Stuart Piggin & Robert D. Linder
The Fountain of Public Prosperity: Evangelical Christians in Australian History 1740–1914, Monash University Publishing, Melbourne, 2018
The official religion brought to Australia with the First Fleet was Evangelical Christianity, the “vital religion” then shaping public policy through William Wilberforce and his fellow evangelicals. That it has shaped Australian history ever since, making a substantial contribution to the public prosperity of the nation, is an untold story.
Christian values and identity were the main components of Australian values and identity … The Fountain of Public Prosperity presents propositions which require a radical revision of received understandings, an appreciation of unmined riches in the Australian experience, and reconnection with an often buried past. Drawing on these untapped resources is the safest route to reimagining a future for Australia. (blurb)
The book is reviewed for Honest History by Douglas Hynd.