Social engagement in Spiritualism. This project aims to investigate the sociological, anthropological and historical dimensions of Spiritualism in Australia, a small but highly influential religious movement. 19th century Spiritualist ideas about the afterlife have shaped many citizens’ beliefs that individual personality survives death in a family-centred spirit realm. Combining both sociological and anthropological approaches, the project will map the production and effect of belief on family, ....Social engagement in Spiritualism. This project aims to investigate the sociological, anthropological and historical dimensions of Spiritualism in Australia, a small but highly influential religious movement. 19th century Spiritualist ideas about the afterlife have shaped many citizens’ beliefs that individual personality survives death in a family-centred spirit realm. Combining both sociological and anthropological approaches, the project will map the production and effect of belief on family, civic participation and ethics. This project aims to give scholars a fuller, more accurate view of religious dynamics in Australia.Read moreRead less
Religious Innovation and Social Reform in Sri Lanka. This project proposes comparative research on socio-religious reform movements in Sri Lanka, exploring four separate yet related research foci in the post-war context involving each of the major world religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam). It explores questions of human equality and social cohesion in the setting of post-conflict national reconstruction. The project is significant as an innovative, simultaneous study of Sri La ....Religious Innovation and Social Reform in Sri Lanka. This project proposes comparative research on socio-religious reform movements in Sri Lanka, exploring four separate yet related research foci in the post-war context involving each of the major world religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam). It explores questions of human equality and social cohesion in the setting of post-conflict national reconstruction. The project is significant as an innovative, simultaneous study of Sri Lankan religion combined with an examination of the relationship between religion and social difference, inclusion and exclusion. Involving four PhDs from Sri Lanka and Australia working with experienced anthropologists from each country, the project aims to produce a significant ongoing international collaboration.Read moreRead less
Cultures of belief in Renaissance Florence. The project asks new questions and employs new methods for understanding the material and cultural development of Renaissance Florence by focussing on the city's rapidly evolving religious context. It foregrounds the close study of preaching and its generation, and elaborates the oral as a category of historical analysis.
Interreligious Relations between Muslims and People of other Faiths. Traditional Islamic law and theology developed a wide range of negative positions about people of other faiths. Based on extensive fieldwork, this project aims to understand how and to what extent prominent Muslim religious leaders are transforming these negative positions to positive ones today in Australia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Singapore. The project will lead to an evidence-based understanding of the potential for future ....Interreligious Relations between Muslims and People of other Faiths. Traditional Islamic law and theology developed a wide range of negative positions about people of other faiths. Based on extensive fieldwork, this project aims to understand how and to what extent prominent Muslim religious leaders are transforming these negative positions to positive ones today in Australia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Singapore. The project will lead to an evidence-based understanding of the potential for future interreligious harmony in these countries. Since positive interreligious relations are of domestic, regional and global concern for social cohesion and peace and security, the outcomes of this project will be of significant interest to both scholars and policymakers in Australia.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
Preaching Islam: politics, performers and publics in Indonesia. Mass preaching gatherings held by Indonesia's Muslims can draw crowds of up to two hundred thousand people, and are used by Indonesia's political constituencies, mainstream and fringe, to further their goals. An understanding of how political groupings utilise orations to further their interests will add to Australia's awareness of the political dimensions of Islam in contemporary Indonesia. Politicised preaching has repercussions f ....Preaching Islam: politics, performers and publics in Indonesia. Mass preaching gatherings held by Indonesia's Muslims can draw crowds of up to two hundred thousand people, and are used by Indonesia's political constituencies, mainstream and fringe, to further their goals. An understanding of how political groupings utilise orations to further their interests will add to Australia's awareness of the political dimensions of Islam in contemporary Indonesia. Politicised preaching has repercussions for Indonesia's internal security and political stability; this research will increase Australia's knowledge on this critical topic by focussing on orations staged in sensitive political environments: rural communities, the urban poor and army barracks.Read moreRead less
Managing ethnic tensions and developing religious tolerance in South India and Sri Lanka. The enhanced knowledge of Australia's neighbours, specifically two countries that have provided significant contributions to Australia's multicultural complexion, as well as an enhanced sense of the issues involved in managing ethnic tensions in a secular state will be the benefits of the study. Both sites have been the objects of previous social and cultural studies, but not compared together in terms of r ....Managing ethnic tensions and developing religious tolerance in South India and Sri Lanka. The enhanced knowledge of Australia's neighbours, specifically two countries that have provided significant contributions to Australia's multicultural complexion, as well as an enhanced sense of the issues involved in managing ethnic tensions in a secular state will be the benefits of the study. Both sites have been the objects of previous social and cultural studies, but not compared together in terms of religious tolerance and state control. The research will also strengthen ties between scholars in Australia, India and Sri Lanka, while having application to issues of tolerance and mutual respect between communities in all three countries. Read moreRead less
In the Wake of the Sea Peoples, In the Footsteps of Goliath: Excavating the Philistine Site of Tell es-Safi/Gath. This project brings Australian research into the current scholarly debates on Philistine identity, a quickly growing sub-discipline in Mediterranean archaeology. Marginalized in the Bible as decadent, current research sees the Philistines as a cosmopolitan culture resulting from migration from Cyprus and the Aegean, and interaction with the local Canaanite population. In addition, Au ....In the Wake of the Sea Peoples, In the Footsteps of Goliath: Excavating the Philistine Site of Tell es-Safi/Gath. This project brings Australian research into the current scholarly debates on Philistine identity, a quickly growing sub-discipline in Mediterranean archaeology. Marginalized in the Bible as decadent, current research sees the Philistines as a cosmopolitan culture resulting from migration from Cyprus and the Aegean, and interaction with the local Canaanite population. In addition, Australian collaboration and interaction with Israeli colleagues and students will contribute to a more positive perception of the Jewish community in Australia, which has been the recent target of anti-Semitic activities as a result of the Israeli government's invasion of Gaza.Read moreRead less
Experience versus authority: science, musical theory and observation in Grocheo's De Musica and intellectual upheaval in the 13th century. The project will help break down disciplinary divisions between those interested in medieval musicology, the history of science and the history of ideas by bringing together specialists from all three domains. The production of an interdisciplinary monograph devoted to an upheaval in thinking in 13th century Europe, in which experience challenged arguments fr ....Experience versus authority: science, musical theory and observation in Grocheo's De Musica and intellectual upheaval in the 13th century. The project will help break down disciplinary divisions between those interested in medieval musicology, the history of science and the history of ideas by bringing together specialists from all three domains. The production of an interdisciplinary monograph devoted to an upheaval in thinking in 13th century Europe, in which experience challenged arguments from authority, will deepen awareness of the interconnectedness of the musical, scientific and intellectual traditions inherited by Western culture. It will also encourage international recognition of the innovative capacity of Australian scholars to engage in interdisciplinary research, and provide an opportunity to nurture early career and postgraduate researchers within this country.Read moreRead less
Religious diversity in Australia: strategies to maintain social cohesion. This project aims to make Australia safer through identifying constructive responses to religious diversity as incidents of discrimination and violence on the basis of religion are escalating. Programs that respond to religious diversity in local institutions are key to preventing social dislocation and violence. This project will identify strategies for responding to religious diversity in the institutions of education, p ....Religious diversity in Australia: strategies to maintain social cohesion. This project aims to make Australia safer through identifying constructive responses to religious diversity as incidents of discrimination and violence on the basis of religion are escalating. Programs that respond to religious diversity in local institutions are key to preventing social dislocation and violence. This project will identify strategies for responding to religious diversity in the institutions of education, policing, migration, and in legislation. It will evaluate the outcomes of these strategies in terms of their contribution to social cohesion and the prevention of violence. Significant benefit to the communities and organisations include providing practical strategies they can immediately use to make Australia safer.Read moreRead less