Gary Bouma
Gary D. Bouma AM (born 1942) is an author and a professor of sociology at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is a citizen of both the United States and Australia. His primary research interests have been related to the topics of multiculturalism and religious pluralism.[1] He is also a priest in the Anglican Church.[2] Bouma works to promote communication and respect between religious communities. He commenced with Monash University in 1979 and has served in leadership roles in the World Conference of Religions for Peace and the Christian Research Association. In an interview in 2004 he said:[3]
The situation in the Middle East won’t be resolved until there is a religious solution. And groups like Al Qaeda, which are puritanical Muslims with a religious agenda, will continue their efforts until stopped by those Muslims who disagree with the aims of Al Qaeda, just like Cromwell in England.
In 2011, Bouma described the Special Religious Instruction (SRI) Victorian curriculum developed by Access Ministries as "just appalling", and described their volunteers as "Christians out there trying to train the next generation [but] putting them off with the kind of crap they serve." Bouma stated that if children were being taught in a particular religion, all faiths should be offered, with parents having to opt in; at the time about 96 per cent of SRI in Victoria was run by Christian volunteers and parents had to opt out.[4]
Publications
- Bouma, Gary D. (1984). How the saints persevere : social factors in the vitality of the Christian Reformed Church. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: Dept. of Anthropology and Sociology, Monash University. ISBN 0867463104.
- Dixon, Beverly R.; Bouma, Gary D. (1986). The religious factor in Australian life. Melbourne: MARK Australia, World Vision in association with the ZADOK Centre for Christianity and Society. ISBN 0959691561.
- Bouma, G.D. (1992). Religion : meaning, transcendence, and community in Australia. Melbourne, Australia: Longman Cheshire. ISBN 0582870119.
- Atkinson, G.B.J.; Bouma, Gary D. (1995). A handbook of social science research (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198280017.
- Bouma, Gary D. (2000). The research process (4th ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195512243.
- Khatab, Sayed; Bouma, Gary D. (2007). Democracy in Islam. New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN 0415425743.
- Pratt, Douglas; Bouma, Gary D.; Ling, Rod (2010). Religious diversity in Southeast Asia and the Pacific : national case studies. Dordrecht [The Netherlands]: Springer. ISBN 9048133882.
References
- ↑ "Gary Bouma". Monash University. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
- ↑ Morris, Linda (February 23, 2006). "Rise of megachurches may be dangerous, top cleric warns". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
- ↑ "Alumni Profile • Gary Bouma '63". Calvin College. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
- ↑ Bachelard, Michael (3 April 2011). "Priest slams religion curriculum as 'appalling'". The Age. Retrieved 8 March 2014.