Dr John Harris: the Power of the Word: The Bible and the Struggle for Freedom in Australia

The KJV changed the way people faced God, life, death...

It was the book. The recorded their births, marriages and deaths. They learnt to read.

People began to feel they had the right to question ... authority. 'Oppressed people found in it the source of freedom'.

Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King and their great speeches...'justice rolling down like waters'. See also Nelson Mandela... the book he had read in prison.

Having said all this: a word of caution.

The Bible does proclaim freedom from oppression BUT: we cannot control who can use the Bible. What of 'Let my people go?' The Boers also used it as a mantra of their own Exodus. It is used on both sides of the gay debate. How easily the Bible's phraseology and imagery can be used by all manner of people.

1788 - Richard Johnson 'What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?'

But this wasn't a particularly Christian place. The European invaders = 800 convicts and 300 jailers. The founding of Australia was almost aggressively secular.

Johnson was the only clergyman who would come. Few records of pleasing piety exist. Rum became the currency. There were sincere and committed Christians, but ... not many.

Governor Macquarie - his wife noted the lack of Bibles. She urged for a meeting to form an auxiliary of the Bible Society! 1817 - a committee of 43 citizens. The oldest existing registered organisation in Australia. Visit of homes to see need for Bibles. Results were evident.

Instance of the press response to the Myall massacre. Sydney preachers united to condemn settler brutality. John Dunmore Lang and Saunders (Baptist) - forthright in condemning the approval of the massacre. Using the Bible to make their case.

But also, the Catholics pressed for the massacrists to be condemned. See Bishop Polding. This came from Catholic teaching rather than direct from the Bible, to be fair.

People became very familiar with the Bible. WG Spence (trade union movement). Regarded as a good and godly man - cared about improving the lot of working class families.

Chifley's 'Light on the hill' speech.

The indigenous Christians raised on Missions. Had a deep grasp of Scripture. See Aboriginal leaders like William Ferguson. 'a labourer is worthy of his hire'.