Skip to content

Secular Australia's identity crisis

September 11, 2026 · 53 min

Show notes

What is the place of religion in a pluralist society?

Australia calls itself a secular country, yet it has never been more religiously diverse.

Whether you're religious or secular, whether you support multi or mono-culturalism, it seems we all claim the authentic mantle of modern Australian identity.

Yet none of us agree on what it is, much less who owns it.

How should we grapple with our identity as a secular nation in a diverse and ever-changing world?

GUESTS:Renae Barker, Senior Lecturer, UWA Law School, author of State and Religion: The Australian Story.

Greg Melleuish, Professorial Fellow, Robert Menzies Institute; Fellow, Campion College. Co-author of Understanding Piety and Theology in the Culture of the West: The Poetic Life. See him in conversation at the Berry Writer's Festival in November.

Enqi Weng, Research Fellow, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University. Author of Media Perceptions of Religious Changes in Australia: Of Dominance and Diversity.

This program was made on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation

All episodes of God Forbid

Settings

Display

Language

Decides which stations you see first on the home page.

History

Recently played stations and episodes and your latest searches are only stored in this browser.

Notifications

A short notice when a podcast you follow has a new episode. Turn off single podcasts with the bell on their page.

Account

Save favorites – in the app and on the website.

Keyboard shortcuts

/
Open search
Space
Play or pause
← →
In the player: back 15 s, forward 30 s (episodes) · in a row: next tile
↑ ↓
In a row: target within the tile
Home / End
In a row: first or last tile
Esc
Close window or menu
?
This overview
Now playing

Go to station page

Play next

    Add episodes with “Play next” – they play after the current episode.