Eureka Street

Keywords: Life

RELIGION

On 'getting' the synod
- Richard Lennan
- 19 December 2024
Is the synod a parliament, a shareholder meeting, or something wholly unique? How we frame it shapes our understanding of its purpose and outcomes. Beyond analogies, could the true essence of synodality lie in embracing grace and discernment, re-centering the church on its divine mission?
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Silent Night, from hymn to hype
- Simon Smart
- 19 December 2024
Modern advertisements blend artistry and manipulation, tugging our heartstrings while selling us things we didn’t think we needed. Take the Austrian financial giant Erste’s annual Christmas ad, which this year chronicles the history of 'Silent Night.' It's breathtaking — until its message makes a baffling twist.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Books, screens, and holiday dreams
- Juliette Hughes
- 18 December 2024
In a year defined by uneven cultural offerings, books stood tall while cinema faltered and television treaded water. From Alexander Armstrong’s enchanting Evenfall to Patricia Briggs’ mystical Winter Lost, the literary landscape offered gems aplenty. Meanwhile, Netflix’s Mary proved a thunderous flop, and Barbie charmed in pink. Let the debates begin.
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AUSTRALIA

Reflecting on the year that was
- David Halliday, Michael McVeigh, Laura Kings, Michele Frankeni, Andrew Hamilton, Julian Butler
- 18 December 2024
To close the year for Eureka Street, the editorial team are taking a step back to reflect on the character of 2024. What did it demand of us? What did it teach us about ourselves, and the world we inhabit?
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AUSTRALIA

Celebrating Christmas, holy and hectic
- Andrew Hamilton
- 16 December 2024
At Christmas, the sacred and the secular seem locked together. Amid the tinsel and toasts, there’s a deeper narrative: one of radical generosity, shared humanity, and solidarity with the marginalised. This season invites not just celebration but reflection on who we are—and who we might become.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Sanmao and the priest
- Margaret Simons
- 13 December 2024
High in Taiwan’s mountains, Jesuit priest Barry Martinson found a soulmate in celebrated author Sanmao, who inspired millions with her writing. Their relationship—neither romantic nor conventional—was a profound meeting of kindred spirits, rooted in shared curiosity, literary love, and the sacrificial essence of friendship.
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INTERNATIONAL

Friendship in freefall: Unpacking a crisis of civic disconnection
- David Halliday
- 13 December 2024
In 2024, a fifth of Americans reported having no close friends, and the number is growing, especially among those without college degrees. So what are the societal structures behind this crisis in loneliness, and how we can rebuild meaningful connections?
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Evangelicals, exiles, and other tall tales
- 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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ARTS AND CULTURE

Alexei Navalny: Patriot and holy fool
- Danielle Terceiro
- 12 December 2024
Navalny’s memoir Patriot was released last month. Written in prison, it is a testament to Navalny’s deliberate practice of a forward-looking hope for the future, even though he was certain that he would not outlive his sentences. Surprisingly, the book is full of humour.
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AUSTRALIA

The horror of synagogue burning
- 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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ECONOMICS

The trouble with a shrinking population
- David James
- 11 December 2024
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink predicts AI and shrinking populations will bring higher living standards without growth. But his optimism overlooks a critical flaw: conflating productivity, efficiency, and the true cost of 'growth.' With economic foundations shifting, the future demands a radical rethinking of capitalism’s purpose and the systems driving it.
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AUSTRALIA

How the male crisis is killing women
- 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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Keywords: Life