Religious leaders are raising concerns over definitions under draft hate speech reforms, which they say might open people up to prosecution over past remarks.

Hate speech laws will be debated on Monday when parliament returns early following the December 14 massacre at Bondi Beach.

Under the changes, hate speech and racial vilification offences would be introduced with a defence included for people quoting directly from a religious text.The bill “sets a principle-based test for conduct and speech that incites racial hatred towards another person or group”, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Anglican Bishop Michael Stead said the reform created a “minefield of definitions” about hate and that the bill included a retrospective element in relation to banned groups.

“I’ve got particular concerns about the definition of what is a hate crime,” he told a parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday.

Dr Stead said the bill could be expanded to claim Christian teaching caused serious harm, leading to a Christian organisation being listed as a hate group.

“Defining something which is not a hate crime to be a hate crime, just so that we can list the group, seems to me entirely inappropriate,” he said.

The Anglican bishop said the bill placed an “unwarranted limitation” on freedom of thought, conscience and belief.

He called for its debate to be delayed so it could be properly scrutinised.

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