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St Paul's Cathedral

The United Kingdom is a traditionally Christian state, with two of the four home nations having official faiths:

History

Before Christianity

Paganism in the British Isles (essentially Celtic polytheism before the arrival of the Romans) was supplemented by the arrival of Roman religion: see, for example, the Temple of Mithras, London. It had multiple deities, that varied in different regions: see, for example, Sulis and Viridios. The Anglo Saxons (or English) who invaded in 449AD practiced Germanic Paganism before their conversion; instigated by Roman missionaries in 597AD.

Christianity

The Durham Gospels is a Gospel Book produced in Lindisfarne

Christianity was first introduced through the Romans (English mythology links the introduction of Christianity to Britain to the Glastonbury legend of Joseph of Arimathea) and the Romano-British population after the withdrawal of the Roman legions was mostly Christian. However the Anglo-Saxon invasions largely wiped out Christianity from the areas occupied by the Saxons - although whether this was due to conversion of the native population or ethnic cleansing of the original population is widely disputed. What is not disputed is that Anglo-Saxon England was largely pagan by the 7th century (See Anglo-Saxon polytheism).

Ireland was converted largely by Romano-British missionaries - notably Saint Patrick at some time after the withdrawal of the Roman legions from England. Irish Christianity developed in a monastic style. Celtic missionaries from Ireland spread Celtic Christianity then came to Scotland - notably through Saint Columba and later the Kingdom of Northumbria. Many works of art and faith were inspired, such as the Lindisfarne Gospels.

Augustine of Canterbury was sent by Pope Gregory I to establish an English church loyal to Rome starting in the Kingdom of Kent - which had strong links to the Franks, including the Kentish King's wife who invited Augustine to England. See History of the Church of England.

Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum describes the history of the English church.

The Synod of Whitby in AD 664 attempted to reconcile differences of religious practice, particularly between the Celtic Church and the Roman Church. The outcome was that Cuthbert, the leader of Celtic Christianity accepted the Petrine supremacy that Augustine and Rome claimed. During the 8th century, Anglo-Saxon missionaries spread Christianity on the Continent.

Until the Reformation different religious practices in different territories of what is now the United Kingdom had been established; Christianity in the islands generally looked to Rome for spiritual guidance, although figures such as Stephen Langton and John Wyclif and movements such as Lollardy occasionally posed challenges to the dominance of the Rome-based hierarchy.

The Bible was eventually translated into vernacular languages in the United Kingdom: see, for example, Wyclif's Bible, William Tyndale, William Morgan and Welsh Bible.

From the Reformation to established national churches

The religious history of the countries now comprising the United Kingdom has been turbulent and often violent.

Due to his own dynastic difficulties, Henry VIII of England cut ties with the Papacy. When he was not granted an annulment for his first wife Catherine of Aragon Henry announced himself as the supreme head of the Church in England. In Scotland the Protestant Reformation was more of a grass roots movement than an imposition by the Crown. Continuing adherence by a majority of the population to Catholicism in Ireland ensured unstable and violent relations between the nations of the isles. By the late 17th century a political settlement of religious questions had re-established stability, if not general conformism (see Act of Settlement 1701 and Act of Security). For more detail of this period see the following articles:

Scotland
John Knox was the leading Scottish religious reformer of the 16th century

The Church of Scotland is recognised in law (by the Church of Scotland Act 1921) as the national church in Scotland, but independent of state control in matters spiritual. The Church of Scotland is a Reformed church with a Presbyterian system of church government. For more information on the history of the Reformation in Scotland, see also John Knox, Jenny Geddes, Book of Common Order, and Bishops' Wars.

The Protestant Reformation in Scotland was more influenced by Calvinism than in England, with the adoption of the Westminster Confession. Divisions within Presbyterianism (see Disruption of 1843) in Scotland have led to the setting up of other denominations:

The second largest church in Scotland in terms of membership is the Roman Catholic Church. The indigenous Scottish Episcopal Church (which is part of the Anglican communion), is a relatively small denomination and not established.

Wales

The Welsh Church Act 1914 provided for the disestablishment of the Anglican church in Wales, but did not come into operation until 1920. Since then there has been no established church in Wales.

Beside the Roman Catholic Church (Eglwys Catholig Rufeinig) and the Church in Wales (Eglwys yng Nghymru), which both have less than 5 % of the population as members, the largest religious societies are the Presbyterian Church of Wales (Eglwys Bresbyteraidd Cymru) with 34,819 (2004) members and 1 % of the population as members and the Union of Welsh Independents (Undeb yr Annibynwyr Cymraeg) as well as the Baptist Union of Wales (Undeb Bedyddwyr Cymru) with about 1 % of the population as members each.

Northern Ireland

The vast majority of the population of Northern Ireland identifies with one of two different groups, unionists and nationalists. Both sides of the community are often described by their predominant religious attachments, namely Unionists are predominantly Protestant, while nationalists are predominantly Catholic. Although the Protestant population is larger numerically than the Catholic population, the Roman Catholic Church forms the largest denomination. The largest Protestant denominations are the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the smaller Episcopalian Church of Ireland.

Roman Catholicism

Oratory Church of St Aloysius Gonzaga, Oxford, with the flag of the Vatican City flying at half mast the day after the death of Pope John Paul II.

Relations between adherents of Protestantism and the Roman Catholic Church have at times been difficult (see Papist and Popery). Roman Catholics who clung to their faith in the face of persecution were called recusants. Following Catholic Emancipation in the late 18th and early 19th century (which met violent opposition in the Gordon Riots) the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain re-established a hierarchy in 1850. However, Anglican and Roman Catholic worship has often been similar in many parishes: see Anglo-Catholicism and the Oxford Movement. Some problems of sectarianism still remain, particularly in Northern Ireland.

For more detail on Roman Catholic history in England, see Catholic Church in Great Britain and English Roman Catholic parish histories.

Other Christian denominations

Other traditions of Christianity have a long history. There has been a strain of Nonconformism or Dissent traceable back to Lollardry. For more information on some of these groupings, especially those that came to prominence during the religious ferment of the 16th and 17th centuries, see English Dissenters.

Britain provided a place of refuge for Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in France.

Many parts of the British Isles developed a strong tradition of Methodism from the 18th century onwards. For more information, see:

Orthodoxy has more recently been re-introduced to the United Kingdom by Cypriot, Russian and other immigrants (see, for example, Anthony Bloom, List of Archbishops of Thyateira and Great Britain and Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas), but increasing numbers of British converts are joining formerly ethnically-based congregations.

Among other denominations are:

Religion and modern politics

The strength of nonconformism among workers in the newly-industrialised towns of the Industrial Revolution gave rise, in large measure, to the development of Christian socialism in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party arose from a nonconformist background, whereas the Church of England has sometimes been nicknamed "the Conservative Party at prayer".

As religious disabilities were relaxed in the 19th century, politics was opened up to people of different faiths or none (see Charles Bradlaugh). However, the Church of England still maintains a constitutional position in the legislature: see Lord Spiritual.

The debate over the role of the churches in the constitution was perennial in British politics:

Secularism and tolerance

Hindu temple at Neasden is the largest temple of Hinduism in Europe.

Despite its Christian tradition, the number of churchgoers fell over the last half of the 20th century. Society in the United Kingdom is markedly more secular than in the past. According to the 2001 census, however, 71.6% of population declared themselves to be "Christian", a further 2.7% as Muslim and 1% as Hindu. Only 15.5% said they had "no religion" and 7.3% did not reply to the question. The problem with interpreting these results is that they do not reveal the intensity of religious belief or non-belief. Atheism, on the basis of these statistics, is a belief held by at least 15% of the population. See Status of religious freedom in the United Kingdom.

Until 1944 there was no requirement for state schools in England and Wales to provide religious education or worship, although most did so. The Education Act 1944 introduced a requirement for a daily act of collective worship and for religious education but did not define what was allowable under these terms. The act contained provisions to allow parents to withdraw their children from these activities and for teachers to refuse to participate. The Education Reform Act 1988 introduced a further requirement that the majority of collective worship be "wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character". In recent years schools have increasingly failed to comply with the collective worship rules - in 2004 David Bell, the Chief Inspector of Schools said that "at present more than three-quarters of schools fail to meet this requirement." Religious studies is still an obligatory subject in the curriculum, but tends to aim at providing an understanding of the main faiths of the world than at instilling a strictly Christian viewpoint.

Ecumenical rapprochement has gradually developed between Christian denominations.

However, some religious tensions still exist. See, for example, The Satanic Verses (novel), and Religious rivalry in Glasgow.

As of 2004, consultation on proposals to update the blasphemy law in the United Kingdom are ongoing. The Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 made it an offence to incite hatred against a person on the grounds of their religion.

There being no strict separation of church and state in the United Kingdom, public officials may in general display religious symbols in the course of their duties - for example, turbans. School uniform codes are generally drawn up flexibly enough to accommodate religious dress. Chaplains are provided in the armed forces (see Royal Army Chaplains' Department) and in prisons.

Judaism

Until the 20th century Judaism was the only noticeable non-Christian religion (see, for example: History of the Jews in England), having first appeared (at least in historical records) during the Norman Conquest of 1066. In fact, from 1290 to 1656, Judaism did not officially exist in England due to an outright expulsion in 1290 and official restrictions that were not lifted until 1656 (though historical records show that some Jews did come back to England during the early part of the 17th century prior to the lifting of the restriction). In addition, the Jewish community has historically suffered expulsions, official restrictions and discrimination, and outbreaks of communal violence - some of which are catalogued at History of anti-Semitism; however, in the 19th and 20th centuries, British society was considered more tolerant of Jews than most other European nations, especially the ones from Germany on east.

Other faiths

The London Central Mosque.

More recently, immigration has led to the introduction of other religions that are popular amongst ethnic minorities, such as Islam (see Islam in the United Kingdom), Hinduism(see Hinduism in the United Kingdom), Sikhism and Buddhism, as well as Pentecostal and Charismatic Christian movements.

Religious diversity has led Charles, Prince of Wales to muse publicly on the desirability of being Defender of Faith rather than Defender of the Faith. He commented in 1994 that, "I personally would rather see it (his future role) as Defender of Faith, not the Faith" .

A group of English neo-druids.

Religions claiming pre-Christian British origins, such as Wicca and Neo-druidism, retain some followers, although following many centuries of official persecution they are understandably practised rather discreetly. In October 2004 a Royal Navy technician, Chris Cranmer, attracted media attention by registering as a Satanist. A spokesman for the Royal Navy said: "We are an equal opportunities employer and we don't stop anybody from having their own religious values."

Saints

Traditionally, saints have often been venerated both locally and nationally. This is often reflected in British toponymy.

Patron saints:

Many municipalities and regions preserve traditions of their own saints. See, for example, Cornish Saints and Saint Swithun.

Saint Alban was, according to tradition, the first Christian martyr in Britain. Other martyrs, such as the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, have also been canonised.

Ruins of a former nunnery in Iona

Pilgrimages were an important religious, social and economic activity in pre-Reformation Britain. The shrine of Thomas Becket attracted particularly large numbers of pilgrims, as recounted in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Some local pilgrimages have been revived; see, for example, the shrines of Walsingham.

Monasticism

Ancient monasticism in the British Isles spread Christianity to the furthest parts of the archipelago, but the Reformation led to the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Monastic communities have been re-established.

Religious leaders

Lambeth Palace is the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in London

Notable places of worship

The crooked spire of the Church of Saint Mary and All Saints in Chesterfield

The varied religious and ethnic history of the United Kingdom has left a wide range of buildings - churches, cathedrals, chapels, chapels of ease, synagogues, mosques and temples - across the home nations. Besides its spiritual importance, the religious architecture of the United Kingdom includes buildings of importance to the tourism industry and local pride. As a result of the Reformation, the ancient cathedrals remained in the possession of the then-established churches, while most Roman Catholic churches date from Victorian times or are of more recent construction (curiously, in Liverpool the ultra-modern design Roman Catholic cathedral was actually completed before the more traditional design of the Anglican cathedral, whose construction took most of the twentieth century). Changing social and demographic profiles mean that in some areas redundant religious buildings are being converted to secular purposes. In other locations, new places of worship are being established. Here is a selection of articles on notable places of worship in the United Kingdom:

Statistics

In the 2001 census data, people were asked about their beliefs.

Religions in England & Wales, 2001

Religion England %ge Wales %ge
Christian 35,251,244 71.7 2,087,242 71.9
Muslim 1,524,887 3.1 21,739 0.7
Hindu 546,982 1.1 5,439 0.2
Sikh 327,343 0.7 2,015 0.1
Jewish 257,671 0.5 2,256 0.1
Buddhist 139,046 0.3 5,407 0.2
Any other religion 143,811 0.3 6,909 0.2
No religion 7,171,332 14.6 537,935 18.5
Religion not stated 3,776,515 7.7 234,143 8.1

The 2001 UK census also included responses from 390,127 people (or 0.7% of the population of England and Wales) who gave their religion as the parody religion, Jedi.

A survey in 2002 found average weekly attendance at Anglican churches in England varied between 4.0% of the population in the diocese of Hereford, down to just 1.4% in Birmingham. Church attendance at Christmas in some dioceses was up to three times the average for the rest of the year.

A 2004 YouGov poll found that 44 per cent of UK citizens believe in God, while 35 per cent do not . The disparity between the census data and the YouGov data has been put down to a phenomenon described as "cultural Christianity", whereby many who do not believe in God still identify with the religion they were bought up as, or the religion of their parents.


Religions in Northern Ireland, 2001

Denomination Adherents %ge
Presbyterian Church in Ireland 348,742 20.7
Church of Ireland 257,788 15.3
Methodist Church in Ireland 59,173 3.5
Other Christian (Including Christian Related) 102,221 6.1
(Total non-catholic Christian) 767,924 45.6
Catholic 678,462 40.3
Other Religions and Philosophies 5,028 0.3
No Religion or Religion not Stated 233,853 13.8

Source: UK 2001 Census.

Religions in Scotland, 2001

Religion/Denomination Current religion %ge Religion of upbringing %ge
Church of Scotland 2,146,251 42.4 2,392,601 47.3
Roman Catholic 803,732 15.9 859,503 17.5
Other Christian 344,562 6.8 424,221 8.4
Islam 42,557 0.8 42,264 0.8
Buddhism 6,830 0.1 4,704 0.1
Sikhism 6,572 0.1 6,821 0.1
Judaism 6,448 0.1 7,446 0.1
Hinduism 5,564 0.1 5,921 0.1
Other Religion 26,974 0.5 8,447 0.2
No Religion 1,394,460 27.5 887,221 17.5
Religion not stated 278,061 5.5 422,862 8.4
Base/Total 5,062,011 100 5,062,011 100

Source: UK 2001 census General Register Office for Scotland, The Registrar General's 2001 Census Report to the Scottish Parliament (Excel). See also Analysis of Religion in the 2001 Census: Summary Report

See also

References

  1. Hindu London, BBC, 6 June 2005. URL accessed on 10 June 2006.

External links

Christian churches

Hinduism

Islam

Buddhism

Religion in Europe
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