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John Anderson sits down with social researcher Mark McCrindle and measurement researcher Dorian von Freyhold to examine whether Australia’s Census is giving an accurate picture of the country’s religious identity. They explore how changes to the wording and structure of the religion question may influence responses, why “no religion” does not necessarily mean atheism, and what their research suggests about the true scale of secularisation in Australia.The conversation also looks beyond the Census to the broader cultural picture: the changing relationship younger Australians have with Christianity, the difference between religious affiliation and active belief, the enduring influence of Christian institutions and values, and the growing search for meaning in an increasingly fragmented society.Mark McCrindle is an Australian social researcher, demographer, author and founder of McCrindle, a research and communications agency specialising in social trends, generational change and demographic analysis. He has spent two decades researching how Australian society is changing and is the author of five books. McCrindle is also widely known for coining the term “Generation Alpha” and regularly contributes to public debate on demographic, cultural and generational trends.Dr Dorian von Freyhold is a researcher and strategist specialising in consumer psychology, data science, survey design and business analytics. He holds a PhD from the University of Queensland, where he also lectured in business analytics, consumer psychology and marketing research. Von Freyhold has applied experimental and behavioural research methods across consulting, polling and commercial analytics, and is Managing Partner at Compass Polling. His recent research includes a 5,000-person experiment examining how the wording and structure of the Australian Census religion question can influence responses.
