Religion in Britain A Persistent Paradox

by Davie, Grace

• ISBN13: 9781405135955
• ISBN10: 1405135956
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2015-02-23
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

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

Author Biography

Grace Davie is Professor Emeritus in the Sociology of Religion at the University of Exeter UK and a senior adviser to the Impact of Religion Research Programme at Uppsala University. She is a past-president of the American Association for the Sociology of Religion (2003). Her publications include Religion in Britain since 1945 (Blackwell 1994), Religion in Modern Europe (2000), Europe: the Exceptional Case (2002) and The Sociology of Religion (Sage 2007 and 2013).

Table of Contents

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