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Draws on a variety of survey data to examine 30 years of the religion-politics relationship. Highlighted are trends in the church-state relationship, church & religious figure involvement, the 1980s-1990s conservative Christian movement (eg, Christian Coalition & Moral Majority), rights & religious tolerance, & prayer & the Bible in public schools. 1 Appendix, 13 References. J. Lindroth

Examines the impact of religion on Australia's 2004 federal election & the nature of the religious debate in light of the increase in insecurity since 11 September 2001. Although political appeals to "Christian tribalism" have recently been successful in Australian politics, it is contended that they have the potential to strain inter-religious harmony, aggravate tensions between Islam & the West, & promote secularist demands for a strict separation of church & state. The issue of state funding for denominational schools is discussed, along with public reactions to Treasurer Peter Costello's emphasis on the importance of "faith" in people's lives; the role of evangelical Christians in the federal election campaign; recent challenges to the traditional opinion that churches shouldn't get involved in partisan politics; the post 9/11 focus on religious issues by cultic religious groups; & the erosion of respect for mainstream churches. The biggest problem facing democratic pluralism is said to be fundamentalism of any religious persuasion, not just Islamic fundamentalism, & suggestions are made for ways to limit its political impact. J. Lindroth

In Australia, religion historically has been seen as a secondary but nonetheless significant sociopolitical cleavage, in part cutting across the class divide. In recent times, Australian scholars, like those elsewhere, have been inclined to argue that the political significance of religion is a legacy of the past & that religion no longer plays an important role in shaping mass political behavior. Although class is also said to have declined in political significance, it is still treated as being of some importance as a cornerstone of the party system. However, many scholars seem more willing to dismiss the relevance of religion altogether. Using sample survey data collected over more than 25 years, this article examines the role of religion in modern Australian electoral politics & assesses the adequacy of such arguments. 6 Tables, 4 Figures, 31 References. Adapted from the source document.

ABSTRACTReligious modes of thinking about the world are widespread in Africa, and have a pervasive influence on politics in the broadest sense. We have published elsewhere a theoretical model as to how the relationship between politics and religion may be understood, with potential benefits for observers not just of Africa, but also of other parts of the world where new combinations of religion and politics are emerging. Application of this theoretical model requires researchers to rethink some familiar categories of social science.