A Century of Influence

Overview

Drawing on a rich range of material from libraries, private collections, and oral histories, this chronicle tells the inspiring story of the progressive Australian Student Christian Movement (ACSM)—a movement whose members included Prime Ministers Bob Hawke and Robert Menzies and High Court judges Garfield Barwick and Ronald Wilson. This exploration examines the ACSM’s 100-year history as well as its impact on women’s issues, racial discrimination, the nation’s spirituality, and Australia’s place in the Asia Pacific region. Questioning the ACSM’s demise after the 1960s, this account also provides insights into a turbulent period in Australian history.

Reviews

"Renate Howe makes a major contribution to Australia’s religious, intellectual, and social history through her rigorous analysis, perceptive insights and graceful writing." —John Langmore, professorial fellow, University of Melbourne

Author Biography

Renate Howe is an honorary fellow at Deakin University. She has contributed articles to the Journal of Women’s History, the Oxford Companion to Australian Politics, and The Spirit of Australia: Religion in Citizenship and National Life.