God Under Howard: The Rise of the Religious Right in Australian Politics [Paperback]

Marion Maddox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2005

Examining how Australian Prime Minister John Howard has harnessed the conservative social agenda and market-based ideology of American fundamentalists, this book argues that Australia's democratic, egalitarian culture is now under serious assault.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Marion Maddox is the leading authority on the intersection of religion and politics in Australia. She teaches at Victoria University–Wellington.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin (October 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741145686
• ISBN-13: 978-1741145687
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,703,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear analysis, interesting history, April 13, 2006

By 

gjc (Perth, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Under Howard: The Rise of the Religious Right in Australian Politics (Paperback)

Marion Maddox's "God Under Howard" is a fascinating book. It discusses the role of religion in Australian politics during the tenure (still ongoing at the time of writing) of Australia's second-longest-serving Prime Minister, John Howard.

Maddox parallels the beliefs and tactics of the religious right in US politics with those of the conservative Liberal Party government lead by John Howard in Australia. However, the book is not only limited to Howard's tenure as Prime Minister (1996-present). The opening chapter outlines the influence of religion in Howard's early life. In addition it examines the role of political tactics borrowed from the US religious right in Howard's time in opposition, and how these tactics helped him rise to power.

Historical discussions about Howard's youth, and about debates in Australian Parliament over euthanasia and equal employment opportunities are very interesting.

From a purely political-science point of view, the analysis of how a quite secular country like Australia has been influenced by religiously-based political movements is very interesting. This book would be enjoyed by anyone interested in Australian politics, comparative world politics, and religion.

There are some moderate biases in this book, mostly opposing some of the Howard Government's policies, and opposing people who interpret Christianity as saying that Jesus wanted people to be rich. These biases are not overwhelming, and much of the treatment of subject matter in the book is objective and even-handed.

The book paints a picture that religious-right views are strongly pervasive in Australian politics, and strongly influence many Australian politicians. Recently, the Australian Parliament voted to effectively lift restrictions on the abortion drug RU486 and on theraputic cloning for stem cell research, this development somewhat undermines the image of Australian politics that this book presents.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Behind the plastic reindeer: Us and Them, July 6, 2006

By 

J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God Under Howard: The Rise of the Religious Right in Australian Politics (Paperback)

This book makes a clear case for why some of the Bush Christian rhetoric does not work so effectively (at least yet)in polarising Australian public opinion. Having established this, it makes an even more compelling case for the indirect manipulation of public opinion by the subtle use of 'us' and 'them' labelling.

This is not just about the politics and religious beliefs of leaders.

It is also about the role of the popular media in presenting opinions as facts without analalysing either what is actually being said or what it might mean in the eyes/ears of the recipient.

I recommend this book to all who are interested in, or care, about the kind of country we want Australia to be. But we need to think about who we (collectively) are. Reading this book will help stimulate thought on this.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, informative and downright scary, October 15, 2007

By 

Marian Dalton "Mama Pentecost" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God Under Howard: The Rise of the Religious Right in Australian Politics (Paperback)

Maddox's book lays out the extent to which religion and politics are intertwined in Australia in minute detail. The voice is pragmatic, but there are unmistakably dire implications for the country. Even though Australia is not as overtly influenced by the Religious Right as the US, Maddox makes it clear that there is a great deal more _covert_ action taking place that has been deliberately obscured.

Although this book is now a little dated, it remains a valuable resource for exposing some of the key players in this situation - and I look forward with anticipation to Maddox providing us with an updated edition.