Religion is far from finished

Opposition to religion is often based on claims that it no longer matters in today’s society. It’s true that the percentage of Australians reporting ‘No religion’ went up from over 25% to more than 30% in the 2016 census. The verdict of the critics? Religion in Australia is finished.

But this is based on a decline in demand for religion. In A Shy Hope in the Mind: Secularisation and the Diversity of Australia’s Religious Economy, I query what would happen if we looked instead at overall levels of supply in what might be called the ‘religious market’? Different structures of religious markets can stimulate or stifle demand — and that affects levels of religious participation.

Think of religious believers as consumers. They make rational, informed choices about how to participate in religion and which religious ‘product’ they will opt for. Then it’s up to religious organisations — or ‘suppliers’ — to serve the market and meet consumer demand.

And the greater the competition between religious suppliers, the higher the levels of religious ‘consumption’, the healthier the market, the more ‘religious’ a society is likely to be. Suppliers ditch unpopular ‘products’ in favour of those that have greater appeal.

What does Australia’s religious market look like? At first glance, believers appear to be losing out to non-believers. Opponents of religion use this as a pretext for trying to restrict the market by means of public policy and regulation — such as anti-discrimination laws to restrict religious freedom.

But a closer look at the figures tells that over levels of religion in Australia are growing — 70 per cent of us claim a religious affiliation. The fastest growing religious group are Sikhs who have grown by 74 per cent since 2011. The 2016 census showed religion in Australia to be more complex and diverse than critics allow.

More supply-side analysis of religion in Australia is needed. But it is likely to show that far from diminishing in importance, religions has always been — and continues to be — a major part of our society. And because of its significance, defending religious freedom is more important than ever.