Hugh MackayRenowned Australian social researcher Hugh Mackay will visit Adelaide next week for a church-organised public address at which he will ask why so many people disdain organised religion.
“What do people actually mean when they say ‘God’?” asks Mackay in his latest book Beyond Belief. “Around two-thirds of us say we believe in God or some ‘higher power’, but fewer than one in 10 Australians attend church weekly.”
In a major public lecture to kick off the 2017 Conference of the Australia New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association on Friday, October 20, Mackay will draw on research for his latest book to explore this discrepancy, which he describes as “one of the great unexamined topics of our time”.
Mackay argues that while our attachment to a traditional idea of God may be waning, our desire for a life of meaning remains as strong as ever. After the October 20 lecture at the Norwood Town Hall, Hugh Mackay will be available to sign copies of his books.
Unitarian Universalist churches are congregations of people of all ages who support each other in the search for truth, meaning, and ethical living. UUs respect and willingly explore all religious heritages and all sources of wisdom, believing all contain truths from which we may learn.
Unitarian Church of SA minister Rev. Rob MacPherson said the lecture was open to anyone who was curious about the role and relevance of spiritual belief in the modern world. “The folk who come to our church are passionate about the very questions Hugh Mackay poses,” he said.
“It’s what motivates them to seek spiritual community for fellowship and support in their search for meaning. We’ve made this event a public lecture so anyone who believes in a higher power but resists the strictures of traditional religious practices can explore the options.”
Hugh Mackay will be available for media interviews in the week of October 16-20 or beforehand by arrangement.
For media assistance, contact John Harris on +61 8 8431 4000 or email john@impress.com.au
Event Details
Norwood Town Hall, 175 The Parade, Norwood SA
Friday, October 20, 2017
Doors open 6:30pm for a 7:00pm start
$15 at the door or $10 booked in advance
Book tickets by clicking here.
Contact for more information:
Unitarian Church of South Australia 08 8332 2803 (Tue/Fri 10am-2pm) or unitariansa@bigpond.com.
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