Religion, Politics and Education: Thinking with Professor Marion Maddox

51st Annual Conference of the Australian Association for the Study of Religion

3-4 December, 2026

Macquarie University
Gadigal Campus, Sydney

The School of International Studies at Macquarie University invites you to the 51st conference of the Australian Association for the Study of Religion (AASR). Alongside welcoming papers on all aspects of the academic study of religion, this year's gathering continues the scholarly conversations pursued by Professor Marion Maddox (1965-2025), a world-renowned scholar whose work illuminated the intersections of religion, politics, and education policy in Australia and beyond.

Call for papers

We welcome submissions exploring any dimension of the academic study of religion. In honour of Professor Maddox's wide-ranging contributions, we particularly encourage papers and panels addressing:

  • Indigenous religion and spirituality

  • Political parties and religion

  • Religious schools and education policy

  • Religious-run community services

  • Religious freedom and discrimination

  • The Christian Right in Australia

  • Religion and gender

  • Religion, power, and public policy

  • The politics of secularism

  • Religion, spirituality, and climate change

  • Government policies on religious inclusion, cohesion and countering violent extremism

We especially welcome Higher Degree Research (Masters and PhD) students across all disciplines. Dedicated panels and mentoring sessions will support emerging scholars in developing their research and building scholarly networks.

Submission information: Please submit your proposal through the form at the bottom of this page.

About Professor
Marion Maddox

Marion Maddox's interdisciplinary scholarship - spanning theology, political theory, religious studies, and anthropology - fundamentally shaped our understanding of religion's role in Australian public life and contemporary debates about education policy and the place of religion in schools. Her influential works include For God and Country: Religious Dynamics in Australian Federal Politics (2001), God Under Howard: The Rise of the Religious Right in Australian Politics (2005), and Taking God to School: The End of Australia's Egalitarian Education (2014), alongside pioneering research on Indigenous spirituality.

Elected to the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 2017, Marion served as past president of the AASR and was a founding member of the AASR Women's Caucus. Her influence extended internationally: she served as Deputy Treasurer for the International Association for the History of Religions and was admired and respected by scholars worldwide. Marion was a deeply valued member of both Macquarie University and our broader scholarly community.

Conference Details

  • This is an in-person conference

  • Macquarie University's Gadigal (City) Campus features world-class accessible facilities at 123 Pitt Street, in the heart of Sydney's CBD, with excellent public transport connections.

Important information:

  • All presenters must be AASR members by 28 November 2026

  • Members of the New Zealand Association for the Study of Religions are exempt from AASR membership requirements

  • Inquiries: aasrcomms@gmail.com