By Alexandra Roginski - The Age - Australia
Monday, April 10, 2006
On-campus religious groups are thriving, and Tuesday can be a hectic day at the University of Melbourne if you're spiritually inclined. Lunchtime spells the tough choice between unwinding at the devotional gatherings of the Baha'i Society, scrutinising the scriptures with the Christian Union, or understanding more about Judaism thanks to Chabad on Campus. With 10 religious groups operating under its clubs and societies umbrella, students at the university needn't just restrict themselves to one weekday, though, and can continue their spiritual immersion throughout the week by delving into Sufism, Islam, and Seventh Day Adventism.
"Social scientists like me, we believed for a century that societies were becoming more secular with the triumph of science and rationalism. Now, in fact, we're recognising that the world is not becoming more secular," says Kevin McDonald, senior lecturer in sociology at the University of Melbourne.
Mr McDonald believes disillusionment with consumer culture, along with an erosion of the traditional pathways into adulthood, is opening young people's minds towards a search for meaning. Among other things, the notion of "spiritual journey" and the "search for wonder" are changing the face of religion from one based on cognitive principles, to one based on personal mystical experiences.
"Religion is less and less (about) religious institutions and more and more political and cultural movements," Mr McDonald says. "They're the ones shaping religions. We see it in Christianity and we see it in Hinduism and Islam as well. More and more their religious beliefs are becoming a personal trajectory and a personal quest, and less and less handed down to people."
Meanwhile, clubs such as University of Melbourne's MTO (Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi) Sufi Association fit perfectly under the model of the personal journey. Although stemming from eighth-century Islam, the contemporary form of Sufism on offer is open to students of all religious convictions for just a humble $4 membership fee.
Club president, Bahar Jamshidi, says: "During O Week when we were actually trying to promote it and get members, we were telling them that Sufism is self-knowledge. Through Sufism you get to know yourself better, through activities we organise like meditation.
"(That's) the main activity that grabs people - meditation. People want to relax. Students want to take it easy, and through meditation, a lot of students become members. We have regular book fairs, and at the workshops we also provide them with food," she says.
Faiths of all kinds are openly accepted at university, but the daily operations of a religious society usually require more than a mere prayer to get moving.
"I applied for the club at the start of last year and only managed to get everything through and approved at the start of this year," says Ms Jamshidi of the University of Melbourne's fledgling Sufi club. "I think starting a club is a very exhausting exercise."
Thursday, October 19, 2006
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Thursday, October 19, 2006
The search for meaning
By Alexandra Roginski - The Age - Australia
Monday, April 10, 2006
On-campus religious groups are thriving, and Tuesday can be a hectic day at the University of Melbourne if you're spiritually inclined. Lunchtime spells the tough choice between unwinding at the devotional gatherings of the Baha'i Society, scrutinising the scriptures with the Christian Union, or understanding more about Judaism thanks to Chabad on Campus. With 10 religious groups operating under its clubs and societies umbrella, students at the university needn't just restrict themselves to one weekday, though, and can continue their spiritual immersion throughout the week by delving into Sufism, Islam, and Seventh Day Adventism.
"Social scientists like me, we believed for a century that societies were becoming more secular with the triumph of science and rationalism. Now, in fact, we're recognising that the world is not becoming more secular," says Kevin McDonald, senior lecturer in sociology at the University of Melbourne.
Mr McDonald believes disillusionment with consumer culture, along with an erosion of the traditional pathways into adulthood, is opening young people's minds towards a search for meaning. Among other things, the notion of "spiritual journey" and the "search for wonder" are changing the face of religion from one based on cognitive principles, to one based on personal mystical experiences.
"Religion is less and less (about) religious institutions and more and more political and cultural movements," Mr McDonald says. "They're the ones shaping religions. We see it in Christianity and we see it in Hinduism and Islam as well. More and more their religious beliefs are becoming a personal trajectory and a personal quest, and less and less handed down to people."
Meanwhile, clubs such as University of Melbourne's MTO (Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi) Sufi Association fit perfectly under the model of the personal journey. Although stemming from eighth-century Islam, the contemporary form of Sufism on offer is open to students of all religious convictions for just a humble $4 membership fee.
Club president, Bahar Jamshidi, says: "During O Week when we were actually trying to promote it and get members, we were telling them that Sufism is self-knowledge. Through Sufism you get to know yourself better, through activities we organise like meditation.
"(That's) the main activity that grabs people - meditation. People want to relax. Students want to take it easy, and through meditation, a lot of students become members. We have regular book fairs, and at the workshops we also provide them with food," she says.
Faiths of all kinds are openly accepted at university, but the daily operations of a religious society usually require more than a mere prayer to get moving.
"I applied for the club at the start of last year and only managed to get everything through and approved at the start of this year," says Ms Jamshidi of the University of Melbourne's fledgling Sufi club. "I think starting a club is a very exhausting exercise."
Monday, April 10, 2006
On-campus religious groups are thriving, and Tuesday can be a hectic day at the University of Melbourne if you're spiritually inclined. Lunchtime spells the tough choice between unwinding at the devotional gatherings of the Baha'i Society, scrutinising the scriptures with the Christian Union, or understanding more about Judaism thanks to Chabad on Campus. With 10 religious groups operating under its clubs and societies umbrella, students at the university needn't just restrict themselves to one weekday, though, and can continue their spiritual immersion throughout the week by delving into Sufism, Islam, and Seventh Day Adventism.
"Social scientists like me, we believed for a century that societies were becoming more secular with the triumph of science and rationalism. Now, in fact, we're recognising that the world is not becoming more secular," says Kevin McDonald, senior lecturer in sociology at the University of Melbourne.
Mr McDonald believes disillusionment with consumer culture, along with an erosion of the traditional pathways into adulthood, is opening young people's minds towards a search for meaning. Among other things, the notion of "spiritual journey" and the "search for wonder" are changing the face of religion from one based on cognitive principles, to one based on personal mystical experiences.
"Religion is less and less (about) religious institutions and more and more political and cultural movements," Mr McDonald says. "They're the ones shaping religions. We see it in Christianity and we see it in Hinduism and Islam as well. More and more their religious beliefs are becoming a personal trajectory and a personal quest, and less and less handed down to people."
Meanwhile, clubs such as University of Melbourne's MTO (Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi) Sufi Association fit perfectly under the model of the personal journey. Although stemming from eighth-century Islam, the contemporary form of Sufism on offer is open to students of all religious convictions for just a humble $4 membership fee.
Club president, Bahar Jamshidi, says: "During O Week when we were actually trying to promote it and get members, we were telling them that Sufism is self-knowledge. Through Sufism you get to know yourself better, through activities we organise like meditation.
"(That's) the main activity that grabs people - meditation. People want to relax. Students want to take it easy, and through meditation, a lot of students become members. We have regular book fairs, and at the workshops we also provide them with food," she says.
Faiths of all kinds are openly accepted at university, but the daily operations of a religious society usually require more than a mere prayer to get moving.
"I applied for the club at the start of last year and only managed to get everything through and approved at the start of this year," says Ms Jamshidi of the University of Melbourne's fledgling Sufi club. "I think starting a club is a very exhausting exercise."
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