ABSTRACT
235Mainstream sociologists and social theorists over the last century have endlessly promoted a portrait of modern societies as places where science and reason have triumphed. Yet religious belief continues to inform the lives of large numbers of people who live in modern societies—like Australia. Religion is another key source of identity. If anything religion is emerging—again—as a significant source of political and social activism. We see this especially in the regeneration of conservative political ideas that are helping to reshape contemporary Australian public life. In this chapter we explore the contemporary character of religion in Australia. We begin with some basic questions about religion and spirituality before turning to the sociological tradition and the arguments of two great sociologists, Durkheim and Weber. We conclude with a brief discussion of the social significance of the contemporary revival of religious faith.
