The Australian churches in the Great War : attitudes and activities of the major churches

Abstract

Australian churchmen accepted war when it came in August 1914 and sought to explain it to the Australian people. Their explanation relied on the belief that God could only permit what was ultimately good. They expected the war to convince the people that faith in material progress was inadequate and hoped that they would turn to faith in God. They expected, too, that the people would learn the value of sacrifice, devotion to duty and prayer. Clergymen enlisted in the A.I.F. as chaplains, in the hope that they could teach these lessons to Australian manhood. As the war dragged on it became clear that many Australians, perhaps the majority, were indifferent to war's redemptive value. Their lives mocked the clerical prediction of reform and renewal. The chaplains found that the bulk of the troops were indifferent, even antagonistic, to the religion of the churches. Such realisations undermined the faith with which churchmen had accepted the war and encouraged conflict and division between and within the churches. This bitterness reduced even further any prospect that the clerical thesis would be fulfilled. By 1918 churchmen longed for peace. Show more