Includes bibliographical references (p. 268-284) and index.

The English inheritance -- The colonial legacy -- National divisions -- A crisis in believing -- A crisis in belonging -- A crisis in behaving -- International rrises -- Defining belief and defending custom -- Participating in public life -- Facing the future.

The Anglican Church of Australia is the nations second largest religious organisation and a leading member of a global spiritual community. It is also among the least well understood. With continuing disputes about its origins and identity, the Church has recently been distracted from its primary calling of mission and ministry by disagreements over what constitutes authentic Anglicanism and arguments about how it ought to deal with departures from historic customs and traditional beliefs. In Understanding Australian Anglicanism, bishop and theological commentator, Tom Frame, identifies the fault-lines and assesses the tensions that exist within the contemporary Anglican Church, describes continuing debates over doctrine and their affect on the Australian Churchs dealings with the global Anglican Communion, and outlines problems, prospects, and possibilities over the next twenty-five years. The author argues that the Australian Church continues to struggle with the Establishment mindset that was embedded in its English origins and the counterproductive militancy of parties within the Church determined to achieve organisational supremacy. This thoroughly researched and carefully constructed book, written by an insider, will help outsiders understand this complex religious institution.