Is Christianity indispensable to Western democracy? Looking at the claims of political Christianity’s defenders

By Adam Wakeling

Australia is becoming a less religious, and less Christian, country than it formerly was. As recently as 1971, more than four-fifths of Australians identified as Christian. Today, fewer than half do. This is obviously a problem for Christian churches of all denominations, who are grappling with the challenges that come from empty pews and aging congregations.

In recent years, a number of political commentators have argued that this is also a problem for Western civilisation generally. Their argument is that the institutions which lead to our success – democracy, the rule of law, human rights – have Christian foundations and that, in an increasingly-secular society, those foundations will crumble. For the sake of the common good, we should all become Christians again.

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