Projects and Programs

Amen: a history of prayers in Parliament

Amen was prepared as a contribution to the debate in the Commonwealth and Victorian Parliaments about whether the current practice of saying prayers in Parliament should be abolished.

Amen explains and outlines the history of prayers in the Australian Parliament. While outlining Australia’s practice, the paper also compares that practice with many other common law countries, placing it in an international context. Amen demonstrates the importance of prayer in contemporary public life, both as a source of hope and confidence as well as having the innate ability to bridge the divides within society.

Amen was prepared by Damien Freeman and David Corbett under the guidance of an advisory group of ACU staff, including Professor Hayden Ramsay, Professor Michael Ondaatje, Michael Casey and Nigel Zimmermann.

Amen was published in 2019 and launched by the Prime Minister, the Hon. Scott Morrison MP, at the National Prayer Breakfast in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra on 14 October 2019.

Download Amen: a history of Prayers in Parliament [PDF, 1MB]