Australian Student Christian Movement
Encyclopedia
The Australian Student Christian Movement (ASCM) is a Christian
group with an ecumenical focus working with university
students.
ASCM fosters liberal
and progressive
religious and social views and has been associated with the social gospel
, Christian socialist
and environmentalist
movements and is generally part of the Christian left
.
The ASCM sees itself as:
Described as a 'university within a university,' the ASCM was formed in 1896 and is one of the oldest student groups in existence in Australia. Originally named the Australian Student Christian Union, the name changed gradually during the period between the wars to reflect the idea of movement rather than organisation. The title ASCM was formally adopted in the early 1930s. The ASCM was involved in the formation of the National Union of Students
, the Overseas Service Bureau and the Uniting Church in Australia
.
, in 1896, fourteen years before the 1910 Edinburgh Missionary Conference
that is commonly considered to have inaugurated the modern ecumenical movement. At the time Australia had only four universities, which were strongly opposed to any religious activities taking place on their secular campuses. Yet those who created the ASCM fervently believed that Christian students could be agents of change in the university, the nation and the world.
in the 1940s and 1950s, worried about the ASCM's work with refugees and the pacifism
and conscientious objection of some of its members. During the Vietnam War
the ASCM was involved in subverting the Draft and providing support for so-called draft dodgers.
Today the ASCM is involved in the struggles for the liberation of women and of gay, lesbian and bisexual people, in the work against racism against both migrant and Aboriginal people and the exploitation of the people and lands of the Asia-Pacific region. This is reflected in the history of the ASCM with their explicit support for Gandhi, the equality of women and their activism for changes to the White Australia policy
which reached its climax in the 1960s with the Sydney branch leading the way. ASCM are still politically active and continue to offer opportunites for students to be involved in Human Rights and a world wide recognition of women's rights in differing cultures. ASCM is seen to promote a mature faith of intellectual engagement.
and has close ties to the National Council of Churches in Australia
, the Christian Conference of Asia
and to the World Council of Churches
.
ASCM is part of the World Student Christian Federation Asia-Pacific Region with a biannual Regional Committee Meeting and the Pacific Sub-region (Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand with Fiji and Papua New Guinea not active.
Christian groups on campus, such as the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students
(affiliated to the parachurch International Fellowship of Evangelical Students
). While the formation of the ASCM was inspired by the charismatic American evangelical ecumenist, John R. Mott, from the beginning the Australian movement had a tense relationship with evangelicalism, deciding not to adopt Mott’s watchword of “the evangelisation of the world in this generation”. The ASCM refused to hold American-style university missions; encouraged liberal Biblical interpretation; and supported the modernist side in the modernist-fundamentalist controversy of the 1920s. In 1930 the Evangelical Union
split off from the ASCM; a division that has never been healed. While this split was seen as a catastrophe, by no longer feeling the constraint of conservativism, ASCM had the flexibility to explore liberal issues in a more consistent and concise way. The areas of engagement included science, psychology, humanism and Communism amongst many others. In the early years of the ASCM's history, conflict was often over issues of theology
and biblical interpretation. In later decades the conflict was often over social issues, including sexuality
. Since the 1990s, the ASCM has promoted itself as queer
- friendly and has supported gay, lesbian and bisexual Christians who had been hurt by their treatment within conservative Christian groups.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
group with an ecumenical focus working with university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
students.
ASCM fosters liberal
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
and progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
religious and social views and has been associated with the social gospel
Social Gospel
The Social Gospel movement is a Protestant Christian intellectual movement that was most prominent in the early 20th century United States and Canada...
, Christian socialist
Christian socialism
Christian socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and socialist and who see these two philosophies as being interrelated. This category can include Liberation theology and the doctrine of the social gospel...
and environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
movements and is generally part of the Christian left
Christian left
The Christian left is a term originating in the United States, used to describe a spectrum of left-wing Christian political and social movements which largely embraces social justice....
.
The ASCM sees itself as:
- Open … encouraging spiritual growth through understanding and tolerance of others’ viewpoints.
- Ecumenical … welcoming and affirming members from all denominations and valuing the rich diversity of Christian traditions and those of other faiths, while seeking unity in prayer and action.
- Active … seeking God’s desire for peace, justice and liberation from oppression throughout the Bible and life of Jesus, and responding to God’s call for conversion of self and transformation of society.
- Critical … taking the learning of students seriously and looking to theology, the sciences and the humanities to provide new perspectives on faith and a deeper understanding of truth and life.
Described as a 'university within a university,' the ASCM was formed in 1896 and is one of the oldest student groups in existence in Australia. Originally named the Australian Student Christian Union, the name changed gradually during the period between the wars to reflect the idea of movement rather than organisation. The title ASCM was formally adopted in the early 1930s. The ASCM was involved in the formation of the National Union of Students
National Union of Students of Australia
The National Union of Students is the peak representative body for Australian university students. Most student unions in Australian campuses are affiliated to NUS...
, the Overseas Service Bureau and the Uniting Church in Australia
Uniting Church in Australia
The Uniting Church in Australia was formed on 22 June 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together under the Basis of Union....
.
Inauguration
The Australasian Student Christian Union was established at a meeting in Wyselaski Hall, Ormond College, University of MelbourneUniversity of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, in 1896, fourteen years before the 1910 Edinburgh Missionary Conference
Edinburgh Missionary Conference
The 1910 World Missionary Conference, or the Edinburgh Missionary Conference, was held June 14 to 23, 1910. Some have seen it as both the culmination of nineteenth-century Protestant Christian missions and the formal beginning of the modern Protestant Christian ecumenical movement.- Edinburgh 1910...
that is commonly considered to have inaugurated the modern ecumenical movement. At the time Australia had only four universities, which were strongly opposed to any religious activities taking place on their secular campuses. Yet those who created the ASCM fervently believed that Christian students could be agents of change in the university, the nation and the world.
Activism
The ASCM has had a long history of activism, which led to the movement being monitored by the Commonwealth Investigations Branch (CIB) and Australian Security Intelligence OrganisationAustralian Security Intelligence Organisation
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is Australia's national security service, which is responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically-motivated violence, attacks on the Australian defence system, and...
in the 1940s and 1950s, worried about the ASCM's work with refugees and the pacifism
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
and conscientious objection of some of its members. During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
the ASCM was involved in subverting the Draft and providing support for so-called draft dodgers.
Today the ASCM is involved in the struggles for the liberation of women and of gay, lesbian and bisexual people, in the work against racism against both migrant and Aboriginal people and the exploitation of the people and lands of the Asia-Pacific region. This is reflected in the history of the ASCM with their explicit support for Gandhi, the equality of women and their activism for changes to the White Australia policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
which reached its climax in the 1960s with the Sydney branch leading the way. ASCM are still politically active and continue to offer opportunites for students to be involved in Human Rights and a world wide recognition of women's rights in differing cultures. ASCM is seen to promote a mature faith of intellectual engagement.
Affiliations
It is affiliated with the World Student Christian FederationWorld Student Christian Federation
The World Student Christian Federation is a federation of autonomous national Student Christian Movements forming the youth and student arm of the global ecumenical movement...
and has close ties to the National Council of Churches in Australia
National Council of Churches in Australia
The National Council of Churches in Australia is an ecumenical organisation bringing together a number of Australia's Christian Churches in dialogue and practical cooperation.It works in collaboration with state ecumenical councils around Australia...
, the Christian Conference of Asia
Christian Conference of Asia
The Christian Conference of Asia is a regional ecumenical organisation representing 17 National Councils and 100 denominations in 21 countries:- Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Laos, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan,...
and to the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
.
ASCM is part of the World Student Christian Federation Asia-Pacific Region with a biannual Regional Committee Meeting and the Pacific Sub-region (Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand with Fiji and Papua New Guinea not active.
Conflict
There is at times conflict with conservative evangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian groups on campus, such as the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students
Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students
The Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students is an evangelical Christian parachurch organisation that aims to encourage university students to believe in and follow Jesus Christ...
(affiliated to the parachurch International Fellowship of Evangelical Students
International Fellowship of Evangelical Students
The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students is an association of about 136 evangelical Christian student movements worldwide, encouraging evangelism, discipleship and mission among students. The goal of the organisation is to establish local autonomous student movements in every country...
). While the formation of the ASCM was inspired by the charismatic American evangelical ecumenist, John R. Mott, from the beginning the Australian movement had a tense relationship with evangelicalism, deciding not to adopt Mott’s watchword of “the evangelisation of the world in this generation”. The ASCM refused to hold American-style university missions; encouraged liberal Biblical interpretation; and supported the modernist side in the modernist-fundamentalist controversy of the 1920s. In 1930 the Evangelical Union
Evangelical Union
Evangelical Union can refer to:* Evangelical Union , a religious phenomenon in Scotland* Protestant Union, a coalition of Protestant German states in the 17th century* A union between Lutheran and Reformed Churches, e.g...
split off from the ASCM; a division that has never been healed. While this split was seen as a catastrophe, by no longer feeling the constraint of conservativism, ASCM had the flexibility to explore liberal issues in a more consistent and concise way. The areas of engagement included science, psychology, humanism and Communism amongst many others. In the early years of the ASCM's history, conflict was often over issues of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and biblical interpretation. In later decades the conflict was often over social issues, including sexuality
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
. Since the 1990s, the ASCM has promoted itself as queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
- friendly and has supported gay, lesbian and bisexual Christians who had been hurt by their treatment within conservative Christian groups.
Notable members
- Keith William Allan
- Charles BirchCharles BirchLouis Charles Birch FAA was an Australian geneticist specialising in population ecology and was also well known as a theologian, writing widely on the topic of science and religion, winning the Templeton Prize in 1990...
- Garfield BarwickGarfield BarwickSir Garfield Edward John Barwick, was the Attorney-General of Australia , Minister for External Affairs and the seventh and longest serving Chief Justice of Australia...
- Ernest Burgmann
- Hubert Cunliffe-JonesHubert Cunliffe-JonesThe Reverend Professor Hubert Cunliffe-Jones was an Australian-born Congregational church minister and author, who became Chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales and a Professor at the University of Manchester. He was an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from the University of Edinburgh...
- H.V. Evatt
- Herbert FeithHerbert FeithHerbert Feith was an Australian academic and world leading scholar of Indonesian politics.-Background:Born in Vienna, Austria in 1930, Feith witnessed oppression of the Jews and witnessed Kristallnacht in 1938 at the age of 7. He came to Australia as a refugee in 1939 with his Austrian Jewish...
- Bob HawkeBob HawkeRobert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
- Brian Howe (politician)Brian Howe (politician)Brian Leslie Howe, AO , Australian politician, was Deputy Prime Minister in the Labor government of Paul Keating from 1991 to 1995....
- Leonie KramerLeonie KramerDame Leonie Judith Kramer, AC, DBE is an Australian academic, educator and professor.-Education:Kramer was educated at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne, the University of Melbourne, where she gained a Bachelor of Arts in 1945, and Oxford University, where she gained a Doctor of...
- John LangmoreJohn LangmoreJohn Vance Langmore is an Australian academic and politician. He was a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1984 to 1996....
- Davis McCaugheyDavis McCaugheyJohn Davis McCaughey, AC was a bible scholar, church and university administrator, and was Governor of Victoria from 1986–1992.-Working life:...
- Robert MenziesRobert MenziesSir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
- Sydney Sparkes OrrSydney Sparkes OrrSydney Sparkes Orr was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tasmania and the centre of the "Orr case", a celebrated academic scandal of the 1950s...
- Kevin RuddKevin RuddKevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
- Marie TulipMarie TulipMarie Tulip is an Australian feminist writer, academic and proponent for the ordination of women as priests.She taught courses in feminism and religion at the University of New South Wales. She worked at the Commission for the Status of Women of what was then the Australian Council of Churches...
- Ronald WilsonRonald WilsonSir Ronald Darling Wilson, AC, KBE, CMG, QC was a distinguished Australian lawyer, judge and social activist serving on the High Court of Australia between 1979 and 1989 and as the President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission between 1990 and 1997.Wilson is probably best known as...
- H. D'Arcy WoodH. D'Arcy WoodReverend Dr Harold D'Arcy Wood is a semi-retired Uniting Church in Australia Minister and was President of the UCA Assembly between 1991-94. He has been active in ecumenism in Australia and globally....
See also
- Christian ecumenism
- National Council of Churches in AustraliaNational Council of Churches in AustraliaThe National Council of Churches in Australia is an ecumenical organisation bringing together a number of Australia's Christian Churches in dialogue and practical cooperation.It works in collaboration with state ecumenical councils around Australia...
- World Student Christian FederationWorld Student Christian FederationThe World Student Christian Federation is a federation of autonomous national Student Christian Movements forming the youth and student arm of the global ecumenical movement...
Further reading
- Boyd, R. (2007) The Witness of the Student Christian Movement: 'Church ahead of the church ATF Press, Hindmarsh.
- Howe, R. (2003) A Movement of Influence: The Australian Student Christian Movement in the 1930s, Spirit of Australia II Religion in Citizenship and National Life, pp. 86–96, ATF Press, Hindmarsh, South Australia
- Howe, R. (2001) The Australian Student Christian Movement and Women's Activism in the Asia-Pacific Region, 1890s-1920s, Australian Feminist Studies, Vol 16, No 36, pp. 311–323, Carfax Publishing Limited, Abingdon, United Kingdom
- Howe, R. (2001) "The SCM is Going to Hell" the Australian Student Christian Movement and the Emergence of the Evangelical Union in the Early 1930s, Proceedings of the Uniting Church Historical Synod of Victoria, Vol 8, No 1, July 2001, pp. 27–42, Uniting Church Historical Society, Synod of Victoria, Elsternwick, Victoria
- Howe, R. An Analysis of the Contribution of the Australian Student Christian Movement to Universities, Social and Political Movements and Internationally, Australian Research Council Small Grant
- Howe, R. (2009) A Century of Influence: The Australian Student Christian Movement 1896-1996 UNSW Press, Sydney.