Christian Research Association

Not to be confused with Christian Research Institute.

The Christian Research Association (CRA) was founded in 1985 to study the Christian faith in Australia. Its work consists of major research projects, overviews of research on religion in Australia, and contract research for Christian organisations, including local reports based on Australian Census data.

Origin and supporters

The Christian Research Association was founded in 1985 to study the Christian faith in Australia.

Its key supporters and board members are: ^[1]

• The Anglican Diocese of Brisbane
• The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne
• The Assemblies of God
• Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference
• Baptist Union of Victoria
• Council for Christian Education in Schools (Vic)
• The Interchurch Trade and Industry Mission
• Lutheran Church of Australia
• Prahran Mission
• Salvation Army (Southern Territory)
• Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Uniting Church, Synod of New South Wales
• Uniting Church, Synod of Victoria
• World Vision of Australia

Aim

According to the Christian Research Association's website: ^[1]

(The CRA's) task is to provide up-to-date and reliable information about religious faith and church life in Australia.

The Christian Research Association has several aspects to its work:

1. Major research projects ...
2. Overview of research on religion and church-life in Australia, primarily through Pointers, a quarterly bulletin of reports of research.
3. Contract research for individual churches, denominational bodies, and other church-related organisations.
4. Reports for local areas using the latest Census data plus data from other sources.

Recent activities

In April 2010, the Christian Research Association produced the report Bible Engagement Among Australian Young People, which was commissioned by the Bible Society of South Australia.^[2] The report states: "Conservatively interpreted, the surveys show that around 4 per cent of young people read the Bible daily, another 6 per cent read it weekly, and 15 to 20 per cent read it very occasionally."^[3]

In February 2009, the Sydney Morning Herald reported the results of the "Religion And Occupation" study by the Christian Research Association and the National Church Life Survey.^[4] The article says: Whether trying to earn their way to heaven or (more likely) trying to embody the love they think God has for the world, believers tend to give more money away, run more soup kitchens, collect more aid for those in poor countries and gravitate more toward "people professions" than those without religion.

In January 2008, the Sydney Morning Herald reported research by the Christian Research Association into religious affiliation in rural areas.^[5] Phillip Hughes, then director of the CRA, is quoted as saying: Farming people, more than any other sector, have a high level of interdependence on each other. They share machinery, they help each other out and they need the sense of community and the sense of Christian faith as the basis of that.

See also

• Christianity in Australia
• Religion in Australia

External links

• Christian Research Association Website

References

1. ^ ^{a b} About the CRA, http://www.cra.org.au/about-the-cra/, retrieved 2010-06-19 
2. ^ http://www.cra.org.au/bible-engagement-among-australian-young-people/
3. ^ http://www.cra.org.au/Bible_Engagement_Report.pdf
4. ^ Dickson, John (2009-02-03), "Faith no more does little good for society", The Sydney Morning Herald, http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/faith-no-more-does-little-good-for-society/2009/02/02/1233423135426.html, retrieved 2010-06-19 
5. ^ Morris, Linda (2008-01-21), "Spirit strongest in wheat and sheep country", The Sydney Morning Herald, http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/spirit-strongest-in-wheat-and-sheep-country/2008/01/20/1200764081377.html, retrieved 2010-06-19