Description
Book SynopsisReligion 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
Trade Review“Davie is well worth reading to offer an analysis on the changes currently being experienced in British religion. The Irish contexts are different, but still close enough to need to take note of her arguments.” (Irish Methodist Newsletter, 1 February 2015)
"Davie writes (and speaks) so clearly and with manifest knowledge and common sense. It is not surprising that she is popular at diocesan conferences. Buyers of this new edition will not be disappointed. Of course, she has critics, and would not be worth reading if she did not. None the less, many will still conclude that overall this is a well-researched and judicious sociological assessment of religion in modern Britain, and one that outstrips most of its rivals. I recommend it strongly." (Church Times, 11 September 2015)
"But now, says Grace Davie, a sociology professor at Exeter University, the picture has completely changed, in ways that nobody could have foreseen in 1994 when she brought out the first edition of her book ... The position of Christianity (as measured by church-going, rites of passage and answers to opinion polls) has suffered steady though not yet catastrophic decline in its presumed strongholds: rural areas with a settled population, schools favoured by the middle class, and so on. But church-going in London, along with the practice of many other religions, has risen quite sharply. In a new and massively revised version of her work, Ms Davie says she has to take account of the 'huge religious market-place' which London has become." (Bruce Clark,
The Economist's Erasmus blog)
Table of ContentsList 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
