Renowned author and social commentator Mr Hugh Mackay, AO, returns to Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst to deliver a CSU Explorations Series public lecture on Thursday 16 June.Mr Mackay (pictured) will discuss his new book, Beyond Belief: How we find meaning, with or without religion, which explores the ways we try to find a sense of meaning and purpose, and even a 'spiritual direction', in a society where traditional religious faith and practice are in sharp decline.Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Associate Professor Chika Anyanwu, said, "Charles Sturt University's Explorations Series is part of our Community-University Partnership (CUP) program to engage our communities in discussions and debate on major issues. The Exploration Series resonates with our role and mission as a regional University to explore and take education to rural and regional Australia as part of our community social responsibility, and to share and stimulate intellectual discussions in our communities."In Beyond Belief: How we find meaning and purpose without religion, Mr Mackay argues that while our attachment to a traditional idea of God may be waning, our desire for a sense of meaning remains as strong as ever. He looks at the various ways we try to find transcendence in our often stridently materialistic lives, and considers what may be lost with the wholesale casting out of organised religion. He strongly endorses the Christian ideal of the good life - a life lived for others - but acknowledges there are many pathways to that same goal, not all of them religious."It will be a great pleasure to welcome Mr Mackay to campus on Thursday 16 June to discuss some of these issues with our Bathurst and regional communities," Professor Anyanwu said. "As one of Australia's most widely respected authors, his book and lecture will stimulate passionate debate about one of the most important but least examined ways we negotiate our world and manage our lives."