian message to the whole of Sydney. CCC used contemporary music as a vehicle to make their message relevant. That church has been strikingly successful, and had grown to five thousand members by 2004. This thesis focusses on a case study of the music of CCC to test a hypothesis that the use of contemporary popular styles of music, with a focus on thanks and praise, can play a significant role in attracting young people to join and remain as members, and that such music can be influential in communicating an experiential understanding of the Christian message. The aim of the case study was to discover whether the music was similar in style to young people’s preferred styles of music, whether they actively participated in its performance, whether it communicated to them, whether the lyrics conveyed a Christian message, and finally whether the congregation was both increasing and retaining young people as members. The songs examined in the study revealed that the music and paramusical aspects of the songs were similar to those of contemporary popular songs. The lyrics of the songs included themes of thanks and praise to God, and as such conveyed a Christian message. Thirty percent of the worship service was devoted to music praising God, and forty-nine percent of the church’s 5,000 members in 2004, were under twenty-five years. Further, the congregation participated enthusiastically in singing, an emphasis on belonging to small groups encouraged fellowship, and sermons addressed problems relevant to young people. It is proposed that CCC provides a pattern that mainstream churches could adapt, including the encouragement of congregational singing and worship, creation of effective small groups, relevant preaching, education opportunities, and culturally appropriate music. It is clear that contemporary and culturally appropriate music has played a significant and vital role in CCC’s successful development. To attract and retain youth membership, music needs to be contemporary, and culturally appropriate, thereby filling the gap between the secular world and the church. Contemporary popular music could provide today’s song for tomorrow’s church.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Education, 1992.
Analyses the Catholic Leadership Education Programme in the archdiocese of Adelaide in terms of the work of Paulo Freire and Carl Jung. Spine title: The Catholic Leadership Education Programme. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 255-260).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2009.
A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Education, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographies.

This ethnomethodological study focuses on the worldviews of Lutheran school principals and pastors. Essentially, these leaders in a Lutheran school provide direction and vision for the school learning community. The degree to which their worldviews coalesce will naturally result in positive or negative influences on the whole school community. These leaders within the Lutheran school can be seen as a hub for all kinds of learning experiences and interaction in the context of vital Christian communities in mission outreach and quality education. Any dissonance of worldview has potential for impact on school processes and relationships. The Lutheran Church has defined the role of the pastor in the school and the difference from his role in a congregation (Lutheran Church of Australia, 2002). Lutheran principals have a delegated authority from their school councils to be responsible for the complete oversight of the school’s direction, the observance of policies, and the assignment of tasks and duties of staff. The blurring of responsibility occurs over the pastor’s rightful responsibility in regards to a word and sacrament ministry. In a Lutheran school where the Gospel is to inform all learning, such tension can cloud school dynamics and transformation. The Lutheran church policy, Relative responsibilities of pastor and principal within the Lutheran school, identifies three critical areas of required mutual respect for the Principal and School Pastor: theological, professional and personal (Lutheran Church of Australia, 2001, p. 3). Thus, the ‘worldview’ dimensions considered in this research centre around the theological, the educational and the interpersonal domains. The school transformation themes of lifelong learning, postmodernism and curriculum, school organization and change, and school community relationships are used to challenge worldview dimensions of Principals and School Pastors through a series of online ‘stories’, or scenarios, backed by personal interviews and a document study. The identification of school leadership tension points brings about recommendations for action.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, incorporated in the United States in 1863, was driven by the belief that it was God's 'remnant church' with the work of warning the world of the imminent return of Christ. When that mission was finished the second coming would occur. In 1886 following a visit by an elderly layman, John I Tay, the whole population of Pitcairn Island desired to join the SDA church. As a result in 1890 Adventist mission work began in the South Pacific Islands. By 1895 missions had been founded in six island groups. However difficulties, both within and without the mission's control, ensured that membership gains were painfully slow in the first decades of Adventist mission in Polynesia. However before World War II the Solomons became one of the most successful Adventist mission areas in the world. After 1945 Adventism also prospered in such places as Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. Education provided the key to the gaining of accessions in a number of countries, while in others a health-medical emphasis proved important in attracting converts. Since World War II public evangelism and the use of various programmes such as welfare, radio evangelism, and the efforts of lay members contributed to sharp membership gains in most countries of the region. Of no small consequence in hindering Adventist growth was the opposition of other churches who regarded them as pariahs because of their theology and 'proselytizing'. Adventist communities tended to be introverted, esoteric and isolationist. Nevertheless Pacific islanders adapted aspects of the usually uncompromising Adventist culture. Unity of faith, practice and procedure was a valuable Adventist asset which was promoted by a centralized administration. After a century in the Pacific region its membership there has a reputation among other Adventists for its continued numeric growth and for the ferver its committment to Adventism. Nevertheless Adventism in the region faces a number of problems and its aim of finishing the Lord's work remains unfinished.
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This thesis addresses the division that exists between theory and praxis. Theology in general and practical theology as a specific discipline has allowed this division to arise and indeed grow. The problem facing us is that faith communities now operate out of blind theory and/or blind praxis. To address this situation a reintegration of the theory and practice of the entire ecclesial praxis is needed. This thesis proposes “Practical Theological Ecclesiology” as the way forward. Practical theological ecclesiology is defined as: The dynamic critical purposeful engagement with the human-divine interactive life of the ecclesial praxis to: ground, integrate, align and improve its essence and expression dimensions as the revelational incarnational sign of God and his purposes in and for the world and directed toward his eschatological kingdom goal. Practical theological ecclesiology addresses both the abstractness of pure ecclesiology and the pragmatics of the praxis through the development of an operational ecclesiology model that integrates the essence, expression and goal dimensions of the ecclesial praxis. By applying the operational ecclesiology model to praxis, practical theological ecclesiology, through the tasks of grounding, integrating, aligning and improving, uncover the gaps that exist in and between the theory and praxis of a faith community. The resulting analysis provides ecclesial pictures of what is, compared to what should be, according to the operational ecclesiology model. The areas of ecclesial life which need to be grounded, integrated, aligned and improved are therefore exposed for ongoing work. Historical and contemporary research of the Christian Community Churches of Australia, provide the data for a case study which illustrates the potential and the analysis process of practical theological ecclesiology. The research underlines the importance of having an integrated operational ecclesiology, of grounding and integrating the theory, of aligning of theory and praxis, and of providing improvement direction for the praxis, thus removing theory and praxis division, avoiding both blind theory and blind praxis, and giving a clear pathway for the future .
Practical Theology
D. Th. (Practical Theology)

Diploma thesis "Orthodoxy in Australia, Oceania and Antarctica" deals with the history, evolution and current state of religious structures of Eastern christian churches in Australia, Oceania and Antarctica. Each part of the investigated area has been analyzed in terms of the ethnic or. ecclesiological diaspora, its organizational capture (formation of the first parishes, dioceses, monasteries, schools and charitable organizations etc.) and on their current status (size and functionality of the existing church structure). Following the various jurisdictions and churches are described. A fundamental consideration is given to the canonical Orthodox Churches, then to the Orthodox Churches with less problematic canonical status, but there are also other Eastern Christian churches mentioned. Within the area the eminent figures of church life are closer described. This descriptive material is supplemented by interviews and journalistic texts, which further analyze situation of churches in the region and their various problems. It is also accompanied by photographic material. The thesis tries to describe ecclesiological tensions between the diaspora and mission, the diversity of ethnic and religious minorities and differences in their assimilation in the new religious, social and culture environment.

Diploma thesis "Orthodoxy in Australia, Oceania and Antarctica" deals with the history, evolution and current state of religious structures of Eastern christian churches in Australia, Oceania and Antarctica. Each part of the investigated area has been analyzed in terms of the ethnic or. ecclesiological diaspora, its organizational capture (formation of the first parishes, dioceses, monasteries, schools and charitable organizations etc.) and on their current status (size and functionality of the existing church structure). Following the various jurisdictions and churches are described. A fundamental consideration is given to the canonical Orthodox Churches, then to the Orthodox Churches with less problematic canonical status, but there are also other Eastern Christian churches mentioned. Within the area the eminent figures of church life are closer described. This descriptive material is supplemented by interviews and journalistic texts, which further analyze situation of churches in the region and their various problems. It is also accompanied by photographic material. The thesis tries to describe ecclesiological tensions between the diaspora and mission, the diversity of ethnic and religious minorities and differences in their assimilation in the new religious, social and culture environment.