Year
2016
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts
Recommended Citation
Matesic, Josip, Religious and secular discourses in Twentieth Century Australian parliamentary debates, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts, University of Wollongong, 2016. https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/4858
Abstract
This thesis examines Australian debates over the legalisation of cremation in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; the liberalisation of Sabbatarianism or Sunday entertainment in the 1960s; and the legalisation of ‘no fault’ divorce in 1975. In doing so it argues that from the late nineteenth century, through to the 1970s, there were a series of legal changes regarding social practices in Australian society. While each of these social practices had Christian roots the thesis argues that in each of the parliamentary debates, religious arguments could not ultimately convince the parliamentarians to preserve the laws. Instead religious appeals and arguments lost to practical utilitarian secular concerns and arguments in the twentieth century.
The three case studies are explored through discourse analysis, an examination of rhetoric, and the use of some statistics. These methodologies allow the analysis of Hansard (the record of Australian parliamentary debates), and for the various arguments and discourses to be categorised and examined. The thesis is informed by the theoretical works of Callum Brown and Danièle Hervieu-Léger, but also S. J. D. Green and Grace Davie. Brown’s theory highlights the complex nature of secularisation, while Hervieu-Léger’s work highlights the use of history and memory for continued social practice by claiming a connection to an imagined historical community. No methodology or theory is however perfect. Limitations in the thesis are the heavy reliance on Hansard as a primary source, and the fact that most of the theory concerns societies other than Australia. Such reliance can cause contextual issues. The Annales historical school provides justification for these methodologies and theories utilised by showing that similar work is possible and has been done.
FoR codes (2008)
210303 Australian History (excl. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History), 220204 History and Philosophy of Law and Justice, 220209 History of Ideas, 220405 Religion and Society
Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.