Freedoms religious and social: An Australian stock-take

Recent controversy over Israel Folau's public utterances highlight differences between the 'common objects of love' held by many in the Christian community and the wider community respective. These cause us to attend to various social freedoms that we do and do not allow ourselves in Australian society. They also invite us to re-evaluate the usefulness of old metaphors that make definitive utterances about 'lines' of 'separation' between churches and states, when the reality is inherently more 'vague'. By way of a historical excursus into the intellectual origins of our Commonwealth Constitution's s. 116, and with some commentary on human society from St Augustine of Hippo, a theological account is offered that richly sustains a distinction between the ministry of churches and the governance of states. Other pieces in this edition of St Mark's Review are introduced, in the prayerful hope that Australians of all religions and non-religions will continue to share cultural space peacefully, despite the many travails along the way to negotiate that sharing.