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Catholics And Catholicism In Contemporary Australia![]() Stock informationGeneral Fields
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DescriptionOver the last 60 years, the Catholic community in Australia has undergone dramatic changes. The outcome of these changes in society and the Church is that today's Catholic community looks very different from that of the 1950s. Mass attendance rates have fallen; the number of priests, sisters and brothers is declining and their average age is increasing. The relationship between clergy and people has changed. Old forms of devotion like the Rosary have nearly disappeared but there has been a growth of interest in alternative forms of prayer borrowed from a variety of cultures and traditions. An array of leadership roles has been filled by lay people, and lay people (by no means all Catholics) comprise virtually the entire staff at Catholic schools and the majority of students at Catholic theological colleges. Researcher Robert Dixon comments: 'Some Catholics see these changes as a tragedy, but most regard them as welcome evidence of a Church prepared to adapt to meet changing circumstances. Yet the changes that have taken place have primarily been changes in rules and practices. Author descriptionDr. Abe W. Ata was born in Bethlehem. He emigrated to Australia in 1972 and completed a PhD at the University of Melbourne during 1980. Dr Ata has taught in Australian, American, Jordanian, Palestinian and Danish universities. He has 85 articles and book chapters and nine books to his credit. He is presently a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne. He has held an Honorary Research Fellowship in the School of Political and Social Inquiry at Monash University. |