1. The Branching Out of:
Australian Aboriginal Groupings
Christianity
Judaism
The goal of this 6P is to:
outline to stage 6 students the
Key features of Anglicanism, Catholicism,
Orthodoxy, Pentecostalism and
Protestantism
outline the unique features of Conservative
Judaism, Orthodox Judaism
Progressive Judaism
outline the unique features of: – Anglicanism
– Catholicism – Orthodoxy – Pentecostalism – Protestantism

2. Australian Aboriginal Groupings

3. Dreaming is the basis of all Aboriginal Life, Languages, Social Control Social
Organisation and Relationships
• Dreaming is the centre, the • The Arrernte people call
focus, the essence, the nucleus, dreaming alcheringa ngambukala
the nexus of Aboriginal Religion
and life; it is the closest
translation of the Aboriginal
• The Pitjantjatjara people call it
tjukarpa
concept of how the world works
• Dreaming is the past present and
• North east Arnhem Land call it
wongar
future
• Aboriginal People have many
• These differences demonstrate a
sense of how critical to the
different languages. This means development of any Religious or
that The Dreaming is interpreted Spiritual movement the nature of
in a variety of ways variants and groupings is.

4. Diversity Origins
• Aboriginal traditional religion is • Unlike Christianity and Judaism,
rich and highly complex Aboriginal Spiritual traditions
have evolved over 40 000 years
• Like Christianity and Judaism
Aboriginal religion provides the • If the Dreaming is the trunk, its
faithful with meaning purpose branches are numerous...far
and security in life. more in number than either
Christianity and Judaism.
• One cannot correctly speak of
one Aboriginal religion because
there are many distinct
Aboriginal Peoples whose
languages and traditions are not
all the same.

5. Diversity Origins cond
• The branches before Australian • In comparison, Christianity and
colonisation some 220 years Judaism branch out in their
ago were: 6-700 different development from a central
Aboriginal Nations with over belief system. Theirs is a
200 different languages divergent method of evolving
into the variants that exist
• Despite such a variety of today.
religious practices and beliefs
from group to group and • The Aboriginal Groupings are
region to region, there is a determined via a convergent
substantial degree of common process whereby all groupings
ground amongst the Aboriginal branches lead back to the
groupings central common ground of The
Dreaming and all it
encompasses

6. Dreaming Variations
• In some parts of Australia, due to time, distance and
indigenous expressions emphasis was given to a
particularly important creative being albeit different
as the ancestor of all people.
• In south east Australia there was a very powerful
spirit who was sometimes referred to as the All
Father.
• In northern Australia a mother figure is evoked
• The Rainbow Serpent has broad ranging importance
• In many parts of the country particular Kin groups
are united by their common bond with their ancestor
Dreaming
• Despite variations in the type of
totem(representative symbol) chosen(eg Honey Ant)
in all cases the underlying importance of the totem is
the common spiritual affiliation which unites men and
women, nature and the Dreamings.

7. Classification Systems
• The order or design of life laid down by the Dreamings sometimes involves
very complex systems of classification. One may compare the complexity of
life for an Orthodox Jew in the keeping of the Shabbat
• In some places, everything in the world, whether spiritual, natural or human
belongs to one of two opposed categories known as MOIETIES. These
categories can be subdivided again and again up to 8 SUBSECTIONS
• Aboriginal KINSHIP systems are organised along these lines, where each
person belongs to a particular subsection which ids different to, but is
determined by their parents
• A person is supposed to marry someone of the opposite moiety of another
subsection. Through this system every person s related to every other and
has a set role with respect to the other. If your father belongs to a certain
subsection, then you would call everyone who belongs to that subsection
“Father” and would treat them in a manner appropriate to thatrelationship

8. Variants of Christianity
• Anglicanism was formalised by King Henry VIII after separating from the
papal authority of The Roman Catholic Church. Core beliefs include the
centrality of the Bible and key sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
• There are two divisions: HIgh Church (Anglo Catholic) and Low Church
(evangelical) High Church includes the title of the priest, seven sacraments
and use of vestments. Evangelical Anglicans lead simple services without
incense and investments
• Catholicism began historically with the disciples of Jesus, establishing itself
upon the leadership of St Peter. The Catholic Church remains hierarchical
with the community looking to leadership from its priests, bishops cardinals
and pope. several groups are: Roman Catholic (largest) and Eastern Rite
Catholics (Maronite and Melkite)
• Core Catholic beliefs inculcate the significance of the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, sacraments as a channel of God’s grace, {“ Christ has entrusted the
sacraments to His Church...through them divine life is bestowed upon us”
CCC226/24}the guidance of scripture and the magisterium (teaching
authority of the Church).

9. Christianity Variants cond
• Orthodoxy evolved over divisions relating to papal authority and THAT
debate over the Filioque (the expression of the relationship between the
Blessed Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit)
• The Great Schism occurred in 1054, with the Easter Orthodox Churches
being established under the leadership of the Patriarch of Constantinople
and other patriarchal authorities.
• Core beliefs establish the equal role of scripture and tradition as sources of
authority. They have seven sacraments, divine worship is an important
worship service, Icons are a distinctive feature, and liturgies are often filled
with music and chanting
• Pentecostalism emerged during the early 1900s in America emphasising the
gifts of the Holy Spirit and what that brings to the worship service. Pastors
have authority over their communities with services including testimony,
preaching and music

10. Christianity Variants Cond
• Pentecostalism beliefs focus on the gifts of The Holy Spirit such as prophecy,
healing and speaking in tongues. Baptism in the Spirit (the individual’s
experience of the power of The Holy Spirit) is an adherent’s first awareness
of the power of Pentecostal worship
• Special abilities given to believers include: sanctification(to become good,
holy and saintly), prophesying, and the interpretation of prophesy, living in
expectation of the imminent return of Christ, faith healing, preaching and
teaching
• Protestantism’s first efforts at reform were led by Luther, Calvin, Knox and
Zwingli. Movements of reform believers were named: Baptists, Methodists,
Lutherans, Calvinists, The Salvation Army and Quakers.
• Protestantism emphasises the authority of the Bible as a source of teaching,
the universal priesthood of believers and justification by faith. Each of these
Churches developed teaching and practices under the leadership of their
particular founder.

13. • The Orthodox believer is perceived as modern in outlook,(dress code) yet
strict in the way he or she keeps the commandments, (rituals conducted in
Hebrew, segregation between the sexes during worship, Patterns of life
established by rabbinical Judaism) which according to Orthodox belief were
given to the Jewish people at Mt Sinai. Eastern European Orthodoxy has
changed little, with these Hassidic groups relying mainly on Medieval writer
Maimonides.
• Conservative Judaism accepts the rabbinical belief framework with certain
modifications. Men and women sit together in synagogue, women are allowed
to read from the Torah and girls may undergo a bat mitvah. Worship is
conducted in both Hebrew and English, and many synagogues have choirs
accompanied by music.
• Reform Judaism originated in the early 19th century.They call their
synagogues temples. Women are ordained as rabbis and cantors. Biblical
prophets rather than on Moses’ religious prescriptions or on rabbinical
commentaries of the Talmud is followed. They believe moral values will be
cherished more strongly than religious ritual

18. Sources
• BJE Board of Jewish Education
• Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Excel Studies of religion
• Living Religion
• Macquarie Studies of Religion
• Oxford Studies of Religion