Freedom for Faith and ISCAST Melbourne 2026

ISCAST and Freedom for Faith are inviting you to a conference on religious freedom in modern Australia.

This is not simply a conference about religious freedom in the abstract.

It is designed to equip Christians to understand the pressures already emerging around public debate, online speech, gender and sexuality, religious expression and the law – and to think carefully about how we respond.

We have an impressive group of speakers joining us.

Nick Spencer, Senior Fellow at UK think tank Theos, will examine how secularism and liberalism can be used to exclude religious voices from public debate – and how Christians can make the case for religious freedom in a genuinely plural society.

Margaret Chambers, Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, will look at the proposed Digital Duty of Care and the risks it poses for lawful religious speech online.

The Hon Christopher Beale KC, former Victorian Supreme Court justice, will examine gender theory, law and the challenges they present for Christians and Christian organisations.

Mark Sneddon, lawyer and Freedom for Faith Board Member, will look at growing legal restrictions on religious expression, including conversion practices and vilification laws.

Mike Southon will give an update on the major religious freedom issues currently before us and opportunities for political engagement in Victoria ahead of the state election.

The day will conclude with a panel chaired by Dr Chris Mulherin of ISCAST.

There is a lot here to wrestle with.

Our hope is that people leave not simply more aware of the challenges, but better equipped to respond – clearly, faithfully and confidently.

Event details

Time/Date: 9am-5pm AEDT, 31 October 2026

Location: Thomas Carr Centre, Catholic Theological College, 278 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne VIC 3002

Live stream and in-person tickets available