The Anzac Spirit: A Civil Religious Movement

On April 25th of each year, Australia pauses in sombre recognition of its World War One ‘Anzac’ troops and subsequent soldiers up until those presently serving. This national holiday has evolved from prosaic gratitude into a deeply reverential and sacred day, spawning a broader cultural mythology that is expressed in terms of awe and holy sacrifice. The Anzac spirit is seen as the animating principle of the Australian nation, providing an origin myth and a set of standards for the Australian character. In this paper, I will explain why modern civil religions should be considered alongside New Religious Movements. Although the Anzac mythology is not commonly identified as a religion or spirituality, it provides a generally secular nation with a source of ritual, devotion, and shared meaning. This paper will explain how Anzac mythology has expanded over the past thirty-five years, with a focus on key occurrences such as the release of Peter Weir’s film Gallipoli (1981) and the reign of the conservative Howard government (1996-2007). As a counterpoint to the suspicion with which many New Religious Movements are viewed, Anzac mythology has evolved to become ‘normative’ and ‘traditional’. Popular media has embraced its ritual, and derisive attitudes are presently tantamount to desecration of the holy. Indeed, mainline religions—such as the Catholic Church in Sydney—increasingly seek to praise the Anzac spirit and accommodate its sacred martyrdom into their own theology. In an increasingly pluralistic nation, the Anzac legend hovers as a spectre of tradition and values to which newer Australians must adhere. This is complicated by the altering perceptions of Turkey within the mythology, and the presence of New Zealanders in the original troops. Ultimately, this paper poses the idea that—in terms of Australian culture—the Anzac legend is the most popular and acceptable new mythology to have emerged from the post-war milieu. Thus it is valuable to consider what questions this modern national legend raises in regard to the definition of New Religious Movements more broadly.