Australian Secularism, the Sexual Revolution and the Making of the New Christian Right

This article seeks to explain the origins and continued rise of the New Christian Right (NCR) in Australia since the sexual revolution. Australia is an increasingly secular country, yet conservative religion continues to strongly influence sexual discourse in Australia. The success of the NCR in Australia thus requires explanation. Proportional representation in the Australian parliamentary system explains the unique role that the NCR political parties have played in the Australian sexual polity. The article suggests that Australia’s pragmatic and pluralistic secularism was a necessary condition for the making of the NCR. It argues, following Janice Irvine, that the rise of the Right did not simply trigger bitter conflicts over sexuality; it was accomplished through them. They produced a new, conservative, ecumenical, and politically engaged Christian movement that was defined by sexual politics.