Chapter 13 Britain Summary
13 RELIGION
The vast majority of people in Britain do not regularly attend religious services. Most people's everyday language is no longer enriched by their knowledge of the Bible and the English Book of Common Prayer. It is significant that the most well-loved English translation of the Bible, known as the King James Bible, was written in the early seventeenth century and that no later translation has achieved similar status. Most people in Britain cannot strictly be described as religious. However, this does not mean that they have no religious or spiritual beliefs or inclinations. Surveys have suggested that three quarters of the population believe in God and between a third and a half believe in concepts such as life after death, heaven and hell. A majority approve of the fact that religious instruction at state schools is compulsory. Nobody objects to the fact that the Queen is queen `by the grace of God', or the fact that she was crowned by a religious figure in a church. Religious participation in Britain. `Active participation' can vary. The category `Independent Christian' denotes the various charismatic and Pentecostalist groups mentioned in the text. The road to tolerance. Until 1828 nonconformists were not allowed to hold any kind of government post or public office or even to go to university. Excluded from public life, many developed interests in trade and commerce and were the leading commercial figures in the industrial revolution. Catholics were even worse-off, having to worship in secret or with discretion. Catholics were given the right to hold public office in 1829. There is still a law today which forbids Catholic priests to sit in Parliament.
RELIGION AND POLITICS
There are no important `Christian' or anti-clerical political parties. Except perhaps for Muslims, there is no recognizable political pressure group in the country which is based on a particular religious ideology. The religious conflicts of the past and their close
The vast majority of people in Britain do not regularly attend religious services. Most people's everyday language is no longer enriched by their knowledge of the Bible and the English Book of Common Prayer. It is significant that the most well-loved English translation of the Bible, known as the King James Bible, was written in the early seventeenth century and that no later translation has achieved similar status. Most people in Britain cannot strictly be described as religious. However, this does not mean that they have no religious or spiritual beliefs or inclinations. Surveys have suggested that three quarters of the population believe in God and between a third and a half believe in concepts such as life after death, heaven and hell. A majority approve of the fact that religious instruction at state schools is compulsory. Nobody objects to the fact that the Queen is queen `by the grace of God', or the fact that she was crowned by a religious figure in a church. Religious participation in Britain. `Active participation' can vary. The category `Independent Christian' denotes the various charismatic and Pentecostalist groups mentioned in the text. The road to tolerance. Until 1828 nonconformists were not allowed to hold any kind of government post or public office or even to go to university. Excluded from public life, many developed interests in trade and commerce and were the leading commercial figures in the industrial revolution. Catholics were even worse-off, having to worship in secret or with discretion. Catholics were given the right to hold public office in 1829. There is still a law today which forbids Catholic priests to sit in Parliament.
RELIGION AND POLITICS
There are no important `Christian' or anti-clerical political parties. Except perhaps for Muslims, there is no recognizable political pressure group in the country which is based on a particular religious ideology. The religious conflicts of the past and their close