For decades, conventional wisdom suggested religion was steadily fading from Australian life, displaced by secularism, scientific progress and changing social attitudes.

But according to former Australian Catholic University vice-chancellor Greg Craven, that narrative no longer reflects what is happening on the ground. In a recent opinion piece, Craven argues that faith is experiencing an unexpected revival both in Australia and internationally, challenging long-held assumptions that organised religion is in irreversible decline.

His central claim is deliberately provocative: religion, he argues, is now attracting crowds and attention on a scale that rivals — and in some respects surpasses — Australia’s most cherished sporting institutions.

Whether one agrees with that conclusion or not, the debate has reignited discussion about the place of religion in modern Australian society, why younger generations are showing renewed interest in faith in some communities, and whether Australia’s secular identity tells the full story.

A challenge to the secular narrative

Craven contends that predictions about the “death of religion” have been repeated for generations but have consistently failed to materialise.

He argues that while census figures showing increasing numbers of Australians identifying as having “No Religion” are frequently cited as evidence of secularisation, those statistics do not necessarily capture broader shifts in spiritual belief, church participation or religious engagement.

According to Craven, the assumption that modern prosperity inevitably leads people away from religion has become an accepted article of faith among many commentators despite evidence suggesting a more complicated picture.

He argues that many secular commentators have underestimated the enduring appeal of religious belief, particularly during periods of social uncertainty and rapid technological change.

Record numbers entering the Catholic Church

Among the examples cited by Craven is the recent Easter intake at Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral, where almost 400 people formally entered the Catholic Church while around another 100 began the process of conversion.

He says Melbourne has reported similar trends, while seminaries that were once expected to struggle for enrolments are instead experiencing renewed interest from those considering the priesthood.

Craven argues these developments are not isolated Australian anomalies but part of a broader international pattern affecting Christianity more generally and Catholicism in particular.

He also points to the global popularity of Pope Leo XIV and renewed participation across a range of Christian denominations, including rapidly growing Pentecostal congregations in many countries.

Faith in a changing world

Craven believes several modern pressures are contributing to this renewed interest in religion.

He argues contemporary society has become increasingly materialistic, with success often measured through wealth, property and consumer goods while offering little sense of deeper purpose.

At the same time, he suggests the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and other transformative technologies has heightened questions about what makes human life unique and meaningful.

According to his analysis, many people are searching for moral certainty and community in an era characterised by technological disruption, geopolitical instability and social fragmentation.

These arguments reflect a broader international discussion among sociologists and religious scholars about whether the secularisation trends that dominated much of the twentieth century have begun to slow or even partially reverse in some societies.

Australia’s religious landscape remains complex

Despite Craven’s optimism, Australia’s religious profile remains significantly different from that of previous generations.

The national census has shown a steady rise in the proportion of Australians selecting “No Religion” over recent decades, while affiliation with traditional Christian denominations has generally declined.

At the same time, Australia has become religiously more diverse through immigration, with growing communities of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and members of many other faith traditions.

As a result, many researchers caution against describing Australia simply as either a religious or a secular nation.

Instead, they argue the country increasingly reflects a complex mixture of declining institutional affiliation, persistent personal belief and expanding religious diversity.

Beyond the census numbers

One of Craven’s principal arguments is that measuring religious identity solely through census responses risks overlooking other indicators.

He notes that church attendance in some congregations has strengthened, religious vocations have increased in particular dioceses and public discussion of faith has become more visible than many observers expected.

Supporters of this perspective argue that while fewer Australians may formally identify with organised religion, many continue to express interest in spirituality, ethics and religious traditions during significant moments in life such as marriage, bereavement or national crises.

Critics, however, argue isolated examples of growing congregations do not necessarily demonstrate a nationwide religious revival and caution against drawing broad conclusions from individual institutions or local trends.

Faith and public life

Craven also criticises what he sees as an inconsistency in public attitudes toward religion.

He argues expressions of Indigenous spirituality are frequently treated with respect in Australian public discourse while traditional Christianity is often dismissed or ridiculed.

In his view, this reflects broader cultural assumptions rather than an objective assessment of religion’s continuing role in Australian society.

That argument is itself contested, with others maintaining that Australia’s increasingly secular public institutions seek to treat all belief systems equally while protecting freedom of religion alongside freedom from religion.

The impact of social unrest

The opinion piece further suggests recent incidents of antisemitism in Australia have prompted some Jewish Australians to reconnect with religious identity and tradition.

Craven argues that periods of uncertainty and social hostility have historically encouraged communities to draw strength from shared faith, culture and history.

While this observation is presented as his interpretation, it reflects a broader historical pattern examined by many scholars studying the relationship between persecution, identity and religious practice.

Religion in an age of AI

One of the more contemporary themes explored by Craven is the relationship between artificial intelligence and spirituality.

As AI systems become increasingly capable of performing tasks traditionally associated with human intelligence, debates about consciousness, ethics, free will and human uniqueness have become more prominent.

Some religious thinkers argue these developments are prompting renewed philosophical interest in questions that science alone cannot fully answer, including meaning, morality and the purpose of human existence.

Others contend technological progress and religious belief are not mutually exclusive but can coexist as complementary ways of understanding different aspects of reality.

A debate far from settled

Whether Australia is witnessing a genuine religious revival or simply isolated pockets of renewed engagement remains the subject of considerable debate.

Evidence can be found supporting both interpretations.

Census data continues to show long-term secularisation across much of the population, yet some churches report increasing attendance, growing numbers of baptisms and renewed interest among younger Australians.

What appears increasingly clear is that predictions of religion’s imminent disappearance have proven more complicated than many observers once anticipated.

For Craven, the conclusion is straightforward: faith remains a powerful force in Australian life because it addresses enduring questions about meaning, morality and community that material prosperity alone cannot satisfy.

Whether that resurgence ultimately reshapes Australia’s cultural landscape will depend not only on church attendance figures but on how future generations choose to balance spiritual belief, secular values and an increasingly diverse national identity.