New methodologies for representing and accessing resources on endangered languages: a case study from South Efate. Linguists produce material which has immense cultural significance as it is often the only record of endangered cultures. With new technologies come new ways of working with indigenous languages. This APD will develop an innovative methodology for documenting and archiving data from a language of the Pacific. It will do this by linking a dictionary, texts, audio, video, images and a ....New methodologies for representing and accessing resources on endangered languages: a case study from South Efate. Linguists produce material which has immense cultural significance as it is often the only record of endangered cultures. With new technologies come new ways of working with indigenous languages. This APD will develop an innovative methodology for documenting and archiving data from a language of the Pacific. It will do this by linking a dictionary, texts, audio, video, images and a grammar to facilitate presentation of both the data and its analysis to speakers, fellow linguists, and the general public. The methodology developed in this APD will result in innovative linguistic data management techniques conformant to emerging international standards.Read moreRead less
Oral Tradition, Literacy and Education in Two Eastern Indonesian Societies. This project will improve our understanding of social and cultural change in eastern Indonesia, a region of strategic importance to Australia. The research will contribute significantly to knowledge of the educational system and literacy levels in eastern Indonesia. This knowledge will be of practical use in development projects in the region and to policy makers in Canberra who are concerned with Indonesian affairs. The ....Oral Tradition, Literacy and Education in Two Eastern Indonesian Societies. This project will improve our understanding of social and cultural change in eastern Indonesia, a region of strategic importance to Australia. The research will contribute significantly to knowledge of the educational system and literacy levels in eastern Indonesia. This knowledge will be of practical use in development projects in the region and to policy makers in Canberra who are concerned with Indonesian affairs. The involvement of a PhD student in the project will increase our national research capacity in eastern Indonesia. The contributions to anthropological theory and method this research will produce will enhance Australia's international reputation as a centre of anthropology, southeast Asian studies and the study of literacy.Read moreRead less
The digital restoration of the Dublin Kephalaia codex and its importance for the history of religions. This is a project at the forefront of the emerging use of digital technology to render legible manuscripts long regarded as unreadable. The unique fourth century codex, now housed at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle, has been known of since 1929. The latest developments in image enhancement, especially the pseudocolour technique, offer the first chance for an international team led ....The digital restoration of the Dublin Kephalaia codex and its importance for the history of religions. This is a project at the forefront of the emerging use of digital technology to render legible manuscripts long regarded as unreadable. The unique fourth century codex, now housed at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle, has been known of since 1929. The latest developments in image enhancement, especially the pseudocolour technique, offer the first chance for an international team led from the University of Sydney to read and publish the text. Its contents record discussions about religion, human nature and the natural world held by sages from East and West at the court of the Persian king; and illuminate the dynamic cultural interchange between India and the Mediterranean world that characterised late antiquity.Read moreRead less
Skilfully planting the trees of light - Manichaean texts in Chinese. Manichaeism spread rapidly and successfully along the Silk Road and arrived in China before the Tang dynasty. This project will throw light on Manichaean missionary techniques through close examination and full publication of the surviving texts in Chinese from Dunhuang and Turfan and their parallels in Middle Iranian, Old Turkish and Coptic.
The Design and Decoration of Burial Chambers in Old Kingdom Egypt. This project represents a significant attempt to understand the rationale behind the evolving design and decoration of Ancient Egyptian burial chambers. The undertaking of this important research by Australian based scholars will continue to establish Australia as a leading nation in the important international discipline of Egyptology, while also continuing to forge a relationship with Egypt. During an era in which Australians h ....The Design and Decoration of Burial Chambers in Old Kingdom Egypt. This project represents a significant attempt to understand the rationale behind the evolving design and decoration of Ancient Egyptian burial chambers. The undertaking of this important research by Australian based scholars will continue to establish Australia as a leading nation in the important international discipline of Egyptology, while also continuing to forge a relationship with Egypt. During an era in which Australians have in general engaged in discourses of insecurity and threat, our project will resonate with many contemporary concerns, asserting a link between the growing sophistication of society and a concomitant sense of threat and insecurity.Read moreRead less
Reception of Historical and Critical Approaches to the Qur’an in Muslim Educational Institutions. This project examines the impact of historical and critical-reformist approaches to the Qur’an in Muslim societies by examining their influence on educational institutions in four strategic Muslim countries/regions: Indonesia, Turkey, Iran and the Gulf. Understanding this impact will provide crucial insights into future dynamics of Muslim religious thought on the Qur’an, which has far-reaching legal ....Reception of Historical and Critical Approaches to the Qur’an in Muslim Educational Institutions. This project examines the impact of historical and critical-reformist approaches to the Qur’an in Muslim societies by examining their influence on educational institutions in four strategic Muslim countries/regions: Indonesia, Turkey, Iran and the Gulf. Understanding this impact will provide crucial insights into future dynamics of Muslim religious thought on the Qur’an, which has far-reaching legal, social, cultural and political effects in Muslim societies. By conducting interviews with university lecturers and students, this project will measure how historical and critical-reformist Qur’anic scholarship is currently perceived and how it is reconciled with orthodox religious ideas.Read moreRead less
Recently discovered rare manuscripts of mediaeval Pali subcommentaries: a missing link in Buddhist textual transmission. The project will "enhance Australia's capacity to interpret and engage with its regional environment through a greater understanding of languages, societies and cultures" (Research priority 4: Understanding our region and the world); it will deepen our understanding of religious and cultural traditions of many Buddhist countries, which constitute a substantial part of Australi ....Recently discovered rare manuscripts of mediaeval Pali subcommentaries: a missing link in Buddhist textual transmission. The project will "enhance Australia's capacity to interpret and engage with its regional environment through a greater understanding of languages, societies and cultures" (Research priority 4: Understanding our region and the world); it will deepen our understanding of religious and cultural traditions of many Buddhist countries, which constitute a substantial part of Australia's regional environment, and advance our knowledge of Buddhism, the fastest growing religion in Australia. Since this is the first project of its kind in the field of Pali studies, it will increase the international prestige of Australian research capability and open new possibilities for international cooperation in the field.Read moreRead less
Charles Strong’s Australian Church (1885-1917) and Australian Secularism. This project plans to study a politically active network associated with Rev. Charles Strong and his independent congregation, the Australian Church, in Melbourne, before and after Federation. Congregation members included Members of Parliament, a chief justice, union leaders and feminist activists. This church network was central in the shaping and institutionalisation of Australia’s secular political settlement. The proj ....Charles Strong’s Australian Church (1885-1917) and Australian Secularism. This project plans to study a politically active network associated with Rev. Charles Strong and his independent congregation, the Australian Church, in Melbourne, before and after Federation. Congregation members included Members of Parliament, a chief justice, union leaders and feminist activists. This church network was central in the shaping and institutionalisation of Australia’s secular political settlement. The project aims to conduct a systematic analysis of the theological ideas about religion-state relations that contributed to Australian secularism. It should result in a fresh interpretation of early Australian progressive thought, and contribute philosophical resources for addressing religion-state dilemmas in modern Australia.Read moreRead less
Reconfiguration of Islam by Muslims in Australia. How - and whether - Muslims who have grown up in a secular Western democracy reconfigure normative Islam so as to facilitate active membership in the wider society is a vital issue. This project is the first to research this in Australia. It will focus on how Islam and Muslim identity are re-configured by long-term Muslim residents and local converts, in contrast to those whose Muslim identity was largely shaped outside of Australia. Understandin ....Reconfiguration of Islam by Muslims in Australia. How - and whether - Muslims who have grown up in a secular Western democracy reconfigure normative Islam so as to facilitate active membership in the wider society is a vital issue. This project is the first to research this in Australia. It will focus on how Islam and Muslim identity are re-configured by long-term Muslim residents and local converts, in contrast to those whose Muslim identity was largely shaped outside of Australia. Understanding how Muslims reconcile Islamic identity with active membership in the wider society has important implications for the future of Australia as one of the most successful multicultural democracies.Read moreRead less
The Christian Culture of the Early Middle Ages. The 'Fall of the Roman Empire' has traditionally been seen as marking a major develpment in western history. Against such an interpretation, this project seeks to establish the importance of intellectual and cultural traditions associated with the coming to dominance in society of Christian ways. It will suggest that a largely new set of cultural practices and attitudes laid the foundation for a very different culture. The outcome will be a major ....The Christian Culture of the Early Middle Ages. The 'Fall of the Roman Empire' has traditionally been seen as marking a major develpment in western history. Against such an interpretation, this project seeks to establish the importance of intellectual and cultural traditions associated with the coming to dominance in society of Christian ways. It will suggest that a largely new set of cultural practices and attitudes laid the foundation for a very different culture. The outcome will be a major monograph and various shorter studies.Read moreRead less