Religion

Abstract

Christian voters strongly supported the Howard government prior to 2007, especially more devout Christians who regularly attended church services. If swinging Christian voters contributed to Howard's defeat then one of Kevin Rudd's long-term projects was successful. This article explores the evolution of Rudd's political Christianity, examining the wide range of contributions from religion and the churches during the election campaign. The discussion includes the electoral politics of same-sex marriage and the interplay between conservative Christians and the Greens. On balance Labor probably did benefit from slightly greater Christian support.

Keywords:

• Australian Christian Lobby
• 2004 elections
• Family First Party
• civil unions legislation
• Greens

Notes

 1. ‘Kevin Rudd and the God factor’, ABC Compass, video, 2005; Nicholas Stuart, Kevin Rudd, Scribe, Melbourne, 2007, pp 204–10.

 2. Kevin Rudd, ‘Faith in Politics’, The Monthly, 22–30 October 2006.

 3. Kevin Rudd, ‘Modern Labor and the Catholic Church’, The St Thomas More's Forum Papers, 2005–2007, St Thomas More's Forum, Campbell [delivered 28 November 2005], 2007, pp 230–2.

 4. Rudd 2006, op. cit.

 5. See, for example, Tony Abbott, ‘Rudd's religious sales pitch’, Australian, 27 January 2007; Tony Abbott, ‘Trying to be all things to all people’, Australian, 6 March 2007.

 6. Abbott, ‘Rudd's religious sales pitch’, op. cit., p 2.

 7. Abbott, ‘Trying to be all things’, op. cit.

 8. Abbott, ‘Rudd's religious sales pitch’, op. cit., p 1.

 9. Abbott, ‘Trying to be all things’, op. cit.

10. Rod Benson, ‘The Australian Christian political lobby comes of age’, Soundings, 60, 22 August 2007.

11. Hayden Manning and John Warhurst, ‘The old and new politics of religion’ in Marian Simms and John Warhurst (eds), Mortgage Nation: the 2004 Australian Election, API Network, Perth, 2005, pp 263–70; Peter Browne and Julian Thomas (eds), A Win and a Prayer: Scenes From the 2004 Australian Election, UNSW Press, Sydney, 2005.

12. Ed Husic, ‘Islam and Australia: can a Muslim get elected to Parliament in a war on terror’, The Sydney Papers, Summer 2006, pp 89–99.

13. Australian, 29 September 2004.

14. Rod Benson, ‘Onward Christian voters’, Soundings, 70, 22 November 2007.

15. `Costello (Tim, that is) backs Rudd on povery', Age, 2 November 2007, http://www.theage.com.au/news/federalelection2007news/costello-tim-that-is-backs-Rudd-on-poverty/2007/11/01/1193619061394.html, accessed 18 December 2009.

16. Australian Catholic Council for Employment Relations, Workplace Relations: A Catholic Perspective, ACCER, Melbourne, 2007.

17. Manning and Warhurst, op. cit., p 265.

18. Australian Christian Lobby, ‘Gay partnerships and a test of faith for Labor’, ACL e-news, 30 November 2007.

19. Australian, 6 December 2007.

20. Carol Johnson, ‘Civil Unions in the closet: Rudd bows to the religious right’, On Line Opinion, 14 February 2008.

21. Australian Christian Lobby, op. cit.; Christopher Pearson, ‘Arrest this abomination’, Australian, 15–16 December 2007.

22. David Marr, ‘Where art thou, Brethren’, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 January 2007; David Marr, ‘Showdown looks for secretive sect’, Sydney Morning Herald, 24 February 2007.

23. Phillip Coorey, ‘Brethren still a “cult” in Rudd's book’, Sydney Morning Herald, 23 August 2007.

24. John Warhurst, ‘Religion and politics in the Howard decade’, Australian Journal of Political Science, vol 42, no 1, March 2007, pp 19–32.

25. Jim Wallace, ‘Fixed links: highlighting Greens’ policies of interest to Christians', ACL National Office, 22 November 2007.

26. ibid.

27. Warhurst, op. cit.

28. Australian Development Strategies Pty Ltd, Profile of the 2007 Australian Election, ADS, 2008, p 2.

29. Angela Shanahan, ‘Right stuff won hearts’, Australian, 8–9 December 2007; Christopher Pearson, ‘Rudd's dog whistle days’, Australian, 8–9 December 2007; Christopher Pearson, ‘On a swing and a prayer’, Australian, 8–9 March 2008.