1st Edition

The British Their Religious Beliefs and Practices 1800-1986

Edited By Terence Thomas Copyright 1989
    256 Pages
    by Routledge

    256 Pages
    by Routledge

    This is a source book for the study of religions in Britain in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It covers an important period in the history of religions in Britain, a period of challenge to religion and a period of change in the religious map of Britain. Each author is a specialist in a particular aspect if this history, and there are extensive bibliographies. The book demonstrates how pluralistic the map of religion has been in Britain, thereby challenging the view that Britain is and has been a predominantly single religion country. This religious pluralism is shown to apply within the Christian religion as much as to those movements outside Christianity. There are six contributors: Dr Sheridan Gilley, (Durham); Rev Ieuan P. Ellis, (Hull) ; Professor Anthony O. Dyson, (Manchester); Dr Kim Knott, (Leeds); Dr David Hempton, (Belfast); Dr Kenneth A Thompson, (The Open University).

    List of Contributors, Introduction, Part I - The Nineteenth Century, 1. 'Official Religion', 2. The Intellectual Challenge to 'Official Religion', 3. East Comes West, Part II - The Twentieth Century, 4. The Christian Religion, 5. Other Major Religious Traditions, 6. New Religious Movements, Part III - Other Perspectives, 7. 'Popular Religion' 1800-1986, 8. How Religious are the British?, Index

    Biography

    After training for the minstry of the Church in Wales, Terence Thomas was ordained in 1958, and from 1962 to 1971 he was a missionary in India. Since 1971 he has worked for the Open University, where he is now Staff Tutor in Religious Studies (Senior Lecturer) at the Welsh Regional Centre in Cardiff.

    'The book provides many clues and much material...should be widely read by those interested in the search for explanations (of the current situation) - Theology