Social Justice Issues in the Management of Religious Diversity in Australia

Abstract

The management of religious diversity has become one of the defining problems of the 20th century. From Russian pogroms and the decimation of the Armenians to the Nazi Holocaust, from Protestant vs. Catholic conflict in Ireland to “ethnic cleansing” in the Balkans, from religious strife in the Indian subcontinent to strict controls in Singapore (Hill, ), from cocktail parties in Westchester County to the debacle of Waco, religious diversity is seen as a problem, something potentially dangerous and to be managed carefully (Bouma, ). In many of these cases, religious difference is essentialized, politicized, and made a basis for social and economic differentiation. However, not all stories of the management of religious diversity are so negative. The 20th century has also seen the recession of major religious hegemonies that were associated with various empires and in their