Keywords: Australian History
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ARTS AND CULTURE
- Gillian Bouras
- 16 January 2025
Sacred spaces reflect their times, from Baroque splendor to Brutalist minimalism. A visit to Warsaw’s Temple of Divine Providence highlights how churches, beyond their doctrines, become vessels of national identity, architectural evolution, and historical memory.
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ARTS AND CULTURE
- Ken Haley
- 12 December 2024
Lech Blaine’s Australian Gospel is a quintessentially Australian tale of faith, family, and identity. Blaine explores the fractures of belief and belonging in an effervescent and vivid work of creative nonfiction. But where does the ‘non-’ stop and the ‘fiction’ begin?
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AUSTRALIA
- Andrew Hamilton
- 12 December 2024
The firebombing of Melbourne's Adass Israel Synagogue is a profound tragedy, reflecting the weight of historical hatred and contemporary tensions. Amid global grief and anger, this act of antisemitism compels us to reflect on the shared humanity of all people and the urgent need for peace, understanding, and ethical leadership.
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RELIGION
- Bill Uren
- 11 December 2024
A contentious graduation speech at Australian Catholic University laid bare divisions between traditional Catholic values and modern sensibilities. The backlash, marked by audience walkouts, underscores broader challenges facing the Church.
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AUSTRALIA
- Sarah Klenbort
- 10 December 2024
From playground shrugs to a growing male crisis, outdated ideas about masculinity fuel violence, isolation, and despair. Addressing these challenges starts with how we raise boys — teaching compassion, accountability, and the courage to truly connect.
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INTERNATIONAL
- Justin Glyn
- 10 December 2024
Peace is hard to define, harder to achieve, and almost impossible to sustain. In a world obsessed with profit, simplistic narratives, and selective outrage, peace feels like a lofty ideal rather than a realistic goal. But what would it take to make peace more than a buzzword—and a true global reality?
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AUSTRALIA
- Peter Craven
- 05 December 2024
Tom Hughes, who passed away at 101, was a towering figure in Australia’s legal and political history. A barrister of dazzling skill, an Attorney-General with a penchant for reform, and a man of unshakable conviction, Hughes combined wit, charm, and grit to shape justice and inspire a legacy beyond party lines.
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AUSTRALIA
- Binoy Kampmark
- 04 December 2024
In a move that’s been both lauded as necessary and criticized as overreaching, Australia has enacted legislation banning social media for users under 16, placing enforcement squarely on Big Tech. But behind the legislation lies a contentious debate: does prohibition protect, or does it merely shift the harm?
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RELIGION
- John Warhurst
- 03 December 2024
2 Comments
The Synod of Bishops may mark a turning point for the Catholic Church, but the real work now begins — locally. From diocesan councils to parish communities, the challenge lies in translating synodality into action. In Australia, divergent episcopal views and a patchy history of reform raise critical questions about the Church’s future.
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RELIGION
- Justin Glyn
- 30 November 2024
2 Comments
The Synod on Synodality has quietly rewritten the Church’s relationship with disability, shifting from a legacy of marginalisation to a vision of equality and dignity. This historic move acknowledges past failings while championing the rights of disabled people as full participants in faith and society. But does the rhetoric match reality?
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AUSTRALIA
- Joe Zabar
- 28 November 2024
As cost-of-living pressures weigh heavily on Australians, could mission-driven organisations like charities and not-for-profits disrupt markets by prioritising people over profit? Empowering these organisations to compete in key markets may result in more equitable systems that address community needs.
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AUSTRALIA
- Michael McGirr
- 22 November 2024
3 Comments
There’s this other place that is neither heaven nor earth but which you might find in the car park of the third busiest KFC in Melbourne, waiting for your son to finish his shift. A bin beside the car is overflowing with all the packaging that comes with fast food, not to mention the remains of poor dead chooks whose life it is hard to imagine.
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