Faith in crisis: Christian university students in peace and war

This article examines religious belief and political activism among Sydney undergraduates during the 1930s and 1940s. Confronted with such major political issues as the peace movement, the eruption of world war and the question of post-war reconstruction, a substantial number of students looked for solutions informed by faith. The history of two influential campus groups, the Student Christian Movement and the Evangelical Union, reveals that political activity was often shaped by particular religious views. The SCM's openness to theological liberalism and biblical criticism was accompanied by a willingness to grapple with political issues and question the capitalist structures of society. The theologically conservative EU eschewed political engagement in favour of defending the fundamentals of Christian belief and calling individuals to conversion. The religious differences between these two groups help explain their members' contrasting responses to peace and war during the second quarter of the twentieth century. They also illuminate Christianity's complex and significant contribution to political thought and action at Australia's first university.