Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Church and the press – Anglican Church of Australia'

Journalists in the Australian Christian press are constrained by a range of factors from playing an emancipatory, or socially responsible, role similar to that played by their mainstream counterparts. This study examines the social theory ojjournalism and the role of the mainstream journalist, with particular regard to the social responsibility model ofpress. It then examines how this compares with the social theory and practice of religion and the role of the Christian press journalist, and specifically, those journalists working within the Anglican Church of Australia's diocesan news press. Following a case study involving Anglican and mainstream journalists, it concludes that factors relating to resources, professionalism and proprietors play the most significant role in constraining Anglican journalists from fulfilling an emancipatory, or socially responsible, role within the Church.

[Truncated abstract] Within the State of Western Australia, from its early years, education has been provided not only by the State, but also by religious denominations, particularly the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church and other Christian groups. This thesis is concerned with Anglican education in the State from the years 1917-92. The particular focus is on the structures established for the provision of Anglican education in the Diocese of Perth throughout the period. The central argument of the thesis is as follows. During the period 1917-92, the structures established for the provision of Anglican education in the Diocese of Perth changed across four subperiods: 1917-50, 1951-60, 1961-80 and 1981-92. During the first subperiod, provision was made under structures which allow for the schools which existed to be classified according to three ‘types’: ‘religious-order schools’, ‘parish schools’, and ‘schools of the Council for Church of England Schools’. The first two types continued during the second subperiod and were joined by two new types, namely, ‘Perth Diocesan Trustees’ schools’ and ‘synod schools’, while ‘schools of the Council for Church of England Schools’ceased as a type. During the third subperiod ‘synod schools’ continued as a type, but the other three types ceased to exist. At the same time, one new type emerged, namely, ‘schools of the Church of England Schools’ Trust’. During the fourth subperiod there were also two types of schools within the Diocese, but the situation was not the same as in the previous subperiod because while ‘synod schools’ continued as a type, ‘Perth Diocesan Trustees’ schools’ ceased to exist. Furthermore, a new type was established, namely ‘schools of the Anglican Schools Commission’. This two-type structure for provision which was established during the sub-period 1981-92, is still that which exists to the present day for the provision of Anglican education within the Diocese of Perth.

This thesis seeks to tell the story of the evolution of ordained ministry in the Christian Church, with an emphasis on the work of the ministry in the Anglican Church of Western Australia since the arrival of the first settlers in 1829. After a brief look at the early days, the focus is on the efforts to recruit ordination candidates in Western Australia during the terms of each of the six Archbishops of Perth from 1914 up to the present time. An integral part of the narrative is the histories of the Perth Clergy Training College, later renamed St John's College, from 1899 to 1929 and John Wollaston Theological College, which has served varying roles from 1957 to the present time. Particular attention is given to the period 1972 to 1981, when Wollaston was home to the Interim Course for candidates who, in those years, were sent interstate for their primary theological education. They returned to Perth for a year's training and reflection in pastoral ministry before being ordained and appointed to parishes. The narrative relates how, with the exception of Archbishop Le Fanu, the Archbishops believed that there should be an ordination training programme in Western Australia. The first and third Archbishops believed that the priority was for ordinands to have a liberal education at University, so they could hold their own, as it were, with the leaders of other professions in the community. Archbishop Carnley, in particular, believed that the teaching of theology snould be university based, because it was a fundamental discipline. And so we follow the story to the present time when theological education is based at Murdoch University and is taught in an ecumenical setting with each participating church conducting its own programmes in the areas of pastoral care and ministry formation. The total process for the training of clergy presently in vogue is one in which the Church in Western Australia should have justifiable pride, yet the study does suggest that there are some areas that Church leaders might well consider ripe for further development.

Irish-born Sir John Winthrop Hackett (1848-1916) achieved substantial political and social standing in Western Australia through his editorship and part-ownership of the West Australian newspaper, his position as a Legislative Council member and as a layman in the Anglican Church. The thesis illustrates his strong commitment to numerous undertakings, including his major role in the establishment of Western Australia's first University. This thesis will argue that whatever Hackett attempted to achieve in Western Australia, his philosophy can be attributed to his Irish Protestant background including his student days at Trinity College Dublin. After arriving in Australia in 1875 and teaching at Trinity College Melbourne until 1882, his ambitions took him to Western Australia where he aspired to be accepted and recognised by the local establishment. He was determined that his achievements would not only be acknowledged by his contemporaries, but also just as importantly be remembered in posterity. After a failed attempt to run a sheep station, he found success as part-owner and editor of the West Australian newspaper. Outside of his business interests, Hackett’s commitment to the Anglican Church was unflagging. At the same time, he was instrumental in bringing about the abolition of state aid to church schools in Western Australia, which he saw as advantaging the Roman Catholic Church. He was a Legislative Council member for 25 years during which time he used his editorship of the West Australian, to campaign successfully on a number of social, industrial and economic issues ranging from divorce reform to the provision of economic infrastructure. As a delegate to the National Australasian Conventions he continually strove to improve the conditions under which Western Australia would join Federation. His crowning achievement was to establish the state’s first university, which he also generously provided for in his will. One of the most influential men in Western Australian history, his career epitomised the energy and ambition of the well-educated immigrant.

TAMAR (Towards A More Appropriate Response) was established in 1996 by a small group of Sydney Anglican women, many of whom belonged to the sexually abused community. These women through their experiences and led by their Christian spirituality, integrated with justice and mercy were compelled to address the issue of sexual abuse in the Anglican Church of Australia with particular reference to the Diocese of Sydney. Without power, authority and history these women were at the other end of the spectrum when compared with the Anglican Church of Australia...

Within the Anglican Communion a Ministering Community is where all the people of God, the baptised in a community of faith that gathers for worship each week, are the ministers. The people are the ministers by virtue of their baptism; each one being gifted by the Holy Spirit for the mission and ministry of the church in that place at that time. God will provide sufficient giftedness for that community at that time. There is no need to look outside of that community for ministry as the entire ministry that is required is present within that community. Some people within the community will be gifted to lead people in worship and prayer, some in pastoral care, some in outreach and mission, some in education and teaching, and others to lead people in whatever other ministry that is required for that community at that time. There are various out-workings of what is a Ministering Community around the Anglican Communion; however, one of the common difficulties is the vexed question of the Theology of Priesthood in a Ministering Community. All the other roles of ministry leadership within a Ministering Community are often supported and encouraged amongst a wide range of theological viewpoints; however, the theology of Priesthood in a Ministering Community opens up a wide range of views and theological beliefs. I believe that the differences in theology stems from a misunderstanding of what priesthood is and how the theology of priesthood has developed over time since the New Testament. It is my contention that the Theology of Priesthood in a Ministering Community is ontologically the same as priesthood in a Christendom model of ministry, gathering, consecrating, breaking, blessing and absolving. There is, however, a difference of function between Ministering Community Priesthood and Christendom Priesthood. Functionally a priest in a Ministering Community is not in charge, unlike a Rector or Vicar of a parish that is in charge of a cure. This thesis will endeavour to show that the difference between Christendom Priesthood and Ministering Community Priesthood is one of function and being in charge, the question of authority plays a large part in the theology of priesthood. Authority within the structures of the Anglican Communion has been under review and question for a number of years, therefore there are still outstanding questions with regard to exactly what are the authorities within an Anglican Church. Authority is not however, merely limited to outside influences; people are also subject to their own internal authorities. Fowler's Stages of Faith (1981) helps crystallise the issues of internal authority for a person in leadership in a Ministering Community. If people have not progressed beyond Stage Three on Fowler's Stages of faith then the best that they can be is a helper as she will always need to defer to a higher external authority, whereas a person who is in stage Four or beyond on Fowler's Stages of Faith will have sufficient internal authority to be involved in leadership. Priesthood in a Ministering Community should never be seen in isolation, but always in the context of their community of faith. Communities of faith who become Ministering Communities do so as a whole, with the community commissioned for their work together which includes all the positions of leadership. The leadership is then not hierarchical in nature but rather dispersed and collegial in style. This thesis will show that the Theology of Priesthood in a Ministering Community is very different from Priesthood in a Christendom model of ministry. It will show that Priesthood in a Ministering Community is closer to the presbyters that we find in the pages of the New Testament than the inherited theology of Christendom Priesthood.

For at least the past two decades, international Anglicanism has been gripped by a crisis of identity: what is to be the dynamic between autonomy and interdependence? Where is authority to be located? How might the local relate to the international? How are the variously diverse national churches to be held together 'in communion'? These questions have prompted an explosion of interest in Anglican ecclesiology within both the church and academy, with particular emphasis exploring the nature of episcopacy, synodical government, liturgy and belief, and common principles of canon law. However, one aspect of Anglican ecclesiology which has received little attention is the place of provincial polity and metropolitical authority across the Communion. Yet, this is a critical area of concern for Anglican ecclesiology as it directly addresses questions of authority, interdependence and catholicity. However, since at least the twentieth century, provincial polity has largely been eclipsed by, and confused with, the emergence of a dominant 'national church' polity. This confusion has become so prevalent that the word 'province' itself is used interchangeably and imprecisely to mean both an ecclesial province in its strict sense and one of the 39 'member- churches' which formally constitute the Anglican Communion, with a handful of 'extra-provincial' exceptions. The purpose of this research project is to untangle this confusion and to give a thorough account of the development of provincial polity and metropolitical authority within the Communion, tracing the historical origins of the contemporary status quo. The scope of this task is not in any way intended to be a comprehensive history of the emergence of international Anglicanism, but rather to narrowly chart the development of this particular unit of ecclesial polity, the province, through this broader narrative. The historical work of Part One in itself represents an important new contribution to Anglican Studies; however, the project aims to go further in Parts Two and Three to identify from this context key questions concerning the problems facing contemporary Anglican polity as the basis for further theological and ecclesiological reflection. Part Two examines how provincial polity has given way to an assumption of the 'national church' as the building block of the Communion. To what extent is it consonant with Anglican tradition? How is it problematic? What tensions exist with a more traditional understanding of the province? How might all this relate to wider political understandings and critiques of the 'nation- state' in an increasingly globalised world? Along with the emergence of a 'national church' ecclesiology, so too has the role of the 'Primates' been magnified. Part Three charts this development, culminating in a critique of the recent 2016 Primates' Meeting. What is the nature of primacy within Anglicanism and how does it relate to metropolitical authority? What is the right balance of honour and authority as it relates to primacy? How do Anglican understandings of primacy correspond to those of the Roman and Orthodox Communions? Finally, Part Four attempts to give some concrete focus to the preceding discussion through the illustrative example of the Anglican Church of Australia, which is frequently cited as being analogous to the Communion in having a loose federal system and resolutely autonomous dioceses. The prevalence of this 'diocesanism' has recently been criticised by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. However, there has been a recent revival of provincial action within the Province of Victoria in response to these issues which will be evaluated to discern what the Australian example might offer toward a theologically robust and credible ecclesiology for Anglicanism into the twenty-first century.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosphy (PhD)
Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle, is the largest Anglican cathedral in New South Wales, and the third largest in Australia. It is a State heritage-listed building and has national significance. The cathedral is relevant in the history of Newcastle and is an important example of Australia’s architectural and cultural heritage. Canadian born, American-trained architect John Horbury Hunt was the first of eight architects/architectural practices involved in the cathedral’s design over almost 130 years. Despite its significance, the architecture of the cathedral remains under-examined, and Hunt’s designs for it minimally explored. This thesis investigates Hunt’s adaptation of Gothic Revival ecclesiastical architecture to Newcastle cathedral. The research will investigate the current literature and the primary source material available on the cathedral and on Hunt, to identify their present positioning and the gaps in knowledge for both. From these sources, it will explore and evaluate the critical influences on Hunt and the development of his architectural design principles. The validation of these principles will be determined through a critical examination and analysis of Hunt’s two designs for this cathedral. In doing so, this thesis evaluates Hunt’s stylistic progression towards a cathedral design suitable for Australia in the nineteenth century. The research will therefore provide a new and expanded understanding of the cathedral and its primary architect, and reposition both in the context of Australian architectural history.

The influence of the Anglican Church within Australia during the 1950s has received insufficient historical analysis, especially given its predominant numerical strength amongst Australian churches at that time. This thesis will rectify that oversight. The Anglican Communion worldwide exerted a singular ability to sway its adherents to follow the resolutions of the Lambeth Conferences, which were attended by the international hierarchy. Australian archbishops and bishops closely adhered to the deliberations of the Lambeth Conference in 1948. Subsequently, the Communion, under the leadership of Archbishop Fisher, adopted a decidedly conservative and anti-communist stance. The visits of Dean Hewlett Johnson, Queen Elizabeth II and Dr Billy Graham throughout the 1950s saw the reinforcement of that stance. The next Lambeth Conference, in 1958, displayed a realisation that some form of negotiation with the communist nations was necessary to circumvent nuclear war. It will be demonstrated that the hierarchy of the Anglican Church in Australia, and that of some laity, did not support this understanding. The thesis also traces, through church papers and observations of clergy, the increasingly close relationship between the Episcopal Church in America and the Australian church. By the end of the 1950s, the significant challenges faced by the Anglican Church had resulted in a diminution of its influence and numerical superiority, and a need to re-evaluate its position in Australian society.