Journal of Contemporary Ministry

Boland, Ben

Book Reviews 
Dementia and the Church: 
Creating a Dementia Friendly 
Church
&
Dementia and the Church: 
Memory, Care and Inclusion
Rodgers, Jade. Dementia and the Church: Creating a 
Dementia Friendly Church. Maryborough, VIC: JADMA 
Publishing, 2023, 118 pages.
Cail, Mary McDaniel. Dementia and the Church: Memory, 
Care and Inclusion. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress press, 2023, 
226 pages.
The World Health Organization says that there are 55 million 
people living with dementia today and this number is increasing.. 
Dementia Australia explains that dementia is the biggest killer of 
women in Australia. This is a huge challenge, not simply for those 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 266
Book Reviews 
living with dementia and their loved ones, but for communities 
and churches. 
Many churches and Christians, however, are either unaware of the 
need to love people impacted by dementia or unprepared to 
engage in dementia ministry. Indeed, as an aged care 
chaplain/advocate I believe sharing Jesus with people living with 
dementia (and older people) will only happen when the church 
becomes passionate about loving these people. Thus, I was 
excited to discover that there were not one but two books about 
Dementia ministry published in 2023.
Confusingly both have the same main title. Dementia and the 
Church: Memory, Care and Inclusion by Mary McDaniel Cail, 
comes out of the USA while Dementia and the Church: Creating a 
Dementia Friendly Church, by Jade Rodgers, is an Australian 
offering. Both books are written at a popular level, are easy 
reading, rightly highlight the importance and challenges of 
dementia ministry and have some great practical tips. The 
limitations of each were also shared: there was only a superficial 
engagement with Scripture/theology and the academic work on 
dementia spirituality. For example, Rodgers’ chapter on 
Reminiscence did not even mention Mackinlay’s pivotal work on 
Spiritual Reminiscence. 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 267
Book Reviews 
So, what are the differences? Rodgers’ offering is shorter (90 
pages) and has numerous links to websites. This is an 
enhancement for people who purchase the e-book edition, but 
may date it as websites change. I particularly liked the chapters 
on the sensory impact (sight and sound) of dementia. 
Theologically I struggled with the suggestion that ‘Christian 
attributes can provide some protection against dementia,’ 
although I certainly affirm the value of prayer, hope and 
community which are intrinsic to Christianity. There is also some 
research suggesting social interaction has some protective value 
regarding dementia which church gatherings provide.  
Cail’s work is longer (200 pages). Her book’s greatest strength is 
probably also its greatest weakness, in that it is written with 
brutal honesty and incredible vulnerability. This made for powerful 
stories, but at times highlighted issues without providing answers. 
Another key feature of Cail’s work was the extensive activities 
designed to help prepare, educate and equip churches for 
ministry in the midst of dementia. The effectiveness of this 
material will vary across readers and churches. In terms of 
critique, I struggled with the chapter on counselling as I felt it 
failed to separate counselling, pastoral care and spiritual 
direction. 
Overall, while I am thankful for these authors’ advocacy and 
passion for Christian engagement with dementia, I would not list 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 268
Book Reviews 
either of them as general must-reads. However, eBook readers 
who are keen to get weblinks to dementia resources will 
benefit from Rodgers' work while people who want a detailed 
church program to start to build a dementia program will find 
Cail's work interesting.
Ben Boland
Seniors Living Chaplain (Churches of Christ in QLD)
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 269


English

Dementia and the Church: Creating a Dementia Friendly Church & Dementia and the Church: Memory, Care and Inclusion

Kent, Grenville

Book Reviews 
The Gender Revolution: A 
Biblical, Biological and 
Compassionate Response
Weerakoon, Patricia, Robert Smith and Kamal Weerakoon. 
The Gender Revolution: A Biblical, Biological and 
Compassionate Response. Sydney: Matthias Media, 2023, 
198 pages. 
If your teenage daughter tells you she’s the only cisgender person 
in her class and has decided to be agender, how do you show love 
and understanding? How should your small group care for a man 
who says he is transitioning and wants to be called by female 
name and pronouns at church? How should your Christian school 
respond when a teenage boy starts wearing a dress and using 
girls’ bathrooms and change-rooms? What if the parents of a six-
year-old say he is transitioning and teachers must show support? 
I’ve heard many Christians ask these questions. Sunday School 
teachers concerned for gender-questioning children but feeling 
unqualified to help. Parents not wanting to meddle or work 
against health professionals. Pastors not confident to contradict 
the gender theory, which has so rapidly appointed itself as the 
only view in polite society, even though it seems at odds with 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 270
Book Reviews 
their Christian worldview, and not wanting to expose the Church 
to charges of bigotry. Christians in psychology, social work, 
medicine or education have told me that questioning transgender 
theory can get you fired and (in Victoria at least) sued, so they 
keep quiet. Some feel discomfort. Some are trained in mainstream 
gender theory and say it’s hard to integrate that with their 
Christian worldview. 
I’ve been highly recommending this book as a tool for addressing 
these issues. It offers compassionate, practical advice on 
scenarios like the above, having first given a clear explanation of 
gender and related issues as part of a worldview strongly based 
on peer-reviewed research and biblical theology. While it deeply 
challenges the mainstream view, it cites a growing number of 
respected researchers and government bodies internationally. 
These scholars also challenge that mainstream, even if they are 
rarely cited in Australian media, and claim the tide is turning. 
This book is not at all from the cringe fringe – readers are in the 
safe hands of a leading medical doctor / academic sexologist who 
has directed an award-winning Graduate Programme in Sexual 
Health at the University of Sydney and published research at the 
highest level, along with two experienced pastor/theologians with 
relevant postgraduate qualifications. A major strength of this book 
is its calm, reasoned style and its authors’ obvious empathy and 
experience in caring for people with gender issues. It clearly aims 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 271
Book Reviews 
to promote understanding and “compassionate care, not censure” 
(p.159), so that Christians “actively oppose all forms of 
oppression” (p.14). 
The authors say that sometimes “the only way to love others is to 
speak the truth with clarity” (p.3), and they are frank about what 
they see as harmful. They argue that transgender theory denies 
the biological realities of the body as described by objective 
science. They explain the binary biology of human reproduction, 
and the things that go wrong in a fallen world with various DSDs 
(disorders of sexual development), perhaps including the people 
who Jesus said were born eunuchs (Matthew 19:12). They say 
transgender ideology denies science and instead promotes 
“feelings fundamentalism”, in which a person’s temporary and 
changeable feelings are allowed to define reality. This can lead 
people to damage “healthy bodies by destabilising their normal 
hormonal operation, removing perfectly healthy, functional sexual 
organs and replacing them with cosmetic ones” (p.70) that have 
serious issues, and beginning a lifetime dependence on 
pharmaceutical cross-sex hormones. 
The authors cite research showing that up to 30% of transitioners 
later regret it. Many try to de-transition and are traumatised to 
find their reproductive future, their voice and their appearance 
have all been irreversibly changed. The research behind the 
mainstream gender affirmation model (“the Dutch protocol”) has 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 272
Book Reviews 
since been found to have falsely concluded that gender dysphoria 
disappeared after transition, reported only the best-case 
outcomes, and not examined risks even though a “significant 
proportion” of the sample suffered adverse effects. 
Yet transgender ideology is urged on children. The authors 
describe how a child who doesn’t conform to gender stereotypes 
may be told they are transgender: a girl who likes playing football 
would once have been accepted as a sporty “tomboy” but is now 
told she really is a boy. Kids who don’t fit in easily are told that 
transitioning will solve their problems – and schools, health 
professionals, media and books for very young children now 
support this. Children see trans kids receiving instant hero status 
and attention from teachers or perhaps divorced and distracted 
parents (p.117). Kids are put on the trans conveyor belt 
immediately, often without carefully checking for depression, 
anxiety, autism, or poor self-esteem, which have been found to be 
deeper causes or “co-morbidities”. 
The book describes a staggering twenty-fold increase in the 
number of teenage girls experiencing Rapid Onset Gender 
Dysphoria (ROGD). A girl may quite sensibly reject our culture’s 
porn-affected image of what a woman is and does, or dislike the 
hypersexualised attention she receives from men who have been 
pornified. Easy solution: don’t be a woman anymore! She may 
find some aspects of puberty difficult or disgusting, and be told 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 273
Book Reviews 
that puberty can simply be avoided. She hears this from 
numerous social media with no expertise in medicine or 
psychology and who do not know her or her situation. Friends may 
support this, so ROGD often happens in clusters, often called 
“social contagion” (p.131) Yet research shows that if these 
children go through puberty, 85% will lose their gender dysphoria 
and become happy with their sex. Most of the 15% who don’t are 
found to be gay or lesbian, and this has led to tension between 
the LGB and the T, with LGB organisations calling transgender 
theory the new homophobia (p.119). 
While puberty blockers are touted as safe, the authors show that 
blocking puberty can negatively affect brain development, bone 
strength, cardiovascular health and fertility, and disconnect kids 
from friends who are going through puberty. 
Trans activists often use the threat of suicide: “Do you want a 
dead son or living daughter?” But the authors cite research 
showing “no strong empirical evidence to suggest that puberty 
blockers reduce suicidality or suicide rates” (p.105). One Swedish 
study found transitioning may even increase suicidality, and other 
research shows doctors and psychologists focusing excessively on 
suicide may create dangerous self-fulfilling prophecies (p.143). 
The authors see two types of trans men. One has genuine 
discomfort with their gender, usually experienced since childhood, 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 274
Book Reviews 
often by men who are homosexual. The other has autogynephilia, 
a condition in which a man is sexually aroused by the thought of 
himself as a woman (p.130). 
What does The Gender Revolution advocate for the Church to do? 
Love people, especially the teen who doesn’t fit the stereotype. 
Listen, empathise, understand people’s experience, and learn the 
science and psychology around gender. Encourage “supportive 
waiting”, in which people continue in their biological sex while 
digging into deeper issues like anxiety, depression, autism, family 
issues like parental mental illness, or bullying, and addressing 
those (p.134). Teach that one’s identity consists of many parts, 
including sexuality and gender, but is best found in creation and 
redemption by a loving God. Look forward to the “glorious body” 
we will receive when Jesus returns. Encourage a climate of 
ongoing discussion of all life issues, including sexuality and 
gender, so that people do not feel singled out when these issues 
are discussed. 
I’ve found parents, teachers, ministry workers and at least one 
curious high schooler with gender issues have found this book a 
fascinating and reliable introduction, and professionals working in 
the area have enjoyed it and begun following its footnoted 
sources. 
Grenville J.R. Kent
Adjunct Lecturer, Australian College of Ministries.
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 275


The Gender Revolution: A Biblical, Biological and Compassionate Response

Book Reviews 
The Final Lap: Navigating the 
Transitions of Later Life
Wyatt, John. The Final Lap: Navigating the Transitions of 
Later Life. La Grange, KY: 10 Publishing, 2023, 80 pages.
While growing old happens naturally, aging is not easy. The Final 
Lap by John Wyatt is written to challenge and equip Christians 
facing later life, in this context being retirement and beyond). 
In terms of structure, it has three clear chapters/movements with 
the title of each being self-explanatory: ‘Hitting the Wall: Moving 
from work to retirement’; ‘The Home Straight: Moving from 
independence to dependence’ and ‘The Finish Line: Moving from 
life to death’. 
In terms of critique, The Final Lap has many more strengths than 
weaknesses. Its brevity (61 pages), easy reading style and large 
print all make it highly accessible. I also appreciated its 
engagement with both Scripture and the aged care literature. The 
middle chapter was exceptional in dealing with the topic of 
independence/dependency, which is a major topic given our 
culture’s worship of independence. Spoiler alert: Wyatt 
emphasises that we are designed to be dependent! Indeed, this 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 276
Book Reviews 
chapter alone justifies the cost of the book, although I did feel $24 
for 61 pages is unfortunate pricing.
Two other weaknesses are worthy of note. Firstly, there are three 
other Christian books which are comparable. Making the Most of 
the Rest of Your Life by John Chapman (Matthias Media, 2007) is 
another great short resource (57 pages). The major difference 
between the two is that The Final Lap is aimed at Christians while 
Chapman has an evangelistic focus. The second ‘competitor’ is 
Finishing the Course with Joy: Guidance from God for Engaging 
with our Aging by J.I. Packer, which focuses on the Bible and does 
not engage with the literature as The Final lap does. Finally, 
Nearing Home by Billy Graham (W Publishing Group, 2011), differs 
from both Chapman and Wyatt’s books primarily on the basis of 
length (108 pages). As such, it has the space to cover more 
material than the others. However, being comparable to offerings 
from Chapmans, Packer, and Graham is perhaps more of a 
compliment than a weakness, and I recommend all four of these 
resources. 
My more serious concern was two points of Wyatt’s theology. 
Firstly, his position on joy – ‘We should never forget that the race 
is ultimately all about joy’. Certainly, Piper argues “The meaning 
of life is to know God, and to enjoy God, and to reflect some of the 
beauty of God as we know him in Christ, and one day to see him 
perfectly and unendingly enjoy him.” And Packer’s focus agrees 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 277
Book Reviews 
with Wyatt. Furthermore, as Wyatt notes, Jesus Himself pursued 
joy (Hebrews 12). However, I am not convinced Christian life is 
‘all about joy’ (emphasis added). 
More significantly I was concerned by Wyatt’s position that ‘The 
Christian faith teaches us that death is an enemy (1 Corinthian 
15:26). And therefore, we should never welcome or hasten death’. 
Certainly, death enters creation as a direct consequence of the 
fall (Genesis 3) and I do not think we should hasten death. 
However, I would suggest a more nuanced reading of 1 
Corinthians 15 which recognises Jesus redeems, or at least 
removes the sting of death. Additionally, the gospel accounts of 
Jesus’ death (particularly Matthew 27, Luke 23 and John 19) could 
be read to suggest He welcomed death. This also reconciles with 
Paul’s longing to die (Philippians 1). However, in both these 
points, The Final Lap’s brevity makes nuance challenging and if 
nothing else challenged my thinking on these points.
Despite these concerns, I strongly suggest reading The Final Lap. 
If you, or people you are working with, are approaching retirement 
and beyond, this resource is for you!
Ben Boland
Seniors Living Chaplain (Churches of Christ in QLD)
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 278


The Final Lap: Navigating the Transitions of Later Life

Book Reviews 
The Heart of a Chaplain: 
Exploring Essentials for Ministry 
Browning, Jim and Jim Spivey, eds. The Heart of a Chaplain: 
Exploring Essentials for Ministry. Birmingham, AL: Iron 
Stream Media, 2022, 370 pages.
I ordered The Heart of a Chaplain: Exploring the Essentials for 
Ministry (HofC) because I am passionate about chaplaincy and it 
certainly both improved my knowledge and challenged my 
practice. 
Structurally HofC has five parts: 1) What is chaplain ministry? 2) 
Who are chaplains? What do chaplains do? 3) How is chaplain 
ministry unique? 4)Qualifications and development of chaplains. 
5) Chaplaincy types. Each of these parts has a number of 
chapters, collectively written by thirty-seven authors all of whom 
are highly qualified and experienced United States Chaplains. 
This diversity of voices is the greatest strength and weakness of 
HofC While collaboration is not unusual in chaplaincy resources 
(e.g. Professional, Spiritual and Pastoral Care: A Practical Clergy 
and Chaplain’s Handbook [36 contributors] and Chaplaincy and 
Spiritual Care in Mental Health Settings [23 contributors]). The 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 252
Book Reviews 
quality, academically and experientially, of the contributors to 
HofC is amazing. Additionally, the diversity of voices and clear 
chapter titles make HofC readable both in a cover-to-cover sense 
(different voices make it more engaging) and allow the reader to 
read specific chapters at need. I also greatly appreciated that a 
number of the contributors were brutally honest about their 
failures which showed humility and was reminiscent of the Gospel 
writers (and Mark particularly). HofC’s articulation, evidence and 
examples of why chaplaincy is powerfully different to, but not 
lesser than, local church ministry was also impressive. Finally, the 
diversity of Christian traditions within the contributors was very 
helpful. 
The major limitation of HofC is the chaplaincy presented is USA-
centric. For example, there is significant emphasis on how 
chaplaincy is informed by the US constitution and the history of 
chaplaincy skips British chaplaincy. Additionally, HofC repeatedly 
states that chaplaincy does not including proselytising on the 
basis of the constitution. While the US constitution is pivotal for 
US chaplaincy, it is irrelevant for non-US settings. Furthermore, 
the US focus meant forms of chaplaincy which are critical in other 
parts of the world (e.g. Sports Chaplaincy) were not mentioned. 
As an aged care chaplain, I struggled with the designation of aged 
care as a subset of health chaplaincy, particularly as aged care is 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 253
Book Reviews 
more similar to prison ministry (e.g. the people cared for are ‘in’ 
for long periods and often express feelings of imprisonment). 
In conclusion I certainly appreciated, learnt and was challenged 
by HofC. Globally people whose focus is chaplaincy will benefit 
from reading HofC. I suspect it is critical reading for American 
chaplains. 
Ben Boland
Seniors Living Chaplain (Churches of Christ in QLD)
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 254


The Heart of a Chaplain: Exploring Essentials for Ministry

Lockhart, Ross

Book Reviews 
The Christian Gospel: A Short 
Account of the Momentous News 
About Jesus Christ
Payne, Tony. The Christian Gospel: A Short Account of the 
Momentous News About Jesus Christ. Sydney: Matthias 
Media, 2023, 77 pages.
Australia and Canada share many features in common. 
Historically, our two countries are profoundly marked by British 
colonial expansion. Politically, both nations are envied on the 
global stage as stable, progressive, democracies that serve as 
middle-powers in their respective regions. Culturally, Australia 
and Canada are nations of immigrants, with a growing awareness 
of the impact upon the Indigenous peoples and the need for 
reconciliation. Ecclesiastically, both countries reflect the legacy of 
European Christendom spread abroad, and both nations are now 
experiencing the challenge and complexity of Christian witness in 
what Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor calls “A Secular Age.”
Tony Payne’s new publication The Christian Gospel seeks to speak 
directly to those impacted by these common features identified 
above. Payne names a variety of people he knows in Australia 
who have either grown up in church and drifted away from 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 261
Book Reviews 
Christianity, or those who are born and raised in a secular 
household now apathetic towards the claims of Christian faith. 
While reading Payne’s work, I found his imagined reader (p.4) to 
be familiar here in Canada as well, a growing segment of the 
population missiologists refer to as “nones and dones.” Payne 
invites his reader, who we might call an “affable agnostic 
neighbour,” first to know themselves and the world around them 
better by appreciating the deep impact of the Christian gospel on 
Western culture. Second, Payne pushes further to provide both an 
invitation and a pathway for one to take steps towards faith in 
Jesus, by building their own lives on this gospel truth.
Beginning with the Creation, Payne invites the reader to consider 
God’s big story of salvation, focusing on the potential and 
problematic nature of human beings, being human. With humour 
and contemporary imagery, Payne traces the foundational 
problem of Sin in the world, as well as the corresponding impact 
upon human creatures and our relationship with God and one 
another. Reflecting on God’s justice and our own human mortality, 
Payne nudges the reader towards a longing to resolve this tension 
of how best to live a meaningful life in a fallen world. Carefully 
noting the joy and gift of the Old Testament, including the clear 
love of God from the Hebrew Bible, the reader is then introduced 
to the paradigm-shifting encounter of the incarnation of Jesus – 
Messiah, Christ, King. Drawing on Paul’s “unknown God” exchange 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 262
Book Reviews 
in Acts 17 with philosophers in Athens, Payne invites the reader to 
consider the wonder of the resurrection in light of the 
awesomeness of the knowledge that God created the entire 
universe. Is resurrection from the dead really that 
incomprehensible when you stop to consider the One who gave 
life to everything we see in the world and beyond?
Near the end of his short book, Payne returns to his initial 
argument that not only should those living in a post-Christendom 
context have a deeper awareness of the impact of the Christian 
gospel on the West, but that this same gospel invites us to do 
something as a result. Payne writes, “The Christian gospel is 
about the rebellion of every human being against the God who 
created us, and it’s about what God has done in history through 
Jesus Christ to completely change the terms of that relationship. 
And what God has done through Jesus can’t be ignored, as if it 
didn’t happen. It calls for a response.” (p. 66) Payne confronts the 
reader with a stark choice – living in response to this gospel either 
by a Frank Sinatra like “my way” or “God’s way.” 
Payne ends his work with a deeper dive on what living in “God’s 
way” could look like for the reader. Concrete suggestions are 
made for those interested in walking the road of discipleship 
including “talking to God (prayer),” “submission to Jesus 
(conversion),” and “trusting in Jesus (holiness),” as one goes 
deeper in their relationship with God in Christ.
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 263
Book Reviews 
The Christian Gospel admirably covers a lot of theological ground 
in a short number of pages. Written in a winsome, compelling, and 
invitational tone, this evangelistic and apologetic publication 
would be one that I would happily place in the hands of those who 
were seeking to know more about the basics of the Christian faith.
Where I would like to have seen more emphasis, however, is in a 
clearer and deeper sense of ecclesiology throughout the short 
book. Payne notes that “Western culture lionizes individual 
freedom” and that “this individualist drumbeat is so relentless in 
our culture that we barely even notice it anymore,” and yet much 
of the writing is directed to the individual without much reference 
to the Ekklesia. While commending the church as part of one’s 
trust in Jesus (p. 76), there is still a carefulness in the wording 
noting “preconceptions” and “previous experiences” that were 
not positive. It’s understandable, of course, in light of mission 
history in the West, but I was left longing for a more fulsome 
argument of why in a secular and individualistic age, belonging to 
Jesus means living out the faith in community. While appreciating 
the caution needed when discussing church and belonging in a 
post-Christendom context, I was eager to hear reasons why 
belonging to the local church as the Body of Christ is essential in a 
spiritual but not religious age.
With these reservations noted, I commend The Christian Gospel 
as a thoughtful and contextual tool for evangelism and 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 264
Book Reviews 
apologetics in Western settings such as Australia or Canada today. 
Tony Payne’s work will be a welcome addition to small group 
ministries and congregational outreach in equipping their 
members to articulate their Christian faith in a way that is 
effective with those where they live, work and play.
Ross A. Lockhart
Dean of St. Andrew’s Hall, the Presbyterian Church in Canada’s 
Vancouver college located on the campus of the University of 
British Columbia. 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 265


The Christian Gospel: A Short Account of the Momentous News About Jesus Christ

Hughes, Philip

Why People are Ceasing to Attend Churches and to Identify with Religious Institutions

Book Reviews 
Beyond Doubt: The 
Secularization of Society
Kasselstrand, Isabella, Phil Zuckerman and Ryan T. 
Cragun. Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society. New 
York, NY: New York University Press, 2023, 242 pages.
In the 1980s and 1990s, one of the biggest names in America in 
the sociology of religion was Rodney Stark, Professor of sociology 
at the University of Washington. He wrote a number of books in 
which he totally rejected the idea of secularisation, for example in 
The Triumph of Faith: Why the World is More Religious than Ever 
(2015). Stark argued that religion addresses fundamental human 
needs that are always in demand. Where religion declines, it is 
because the ‘religious firms’ have become lazy and are not 
fulfilling those human demands. He explained that religious firms 
which have some form of monopoly, such as the national 
churches of some European nations, have indeed become lazy. 
This explained the low levels of religious vitality in Europe, he 
said. Stark’s views were supported by a number of other 
prominent sociologists. 
Beyond Doubt sets out to show that Stark and his colleagues were 
completely mistaken. Secularisation is occurring around the globe 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 255
Book Reviews 
as a result of modernisation. The authors explain that economic 
surplus leads to the specialisation of roles in society, and the 
differentiation which the authors define as ‘the separation of 
religion from various aspects of societies, institutions, or 
individuals’ (p.25). Along with differentiation is a social process of 
rationalisation, which they define as ‘the ordering of society based 
on technological efficiency, bureaucratic impersonality, and 
scientific and empirical evidence’ (p.26). Modernisation has to do 
with the extent to which differentiation and rationalisation are 
occurring in society, and as differentiation and rationalisation 
occur, so religion is moved out of many processes and institutions 
in society. 
The authors have gathered general evidence for secularisation 
around the globe. The World Values Survey between 1981 and 
2020, and the European Values Survey between 1981 and 2020, 
show that in almost every one of the 100 countries involved in the 
surveys, religion has declined over the period measured. They use 
three measures of religion: belief, behaviour (such as religious 
attendance) and belonging. Only in a few countries has there 
been an increase in religious attendance. These countries include 
a few North African countries, and republics of the former Soviet 
Union. The authors argued that the increase in attendance in 
those republics was a result of the previous low levels of religion 
which had resulted from suppression by anti-religious regimes. In 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 256
Book Reviews 
reality, they said, the underlying trends of modernisation would 
still lead to secularisation. Case studies of Norway, Chile, South 
Korea and the United States showed that similar patterns of 
secularisation were occurring in quite different socio-economic 
contexts.
The authors argue that human beings are not naturally religious, 
noting there have always been groups of people who have 
rejected religion. Increasingly, the authors note, in secularised 
societies people will not be opposed to religion, but indifferent to 
it. It will just cease to be a set of beliefs and practices which 
concern them. It will be something to which people will give no 
attention, just as we no longer debate whether wagons pulled by 
oxen are good or bad (p.117). People will raise their children, 
attend life-cycle rituals, make ethical decisions, and engage in 
communities without any reference to religion. 
Much of the book is well supported by empirical data and shows 
conclusively that in many countries around the world, there are 
currently strong signs of decline in religiosity. My major problem 
with the book is the narrowness of its theory, arguing that the 
only significant factor in the decline of religion, as measured by 
religious belief, behaviour and belonging, is modernisation as 
measured by the extent of differentiation and rationalisation. 
Indeed, the authors make no attempt at empirical measures of 
differentiation and rationalisation and occasionally revert to Gross 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 257
Book Reviews 
National Product instead. Rather than acknowledge that 
government regulations, either pro- or anti-religious, can make a 
difference to religious beliefs, practice and belonging, they 
suggest such repressions only lead to ‘artificial secularisation’, 
which then reverts to its natural state when repression is lifted, as 
has happened in Russia. 
Similarly, they note how in many countries around the world, 
religion has been linked to ethnicity and used in ethno-
nationalistic movements. That is now occurring in Russia, and has 
occurred in Poland, Ireland, Iran and Afghanistan, for examples. 
This they explain in terms of de-differentiation (p.142). Yet many 
aspects of these societies, such as the health system, technology, 
trade, transport, and so on, remain differentiated, even in terms 
of the authors’ limited account of differentiation. 
They admit that the revelations of abuse in religious organisations 
may have had an impact on the rapid secularisation that has 
occurred in Ireland in recent decades (p.143). However, they fail 
to acknowledge that such failures of religious institutions can play 
a role in secularisation. Indeed, they do not really take seriously 
the argument put forward by Inglehart that secularisation has 
occurred because of major changes in personal and social values 
around personal fulfilment, which are contrary to the traditional 
values espoused by many religions around pro-fertility. Although 
they refer to Inglehart’s Religion’s Sudden Decline: What’s 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 258
Book Reviews 
Causing it, and What Comes Next, there is no serious engagement 
here. 
Modernisation, in terms of differentiated social systems and 
rationalised bureaucratic and technological processes, is a major 
factor in secularisation and has certainly led to many aspects of 
society emerging which make no reference to religion. It is 
certainly arguable that such processes have led to religion being 
focused on personal and family life as Luckmann (The Invisible 
Religion: The Problem of Religion in Modern Society, 1967) argued 
in the 1960s. However, the theory fails to explain the quite 
sudden decline of religion in most parts of the world in the last 
few decades, a phenomenon better explained by Inglehart (2021). 
Underlying this failure is the attempt by the authors to spin every 
example to their theory, rather than acknowledging that religion 
does play diverse roles in different societies, and modernisation 
occurs in somewhat different ways, leading to the fact that 
differentiation and rationalisation are just two of the processes 
affecting religious decline. 
This book is important in refuting Stark and his colleagues, and 
providing a summary of what is occurring around the world in 
relation to religion. Its description of a secular society as one in 
which religion becomes irrelevant rather than being anti-religious 
is a helpful contribution. As the book notes several times, there is 
no argument here that religion will disappear, even though it will 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 259
Book Reviews 
diminish in importance. For those in Christian ministry, this book 
provides no comfort or future directions, but provides the 
backdrop against which patterns of ministry must be developed. It 
does shine a light on what many societies around the world now 
look like. Given that fact that for most people religion is not on 
their radar, churches are now challenged to find new ways in 
which we can contribute to the lives of others, creating societies 
which are inclusive and respectful and in which life is meaningful.
Philip Hughes
Emeritus Professor (Alphacrucis University College)
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 260


Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society

Bird, Leonie

The Lawyer’s Question, the Law of Negligence and the Parable of the Good Samaritan

Reid, Stephen

Ministry on Their Turf: The Roles and Functions of Christian Sports Chaplains in Contemporary Australian Society

Mullen, Tim

Editorial
Editorials
Kaya
It is a pleasure to say ‘hello’ in the Whadjuk Nyoongar language, 
the language of the land I work and live on: Boorloo, also known 
as Perth. It is also a pleasure to introduce myself as the incoming 
Editor of the Journal of Contemporary Ministry. I feel incredibly 
blessed, a great deal of honour, and a sense of reverence in being 
entrusted with this role. It is a significant thing to be handed the 
baton of this journal, with its nine-year history under the care of 
the outgoing Editor, Jon Newton. I wish to honour Jon and the 
previous eight years under his care, his and others’ hard work and 
persistence in overcoming challenges to produce, edit, promote, 
and disseminate this high-quality work. I pray that I may be able 
to continue what they have started.
I come to this journal with various experiences in ministry, and in 
academia. After I graduated from high school, I felt called into 
service as a school Chaplain. So, I began by studying a Bachelor 
of Social Science with a major in Youth Work. This passion for 
young people would come to define my career for the years to 
come. After my undergraduate studies, I began what would 
become ten-years in school Chaplaincy across various primary 
and high schools in Perth. At the time I was also serving in my 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 6
Editorial
local church’s youth group, helping facilitate activities as well as 
mentor a group of boys from age 12 until they finished high 
school. I am proud to have seen where they are now, and to 
perhaps have been part of a positive influence on their lives. 
While I loved being part of the journeys of these young people, as 
well as part of the journeys of the student and staff member at 
each school, towards the ten-year mark I began to feel as though 
my time in Chaplaincy and youth group was coming to an end. 
After a stint doing ministry cross-culturally in South East Asia, it 
became clear to me that God was calling me into something new. 
I took a step of faith, and began my Masters of Social Science with 
Edith Cowan University. As a Higher Degree by Research, I 
conducted a phenomenology into why young people leave and 
stay in the Baptist church. While the research and the degree took 
me in a direction I did not expect, it was a formative experience 
and it has opened many doors for me. I was offered a job as a 
lecturer in Youth Work at Tabor College by one of the examiners of 
my thesis, a role which I enjoyed for 3 years. It was because of my 
role there that I began to do my PhD, and I am grateful for their 
support to do this.
I am now privileged to be working in Excellence and Innovation 
and Domestic Partnerships, at Sheridan Institute of Higher 
Education in Perth, an Australian Baptist Education initiative. I am 
involved in quality assurance, accreditation, process 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 7
Editorial
improvement, building Sheridan’s network, as well as lecturing in 
Sociology. This role has given me opportunities to continue 
working on my PhD, where I am researching how churches in 
Perth do youth ministry, and how these programs are perceived 
by the young people participating in them. It has also given me 
opportunities to share my knowledge with others through 
conferences and presentations, but it is also because of Sheridan 
that I was connected with Christian Research Australia and 
consequently offered this role of Editor. 
I am excited about this journal, because I am passionate about 
equipping those in ministry with the tools from research, as well 
as new resources, concepts, and ideas from others in ministry. 
May this journal continue to be part of the great cloud of 
witnesses who cheer you on, dear reader, to keep running with 
perseverance (Hebrews 12:1).
Tim Mullen 
Editor
Guest Editorial
One of the most significant events recorded in the Hebrew 
Testament is Samuel’s appointment of the first king, Saul. It 
marked the beginning of the division between the political and 
spiritual leadership of the young nation. Similar processes were 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 8
Editorial
happening in other parts of the globe with the formation of 
Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Confucianism in the period now 
referred to as the Axial Age. Prior to this time, there had certainly 
been individuals who had focussed more on the spiritual 
dimension, such as the sharmans, while others focussed on the 
political activities of their societies, but it was only in the Axial 
Age that separate political and religious institutions began to 
appear. 
The existence of separate political and religious leaders has 
meant that one institution could critique the other. In general, 
religious institutions have provided a moral critique of the political 
and social world. At many times, the political institutions have co-
opted the religious institutions to help maintain order by teaching 
moral behaviour, or co-opted them to strengthen their own power. 
Indeed, that was true at the start of European settlement in 
Australia. The British government paid for religious chaplains to 
accompany the troops and the convicts. Some of those early 
chaplains also performed the role of judge, handing out 
punishments to those who transgressed the moral code. 
There have been times, however, when the co-option of the 
religious institutions by the political institutions has led to the 
popular rejection of the religious institutions. The alignment of the 
Catholic Church with the kings of France, led to the widespread 
rejection of religion and the inauguration of the Age of Reason at 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 9
Editorial
the time of the French Revolution. Partly because of the French 
Revolution, it was determined in the formation of the United 
States and later in Australia, that ‘church and state’ should be 
kept separate. A similar process to France occurred in Russia, 
where the alignment of the Russian Orthodox Church with the 
Russian Czars contributed to the repression of religion in 
communist Russia. 
In many countries around the world, the influence of the religious 
institutions is fading. One of the major mechanisms for this 
decline is referred to by sociologists as ‘differentiation’. Part of 
modernisation has been the rise of distinct spheres of society, 
each with its own areas of expertise and to some extent, its own 
language and systems of thought. These have arisen 
independently of religion and have excluded religion from these 
areas of society. As industry has taken on the role of producing 
clothes, constructing sophisticated means of travel and building 
technically sophisticated buildings, so religion has disappeared 
from these areas of life. One of the articles in this collection, 
“Cross-cultural ministry among women in northeast Thailand in 
the context of modernisation” describes how this process has 
occurred even in recent decades as religious rituals have, to a 
large extent, been replaced by technological and scientific 
processes in agriculture and in the processes of child-birth. The 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 10
Editorial
effect has been to confine religion to the areas of personal and 
family life. 
While differentiation has weakened the place of religion in many 
societies, the process has been sharpened by the loss of 
confidence in religious institutions. Over the last two decades, this 
has been evident in the cases of sexual abuse, particularly of 
children, conducted by clergy and other employees of church 
institutions. While cases of sexual abuse have occurred in many 
institutions in society, the fact that they occurred in those 
institutions which were meant to give moral leadership has been 
particularly shocking. The fact that religious institutions have tried 
to cover up such cases because of their concern for their own 
reputations has, in fact, been especially damaging to their 
reputations. As a result, in many countries, the state has stepped 
in to uncover these moral failures of institutions which were 
expected to be moral leaders. In Australia, this had led to 
Commissions conducted by the political institutions, and resulted 
in a range of regulations which have intruded into the life of the 
churches. Institutions which have seen their role as moral 
leadership have found themselves chastised by the wider society 
for their moral failures. This story is told in the article by Leonie 
Bird.
Gradually, the process has also affected personal and family life 
with sharp declines in people attending religious services and 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 11
Editorial
identifying themselves with religious traditions. The overall 
pattern in Australia has been analysed using recent survey data 
on religious behaviour and attitudes by Philip Hughes in the article 
“Why People are Ceasing to Attend Churches and to Identify with 
Religious Institutions”.
However, there is another side to this story of the decline of 
religious institutions. Religious institutions have long been centres 
for care and have contributed to the wellbeing of their societies. 
While the political institutions have taken control of many aspects 
of this care through its systems of health and welfare, there are 
still gaps which are being filled by local churches. Local churches 
are finding ways, not only to provide aid, but to create supportive 
local communities through their welfare activities. Fleur Creed 
tells this story in “Why Churches Should Consider the Formation of 
Social Capital in the Design of their Welfare Programs”. The article 
emphasises the importance of doing more than providing welfare, 
and acting in ways that professional bureaucratic organisations 
cannot, to enhance community life in many parts of Australia. 
Another example of religious institutions finding new ways of 
serving their communities is that of chaplaincy. Chaplains are 
active in many areas of society, providing spiritual care in forms 
which do not involve detailed doctrines or require specific 
religious behaviours. They walk beside people through the ups 
and downs of life, providing support at both personal and 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 12
Editorial
communal levels. The story of sports chaplaincy in Australia and 
its effectiveness from the point of view of members and 
administrators of sporting clubs is told by Stephen Reid in 
“Ministry on Their Turf: The Roles and Functions of Christian Sports 
Chaplains in Contemporary Australian Society”.
The place of religion in society is undergoing very significant 
change. No longer is religion providing significant moral support 
to the political institutions of Australia. Indeed, many of the 
traditional values of the religious institutions have been rejected, 
particularly in the area of sexuality, where the value system has 
moved to a focus on personal freedom to find personal fulfilment 
in whatever ways do not cause harm to others. However, religious 
institutions continue to administer many major institutions 
providing care and welfare assistance, through hospitals and aged 
care homes, and through a great variety of social programs. They 
also continue to fund many schools. Many of these welfare and 
educational institutions are largely or partly funded by public 
money channelled through the government and through the fees 
of those who use them. Regulations help ensure that this use of 
public money is done in line with the interests of the public as a 
whole.
Apart from these institutions, the care given by local religious 
groups and individuals still plays a very significant role in society. 
It has been calculated recently that volunteering for the sake of 
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 13
Editorial
the wider community is enhanced by the networking that occurs 
through religious services and through the motivation that 
religions provide, contributing billions of dollars of worth to the 
wider community.
As detailed in this volume, care also occurs through sports and 
other forms of chaplaincy and through the small and local 
initiatives of local churches. While facing pressures from the wider 
society, there are continuing roles for religion in contemporary 
society. 
The articles in this volume, apart from my own, represent a total 
of more than 30 years of doctoral studies. I have had the privilege 
of accompanying each of the authors from the inception of their 
studies to their successful conclusions. In each case, the 
completion of the work has come at great personal cost and with 
much persistence, rising above the frustrations and challenges to 
complete the work. I am honoured to be able to present these 
essays here as tributes to their very considerable efforts. 
Philip Hughes
Guest Editor
ISSN 2205-0442 JCMin Number 9 (2024)
page 14


Not a member yet