Religion in Britain A Persistent Paradox

Religion in Britain evaluates and sheds light on the religious situation in twenty-first century Britain; it explores the country’s increasing secularity alongside religion’s growing presence in public debate, and the impact of this paradox on Britain’s society.

• Describes and explains the religious situation in twenty-first century Britain
• Based on the highly successful Religion in Britain Since 1945 (Blackwell, 1994) but extensively revised with the majority of the text re-written to reflect the current situation
• Investigates the paradox of why Britain has become increasingly secular and how religion is increasingly present in public debate compared with 20 years ago
• Explores the impact this paradox has on churches, faith communities, the law, politics, education, and welfare

List of Figures and Tables ix

Preface xi

Part I Preliminaries 1

1 Introduction: A Framework for Discussion 3

2 Contexts and Generations 19

3 Facts and Figures 41

Part II Religious Legacies 69

4 Cultural Heritage, Believing without Belonging and Vicarious Religion 71

5 Territory, Politics and Institutions 91

6 Presence: Who Can Do What for Whom? 113

Part III Shifting Priorities: From Obligation to Consumption 133

7 An Emerging Market: Gainers and Losers 135

8 Proliferations of the Spiritual 155

Part IV Public Religion and Secular Reactions 175

9 Managing Diversity 177

10 Religion in Public Life 197

Part V Thinking Theoretically 219

11 Religion and Modernity Continued 221

References 237

Index 255

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.