Faith and Culture: The Politics of Belief was a four-day lecture series which took place from Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 June at BMW Edge, Federation Square.
Curated by celebrated writer and moral philosopher Raimond Gaita, our speakers – philosophers and theologians, historians and writers, believers and non-believers – considered what it can mean to be religious, and what role the voice of faith may legitimately have in the conversations of citizens in a multicultural, democratic state and in the community of nations.
In his letter of invitation to speakers, Gaita wrote: ‘I have chosen people whose authority to speak on these matters strikes me as undeniable. Their authority lies not only in the fact that they “know their subject”, but also in the seriousness and authenticity of their engagement with it.’
Here, we present a record of the series — including each speaker’s full lecture notes and audio recordings of the discussions. We hope you’ll find them as engaging and valuable as we do.
This series was presented with the support of the Sidney Myer Fund.
Raimond Gaita: The Voice of Faith and Public Reason
Introduction
Watch Raimond Gaita’s introductory video for the series here.
Keynote address
Download the lecture notes: PDF
Listen to the podcast: MP3
Watch the video: online
Panel discussion
With Raimond Gaita, Asma Barlas, Bernadette Tobin, Susan Neiman and Scott Stephens.
Listen to the podcast: MP3
Watch the video: online
Stanley Hauerwas: Church Matters
Keynote address
Download the lecture notes: PDF
Listen to the podcast: MP3
Panel discussion
With Stanley Hauerwas, Kristina Keneally, Morag Fraser and Philip Freier.
Listen to the podcast: MP3
Tariq Modood: The Voice of Faith and the Challenge of Democratic Multiculturalism
Keynote address
Download the lecture notes: PDF
Listen to the podcast: MP3
Asma Barlas: Thinking of Muslims in ‘Morally Relevant Ways’
Keynote address
Download the lecture notes: PDF
Listen to the podcast: MP3
Susan Neiman: The Voice of Faith and the Challenge of Reason in National and International Politics
Keynote address
Download the lecture notes: PDF
Listen to the podcast: MP3
Faith, Multiculturalism and the Community of Nations
Panel discussion
With Tariq Modood, Asma Barlas, Susan Neiman and Shakira Hussein.
Listen to the podcast: MP3
Dipesh Chakrabarty: Faith, Bad Faith and Popular Culture in Indian Public Life: From the Colonial Period to the Present
Keynote address
Download the lecture notes: PDF
Listen to the podcast: MP3
Panel discussion
With Dipesh Chakrabarty, Barry Hill, Sundhya Pahuja and Justice Susan Crennan.
Listen to the podcast: MP3
Bernard Avishai: Jewish Identity, the Hebrew Republic and Democratic Faith
Keynote address
Download the lecture notes: PDF
Listen to the podcast: MP3
Panel discussion
With Bernard Avishai, Geoffrey Brahm Levey, Arnold Zable and Johnny Baker.
Listen to the podcast: MP3
