Religion, spirituality and connections with churches

Abstract

This report presents selected results from the 2018 Australian Community Survey (ACS) project run by NCLS Research. The 2018 ACS is the latest wave in a series of community surveys conducted by NCLS Research since 1998. This report covers three areas: 1. A religious and spiritual profile of Australians, 2. Attitudes to religion in society, and 3. Connections with Christian churches. First, we seek to understand Australian religion and spirituality, including religious practices, beliefs, experiences and identity. Second, we explore how the Australian community views the role of religion in society, and Christian faith and churches in particular. Third, we focus on the level of contact Australians have with churches and church attenders, and what factors influence an openness to accepting an invitation to church. Another goal for the 2018 Australian Community Survey project is to examine views on cultural and religious diversity in Australia, social contact across ethnic and religious difference and how these relate to the religion and spirituality of individuals. The 2018 ACS project also examines how the civic contribution of individuals relates to their religion and spirituality. These and other analyses of the 2018 ACS will be reported in other publications.