God & Menzies
The Faith that Shaped a Prime Minister and his Nation
by David Furse-Roberts
Foreword by Scott Morrison
Jeparit Press: An imprint of Connor Court Publishing in association with the Menzies Research Centre
Paperback, 260 pages, $34.95
ISBN: 9781922449641
Mid-August 2021 Release
Sir Robert Menzies was driven by a passionate belief in individual freedom, personal responsibility and human dignity.
In God & Menzies, David Furse-Roberts reveals the Judeo-Christian
origins of Menzies’ empowering Liberal philosophy that became
embedded in Australia’s cultural DNA.
God & Menzies is essential reading for everybody who seeks a
deeper understanding of Australian liberalism and the place of religion
in a secular society.
‘David Furse-Roberts has established himself as one of Australia’s
leading Menzies experts with this spiritual-intellectual biography of
Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister. The depth of the research
and scope of the themes makes this book the benchmark for future
religious biographies of Australian statespeople...'
- Dr Stephen
Chavura, Lecturer at Campion College.
'God & Menzies is a scholarly study of how Robert Menzies’ deeply
considered Christian faith informed his commitment to the principles of
secular liberalism and served as the lodestar that guided his
consequential career. Furse-Roberts has written a timely reminder that
Christianity has long been an integral component of Australia’s vibrant
secular democracy.’
- Rev Peter Kurti, Centre for Independent Studies.
‘In an era when religion in an overt sense is essentially marginal to
political life, this important study is deeply revealing of its
significance in the Australian nation throughout the middle decades of
the twentieth century. Moreover, it makes a major contribution in
demonstrating Sir Robert Menzies’ leadership in ridding Australia of the
curse of sectarianism.’
- Adjunct Professor J. R. Nethercote, Australian Catholic University.
‘David Furse-Roberts’ God & Menzies is a welcome addition to the
burgeoning literature on the beliefs and values of Australia’s longest serving Prime Minister. This well researched and clearly written book
contributes what few professional historians in Australia are now capable of, namely, an educated and serious engagement with the
theological and moral positions that informed Robert Menzies’ public life.
- Dr Geoff Treloar, Australian College of Theology.