SWell Research Network

Exciting opportunity! The Call for Papers is now open for the ISA RC22 Midterm Conference, hosted by the South Asian University, New Dehli, 5-7 February 2026. More details here:

Jimmy Kimmel Is Back & How To 'Outage Proof' Yourself When Your Telco Goes Down Mamamia Podcasts - The Quicky - Jimmy Kimmel Is Back & How To 'Outage Proof' Yourself When Your Telco Goes Down

Well, if the hashtag#rapture happened two days ago, we clearly got left behind!

In this Mamamia The Quicky episode, @annahalafoff.bsky.social FAHA discusses expectations rapture prophesies be fulfilled this month, and why we turn to spirituality in crisis.
www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/the...

Traditionalist Catholic sensibilities in Argentinean Catholicism: modern risks and (con)spirituality in contemporary Catholic communities Catholicism has historically been an active producer of diverse and contrasting imaginaries, emphasising radically transformative utopias or accentuating the return to well-ordered and idyllic past...

In this article Veronica Gimenez Beliveau considers the risks and fears that circulate within traditionalist sensibilities in Argentinean Catholicism.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

As white Christian nationalism grows more assertive, we must tell the truth about Australia’s religious diversity - ABC Religion & Ethics While Anglo Australians march against migration and politicians rail against migrant groups, it is important to remember that these diverse communities have long histories on this continent — they are...

@cristinarocha.bsky.social and @annahalafoff.bsky.social respond to the migration 'debate', showing Australia has always been spiritually and ethnically diverse, starting with First Nations and the arrival of Asian spiritualities. Migrants have always contributed 🙌🏽

www.abc.net.au/religion/whi...

Watch Spiritual Divide: Insight Watch Spiritual Divide for free with SBS On Demand, your ultimate destination for diverse entertainment. Stream now!

@annahalafoff.bsky.social Anna Halafoff FAHA recently took part in this thought provoking episode of Insight (Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia) which looks at the complex spiritual and religious lives of Australians.

www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/new...

Seeking the wild: Alone Australia and connection to nature - ABC listen Corinne Ooms  was, a contestant in the most recent series of the reality show Alone Australia. She spent 70 days, by herself, in the remote west coast ranges of Lutruwita, Tasmania. And there, she had...

What does Alone Australia show us about Australian spirituality? SWell's coordinator, Assoc Prof Anna Halafoff @annahalafoff.bsky.social , interviewed on ABC Listen. 'Seeking the wild: Alone Australia and connection to nature.' Listen here: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Astrology and tarot — telling the future, or connecting with the present? - ABC listen Younger Australians are less religious than ever before, but that doesn't mean they don't engage with spiritual practices. Astrology and tarot card reading are especially on trend, but rather than tel...

'Astrology and tarot - telling the future, or connecting with the present?' Prof Andrew Singleton recently interviewed on ABC Radio National. Listen here!
www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Seeking the wild: Alone Australia and connection to nature - ABC listen Corinne Ooms  was, a contestant in the most recent series of the reality show Alone Australia. She spent 70 days, by herself, in the remote west coast ranges of Lutruwita, Tasmania. And there, she had...

What does Alone Australia show us about Australian spirituality? SWell's coordinator, Assoc Prof Anna Halafoff @annahalafoff.bsky.social , interviewed on ABC Listen. 'Seeking the wild: Alone Australia and connection to nature.' Listen here: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Astrology and tarot — telling the future, or connecting with the present? - ABC listen Younger Australians are less religious than ever before, but that doesn't mean they don't engage with spiritual practices. Astrology and tarot card reading are especially on trend, but rather than tel...

'Astrology and tarot - telling the future, or connecting with the present?' Prof Andrew Singleton recently interviewed on ABC Radio National. Listen here!
www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Returning to the sacred spring? Spa treatments, mineral springs and spirituality in settler Australia since 1852 Spas and mineral springs constitute major sectors of the global wellness economy, which now exceeds the size of the global biomedical economy. The industry, media and its critics emphasise ‘wellnes...

Freshly published Open Access!

Returning to the sacred spring? Spa treatments, mineral springs and spirituality in settler Australia since 1852.

By SWell member Tim Jones and Nadia Rhook.
Journal of Beliefs & Values, 1–14.
doi.org/10.1080/1361...

‘Alone Australia’, nature connection and spiritual complexity in popular culture Since the turn of the twenty-first century, scholars of religion have focused considerable attention on the rise of religious diversity and the non-religious, particularly in Western secular societ...

Great new article on Aus survival TV and spirituality by Anna Halafoff annahalafoff.bsky.social, Samantha Hauw samanthahauw.bsky.social and Tyson Yunkaporta.

‘Alone Australia’, nature connection and spiritual complexity in popular culture. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 1–25.
doi.org/10.1080/1361...

@annahalafoff.bsky.social @samanthahauw.bsky.social

*Reannouncement with Open Access Link!
www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16...

What is Girl Mossing?

Find out in a fascinating new article by hannahgould.bsky.social and annahalafoff.bsky.social :

Girl Mossing, Rotting and Resistance: Relational naturalism and dying well together.

5Rhythms dance as lived spirituality: women, embodiment, and relational wellbeing 5Rhythms dance has enjoyed a growing uptake in the past decade, alongside rising interest in holistic spirituality. This article reports the first sociology of religion study of 5Rhythms dance as a...

Dance as lived spirituality? @samanthahauw.bsky.social and @annahalafoff.bsky.social discuss women's embodiment and relational wellbeing in their new article.

5Rhythms dance as lived spirituality: women, embodiment, and relational wellbeing

Access here! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

‘Saving Australia’: global populism and the rhetoric of the Australian Christian Right This article examines how the intersection between the Christian Right and populism takes shape in Australia. It analyses how Australian Christian Right (ACR) actors mobilise the ideology, rhetoric...

Fab new article by Elenie Poulos and Cristina Rocha examines how the intersection between the Christian Right and populism takes shape in Australia.

'Saving Australia': global popularism and the rhetoric of the Australian Christian Right.

Available Open Access: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The rise of right-wing Christian populism and its powerful impact on Australian politics A network of Australian Christian groups have adapted the language of global right-wing populism to amplify their influence on Australian politics.

What is the impact of the rise of right-wing Christian populism on Australian politics?

Find out in this fresh Conversation piece by SWell Researchers Elenie Poulos (Macquarie University) and Cristina Rocha (Western Sydney University):
theconversation.com/the-rise-of-...

Transgender bodies as battlefields in science and religion: A cross-cultural media analysis - Rafael Cazarin, Josh E Warren, Rebecca Catto, Mar Griera, 2025 The last decade has seen an intensification of anti-trans mobilisations as backlash to efforts to expand rights and increased visibility in multiple countries. ...

An important new article investigating anti-trans mobilisations, studied at the nexus of science and religion, by SWell members Rafael Cazarin and Mar Griera, with Josh E Warren and Rebecca Catto.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

The White Lotus, Buddhism and the Western malaise: How season three navigates “spiritual complexity” - ABC Religion & Ethics The public fascination with The White Lotus series seems more about immoral excess than enlightenment — but its third season illustrates that the capitalist uptake of spirituality does not necessarily...

Curious about / watching White Lotus?

Latest juicy ABC piece by Anna Halafoff, supported by Samantha Hauw.

The White Lotus, fashionable Buddhism and the Western malaise: How season three navigates "spiritual complexity"

www.abc.net.au/religion/whi...

Meet the Authors!

Masoumeh (Sara) Rahmani and Peter Adds discuss their article:

"Māori Atheism: A Decolonising Project?" Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online (2024)

The Nonreligion in a Complex Future Project, Zoom, 20 March 7pm ET, 21 March 11am AEDT.

Register here:

Meet the Authors!

Masoumeh (Sara) Rahmani and Peter Adds discuss their article:

"Māori Atheism: A Decolonising Project?" Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online (2024)

The Nonreligion in a Complex Future Project, Zoom, 20 March 7pm ET, 21 March 11am AEDT.

Register here:

Religions for Peace Australia & Canberra Interfaith Forum
invites ALL to our World Interfaith Harmony Week Event 2025

Wednesday 5th February 5.30-7.30pm AEDT
ZOOMED from Parliament House Canberra

Religions for Peace Australia (RfPA) Zoom registration link
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Religions for Peace Australia & Canberra Interfaith Forum
invites ALL to our World Interfaith Harmony Week Event 2025

Wednesday 5th February 5.30-7.30pm AEDT
ZOOMED from Parliament House Canberra

Religions for Peace Australia (RfPA) Zoom registration link
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Menopause is now discussed openly — but not all voices are included - ABC Religion & Ethics This new era of public menopause awareness, fuelled by markets and social media, is largely dominated by Western, and often white, women — yet not everyone experiences menopause the same way.

Not everyone experiences menopause as dominant discourses say. In this recent piece for the ABC, Anna Halafoff
@annahalafoff.bsky.social explains "menowashing" in her call to recognition of menopause complexity.
www.abc.net.au/religion/ann...

How do Buddhism and Buddhist-inspired phenomena contribute to a new way of death or 'deathstyle'?
Read more in this fascinating, newly published article by Hannah Gould @hannahgould.bsky.social , Anna Halafoff @annahalafoff.bsky.social and Ruth Fitzpatrick.
www.globalbuddhism.org/article/view...

The meaning of “spirituality” among Australian adults: Connections to self, community and beyond - ABC Religion & Ethics Personal and broader connections are more significant among “spiritual” Australians than traditional religious practices and beliefs —  this is not surprising, given that fewer Australians find meanin...

Andrew Singleton, Anna Halafoff @annahalafoff.bsky.social and Rosie Shorter's latest piece for the ABC - an exciting first glimpse of the results of the Australian Spirituality and Wellness Survey led by Andrew.

www.abc.net.au/religion/the...

The meaning of “spirituality” among Australian adults: Connections to self, community and beyond - ABC Religion & Ethics Personal and broader connections are more significant among “spiritual” Australians than traditional religious practices and beliefs —  this is not surprising, given that fewer Australians find meanin...

Andrew Singleton, Anna Halafoff @annahalafoff.bsky.social and Rosie Shorter's latest piece for the ABC - an exciting first glimpse of the results of the Australian Spirituality and Wellness Survey led by Andrew.

www.abc.net.au/religion/the...

Neo-Mexican home altars: daily reconnections with the spirit of nature Most studies on New Age and Neo-pagan spiritualities have focused their field research on group ceremonies and rituals, and very little is known about how this spirituality is practiced in daily do...

NEW PUBLICATION by SWell member Renée De la Torre Castellanos, 'Neo-Mexican home altars: daily reconnections with the spirit of nature'. Congratulations Renée. This is the first article to be published in our Special Issue of the Journal of Beliefs and Values.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Welcome to the Spirituality and Wellbeing (SWell) Research Network. 🪷
For info and details on recent publications, head to our website: blogs.deakin.edu.au/swell/

Humanities Academy announces 41 new Academy Fellows – Australian Academy of the Humanities The Australian Academy of the Humanities has elected 41 new humanities scholars elected to Fellowship today.

Celebrating Assoc Prof Anna Halafoff's recent election, along with Prof Yin Paradies, as Fellows to the Australian Academy of the Humanities (AAH). Congratulations on this acknowledgement of exemplary leadership!

humanities.org.au/power-of-the...