AC is delighted to congratulate the Reverend Emeritus Professor Phillip Hughes on being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) as part of the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours. Professor Hughes was recognised for significant service to the sociology of religion, academia, and social cohesion in Australia.
For more than four decades, Professor Hughes has mapped the spiritual landscape of Australia, especially through his studies of Australian census data. His sociological research has tracked the rise of those with “no religion,” the persistence of faith, the complexity of spiritual-but-not-religious identity, and the often unacknowledged ways that religious communities contribute to Australian society. His work has shed light on the way churches and other religious communities shape wellbeing and social cohesion. He has also studied a range of communities within Australian society, including rural communities, young people, and the diverse cultural and religious traditions brought to Australia by recent immigrants.
Professor Hughes served as Senior Research Officer with the Christian Research Association from its founding in 1985 through to 2016 – a 30-year commitment to building the evidence base for understanding religion in Australia. At AC, he has served as a research professor, Chair of the Human Research Ethics Committee, and supervisor and mentor to doctoral students across the disciplines of theology, ministry, and social science. He has published some 70 books and hundreds of articles. His latest books include What Is Happening to Religion in Australia? (2025) and Australia’s Religious and Non-Religious Profiles (2023).
