The Afterlife of Christian England

“Secular Europe” is so often a foil for the “religious United States” that the remnants of Christianity in Europe rarely merit notice. But Christianity has not disappeared – even as rates of church attendance and orthodox belief have plummeted, England continues to have a state church and over 70% of respondents to the 2001 UK census described themselves as Christian.

This talk will explore the changing significance of Christianity in England after the Second World War by tracing the impact of state support of religion, the decline of denominational discord,and the re-emergence of the Church of England as a national institution. In the course of the second half of the twentieth century, Christianity went from being a matter of belief and practice to being understood as a treasured part of England’s cultural heritage to be enjoyed by believers and non-believers alike.

This week’s talk is presented by Daniel Loss, Brown/Wheaton Faculty Fellow in History.  The  talk is scheduled for Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 12:30 p.m. in President’s Dining Room.

Tagged