Religion in the United Kingdom

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St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral

The United Kingdom is traditionally a Christian state, though of the four constituent countries, only England still has a state faith in the form of an established church. Christianity is the majority religion, and a wide variety of Christian churches, denominations, and sects exists.

Apart from a period of expulsion between 1290 and 1656, there has been a Jewish minority in the United Kingdom for many centuries.

During the 20th century, many other religions have established a presence, mainly through immigration, though also partly through the attraction of converts. Those with the most adherents are Hinduism, Sikhism, and various forms of Islam (mainly among immigrants from southern Asia). Other minority faiths include Buddhism, the Baha'i Faith, and Rastafarianism. There are also small neopagan groups, and various organizations which actively promote rationalism, humanism, and secularisation.

Contents

Paganism in the British Isles (essentially Celtic polytheism before the conquest by the Romans) was supplemented by the arrival of Roman religion: see, for example, the Temple of Mithras, London. It had multiple deities, that varied in different regions: see, for example, Sulis and Viridios. When the Romans arrived in Celtic Britain, they accommodated their own religion to fit into existing Celtic structures. For example, the healing temple of Sul in Bath became Sulis Minerva (after the Celtic Sulis and the Roman Minerva, both goddesses of health and medicine). The Anglo Saxons (or English) who invaded in 449AD practiced Germanic Paganism before their conversion, instigated by Roman missionaries in 597AD.

The Durham Gospels is a Gospel Book produced in Lindisfarne
The Durham Gospels is a Gospel Book produced in Lindisfarne

Christianity was first introduced through the Romans (English mythology links the introduction of Christianity to Britain to the Glastonbury legend of Joseph of Arimathea) and the Romano-British population after the withdrawal of the Roman legions was mostly Christian. However the Anglo-Saxon invasions largely wiped out Christianity from the areas occupied by the Saxons - although whether this was due to conversion of the native population or ethnic cleansing of the original population is widely disputed. What is not disputed is that Anglo-Saxon England was largely pagan by the 7th century (See Anglo-Saxon polytheism).

Ireland was converted largely by Romano-British missionaries - notably Saint Patrick at some time after the withdrawal of the Roman legions from England. Irish Christianity developed in a monastic style. Celtic missionaries from Ireland spread Celtic Christianity then came to Scotland - notably through Saint Columba and later the Kingdom of Northumbria. Many works of art and faith were inspired, such as the Lindisfarne Gospels.

Augustine of Canterbury was sent by Pope Gregory I to establish an English church loyal to Rome starting in the Kingdom of Kent - which had strong links to the Franks, including the Kentish King's wife who invited Augustine to England. See History of the Church of England.

Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum describes the history of the English church.

The Synod of Whitby in AD 664 attempted to reconcile differences of religious practice, particularly between the Celtic Church and the Roman Church. The outcome was that Cuthbert, the leader of Celtic Christianity accepted the Petrine supremacy that Augustine and Rome claimed. During the 8th century, Anglo-Saxon missionaries spread Christianity on the Continent.

Until the Protestant Reformation different religious practices in different countries of what is now the United Kingdom had been established; Christianity in the islands generally looked to Rome for spiritual guidance, although figures such as Stephen Langton and John Wyclif and movements such as Lollardy occasionally posed challenges to the dominance of the Roman Catholic hierarchy.

The Bible was eventually translated into vernacular languages in the United Kingdom: see, for example, Wyclif's Bible, William Tyndale, William Morgan and Welsh Bible.

Due to his own dynastic difficulties, Henry VIII of England cut ties with the Papacy. When he was not granted an annulment of his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, Henry announced himself as the supreme head of the Church in England. In Scotland the Protestant Reformation was more of a grass roots movement than an imposition by the Crown. Continuing adherence by a majority of the population to Catholicism in Ireland ensured unstable and violent relations between the nations of the isles. By the late 17th century a political settlement of religious questions had re-established stability, if not general conformism (see Act of Settlement 1701 and Act of Security). For more detail of this period see the following articles:

The Church of England became the established church in England. It regards itself as in continuity with the pre-Reformation state Catholic church, but has been a distinct Anglican church since the settlement under Elizabeth I (with some disruption during the 17th-century Commonwealth period). The Queen is formally Supreme Governor of the Church of England, but it is in practice governed by the General Synod, under the authority of Parliament.

Main article: Religion in Scotland
John Knox was the leading Scottish religious reformer of the 16th century
John Knox was the leading Scottish religious reformer of the 16th century

The Church of Scotland is recognised in law (by the Church of Scotland Act 1921) as the national church in Scotland, but is not an established church and is independent of state control in matters spiritual. The Church of Scotland is a Reformed church, with a Presbyterian system of ecclesiastical polity as determined in 1690. Although the Queen is an ordinary member of the Church of Scotland, she is represented at the General Assembly by her Lord High Commissioner. For more information on the history of the Reformation in Scotland, see also John Knox, Jenny Geddes, Book of Common Order, and Bishops' Wars.

The Scottish Reformation was more influenced by Calvinism than in England, with the adoption of the Westminster Confession. Divisions within Presbyterianism (see Disruption of 1843) in Scotland have led to the setting up of other denominations:

The second largest church in Scotland in terms of membership is the Roman Catholic Church. The indigenous Scottish Episcopal Church (which is part of the Anglican communion), is a relatively small denomination and not established.

The Welsh Church Act 1914 provided for the separation of the four dioceses of the Church of England located in Wales (known collectively as the Church in Wales) from the rest of the Church, and for the simultaneous disestablishment of the Church. The Act came into operation in 1920. Since then there has been no established church in Wales.

Beside the Roman Catholic Church (Eglwys Gatholig Rufeinig) and the Church in Wales (Eglwys yng Nghymru), which both have less than 5 % of the population as members, the largest religious societies are the Presbyterian Church of Wales (Eglwys Bresbyteraidd Cymru) with 34,819 (2004) members and 1 % of the population as members and the Union of Welsh Independents (Undeb yr Annibynwyr Cymraeg) as well as the Baptist Union of Wales (Undeb Bedyddwyr Cymru) with about 1 % of the population as members each.

The Anglican Church of Ireland was disestablished in 1871 by the Irish Church Disestablishment Act. (The Republic of Ireland subsequently seceded from the United Kingdom.)

The vast majority of the population of Northern Ireland identifies with one of two different political groups, unionists and nationalists. Both sides of the community are often described by their predominant religious attachments; Unionists are predominantly Protestant, while nationalists are predominantly Catholic. Although the Protestant population is larger numerically than the Catholic population, the Roman Catholic Church forms the largest single denomination. The largest Protestant denominations are the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the smaller Anglican (Episcopalian) Church of Ireland. One of the best known denominations is the Free Presbyterian Church, led by its Moderator Ian Paisley.

Saint Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham was the first Roman Catholic cathedral to be built in England after the Reformation and is one of only three minor basilicas in England (the others being Downside Abbey and Corpus Christi Priory)
Saint Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham was the first Roman Catholic cathedral to be built in England after the Reformation and is one of only three minor basilicas in England (the others being Downside Abbey and Corpus Christi Priory)

Relations between adherents of Protestantism and the Roman Catholic Church have at times been difficult (see Papist and Popery). Roman Catholics who clung to their faith in the face of persecution were called recusants. Following Catholic Emancipation in the late 18th and early 19th century (which met violent opposition in the Gordon Riots) the Roman Catholic Church in England re-established a hierarchy in 1850. Roman Catholic worship and liturgy has also influenced some parts of the Anglican Church since the 19th century: see Anglo-Catholicism and the Oxford Movement.

Some problems of sectarianism still remain, particularly in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland (esp. Glasgow).

For more detail on Roman Catholic history in England, see Roman Catholicism in Great Britain and English Roman Catholic parish histories.

Other traditions of Christianity have a long history. There has been a strain of Nonconformism or Dissent traceable back to Lollardry. For more information on some of these groupings, especially those that came to prominence during the religious ferment of the 16th and 17th centuries, see English Dissenters.

Britain provided a place of refuge for Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in France.

Many parts of the British Isles developed a strong tradition of Methodism from the 18th century onwards. For more information, see:

Orthodoxy has more recently been re-introduced to the United Kingdom by Cypriot, Russian and other immigrants (see, for example, Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh and Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas), but increasing numbers of British converts are joining formerly ethnically-based congregations.

Russian Orthodox parishes may fall under the jurisdiction of:

Greek Orthodox parishes fall under the jurisdiction of:

Among other denominations are:

Traditionally, saints have often been venerated locally, nationally and internationally. This is often reflected in British toponymy.

Patron saints:

Many municipalities and regions preserve traditions of their own saints. See, for example, Cornish Saints and Saint Swithun.

Wales is particularly noted for naming places after either local or well-known saints - all places beginning in Llan e.g. Llanbedr - St Peter (Pedr); Llanfihangel - St Michael (Mihangel); Llanarmon - St Garmon. Because of the relatively small number of saints' names used, places names are often suffixed by their locality e.g. Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn, Llanfihangel-y-Pennant.

Saint Alban was, according to tradition, the first Christian martyr in Britain. Other martyrs, such as the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, have also been canonised.

Ruins of a former nunnery in Iona
Ruins of a former nunnery in Iona

Pilgrimages were an important religious, social and economic activity in pre-Reformation Britain. The shrine of Thomas Becket attracted particularly large numbers of pilgrims, as recounted in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Some local pilgrimages have been revived; see, for example, the shrines of Walsingham.

The strength of nonconformism among workers in the newly-industrialised towns of the Industrial Revolution gave rise, in large measure, to the development of Christian socialism in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party arose from a nonconformist background, whereas the Church of England has sometimes been nicknamed "the Conservative Party at prayer".

As religious disabilities were relaxed in the 19th century, politics was opened up to people of different faiths or none (see Charles Bradlaugh). However, the Church of England still maintains a constitutional position in the legislature: see Lord Spiritual.

The debate over the role of the churches in the constitution was perennial in British politics:

In modern times, however, the religious faith, or lack of it, of a politician is viewed as an entirely personal matter for that politician. Indeed, unlike in the United States, the electorate tends to view a politician expressing excessive religiosity with suspicion.

The BBC programme Songs of Praise is aired on a Sunday evening, and often receives around 2.5 million viewers[citation needed]. Midnight mass and other such events are usually aired. As a public broadcaster the BBC produces such programming partly because of remit obligations. Accordingly, BBC3 and BBC4 air occasional programming from Atheist or Muslim perspectives. Other channels offer documentaries of a based upon belief - or non-belief. Most significantly the recent Channel 4 two-part documentary, narrated by Richard Dawkins, 'The Root of all Evil?'.


The British media often portrays a cultural skepticism towards religion. British comedy in particular has a history of satire and parody on the subject - The most iconic example probably being the Monty Python film the life of Brian. It could be said that religious mockery, or open disbelief in Christianity, is not as culturally taboo in the British media as it could be considered to be in the United States.

The Neasden Temple is the second largest temple of Hinduism in Europe.
The Neasden Temple is the second largest temple of Hinduism in Europe.

Despite its Christian tradition, the number of churchgoers fell over the last half of the 20th century. Society in the United Kingdom is markedly more secular than in the past. The National Secular Society is among bodies aiming to reduce the influence of religion. According to the 2001 census, however, 71.6% of population declared themselves to be "Christian", a further 2.7% as Muslim and 1% as Hindu. Only 15.5% said they had "no religion" and 7.3% did not reply to the question. [1] The problem with interpreting these results is that they do not reveal the intensity of religious belief or non-belief. See also Status of religious freedom in the United Kingdom.

Until 1944 there was no requirement for state schools in England and Wales to provide religious education or worship, although most did so. The Education Act 1944 introduced a requirement for a daily act of collective worship and for religious education but did not define what was allowable under these terms. The act contained provisions to allow parents to withdraw their children from these activities and for teachers to refuse to participate. The Education Reform Act 1988 introduced a further requirement that the majority of collective worship be "wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character". In recent years schools have increasingly failed to comply with the collective worship rules - in 2004 David Bell, the Chief Inspector of Schools said that "at present more than three-quarters of schools fail to meet this requirement."[2] Religious studies is still an obligatory subject in the curriculum, but tends to aim at providing an understanding of the main faiths of the world than at instilling a strictly Christian viewpoint.

Ecumenical rapprochement has gradually developed between Christian denominations.

However, some religious tensions still exist. See, for example, The Satanic Verses (novel), and Sectarianism in Glasgow.

As of 2004, consultation on proposals to update the blasphemy law in the United Kingdom are ongoing. The Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 made it an offense to incite hatred against a person on the grounds of their religion.

There being no strict separation of church and state in the United Kingdom, public officials may in general display religious symbols in the course of their duties - for example, turbans. School uniform codes are generally drawn up flexibly enough to accommodate religious dress. Chaplains are provided in the armed forces (see Royal Army Chaplains' Department) and in prisons.

Until the 20th century Judaism was the only noticeable non-Christian religion (see, for example: History of the Jews in England), having first appeared (at least in historical records) during the Norman Conquest of 1066. In fact, from 1290 to 1656, Judaism did not officially exist in England due to an outright expulsion in 1290 and official restrictions that were not lifted until 1656 (though historical records show that some Jews did come back to England during the early part of the 17th century prior to the lifting of the restriction). In addition, the Jewish community has historically suffered expulsions, official restrictions and discrimination, and outbreaks of communal violence (see History of anti-Semitism); however, in the 19th and 20th centuries, British society was considered more tolerant of Jews than most other European nations, especially the ones from Germany and eastern Europe. The Jewish population of the UK peaked in the late 1940s at around 400,000, but has since declined through emigration and intermarriage to around 250,000; some community leaders have expressed concern that the Jewish community could disappear by the end of the 21st century if current trends continue.

A ten-month inquiry into anti-Semitism in Britain was delivered by three members of Parliament to Downing Street on September 7, 2006, and criticized boycotts of academics working in Israel and using criticism of Israel as 'a pretext' for spreading hatred against British Jews.[3]

The London Central Mosque.
The London Central Mosque.

More recently, immigration has led to the introduction of other religions that are popular amongst ethnic minorities, such as Islam (see Islam in the United Kingdom), Hinduism (see Hinduism in the United Kingdom), Sikhism (see Sikhism in the United Kingdom), and Buddhism, as well as Pentecostal and Charismatic Christian movements.

Religious diversity has led Charles, Prince of Wales to muse publicly on the desirability of being Defender of Faith rather than Defender of the Faith. He commented in 1994 that, "I personally would rather see it (his future role) as Defender of Faith, not the Faith" [4].

A group of English neo-druids.
A group of English neo-druids.

Religions claiming pre-Christian British origins, such as Wicca and Neo-druidism, retain some followers, although following many centuries of official persecution they are understandably practiced rather discreetly. In October 2004 a Royal Navy technician, Chris Cranmer, attracted media attention by registering as a Satanist. A spokesman for the Royal Navy said: "We are an equal opportunities employer and we don't stop anybody from having their own religious values."

Ancient monasticism in the British Isles spread Christianity to the furthest parts of the archipelago, but the Reformation led to the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Catholic monastic communities have since been re-established, and there are also many Anglican communities, and some Orthodox ones. Religious communities of Hindus and Buddhists also exist.

Lambeth Palace is the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in London
Lambeth Palace is the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in London

The crooked spire of the Church of Saint Mary and All Saints in Chesterfield
The crooked spire of the Church of Saint Mary and All Saints in Chesterfield

The varied religious and ethnic history of the United Kingdom has left a wide range of buildings - churches, cathedrals, chapels, chapels of ease, synagogues, mosques and temples - across the home nations. Besides its spiritual importance, the religious architecture of the United Kingdom includes buildings of importance to the tourism industry and local pride. As a result of the Reformation, the ancient cathedrals remained in the possession of the then-established churches, while most Roman Catholic churches date from Victorian times or are of more recent construction (curiously, in Liverpool the ultra-modern design Roman Catholic cathedral was actually completed before the more traditional design of the Anglican cathedral, whose construction took most of the twentieth century). Changing social and demographic profiles mean that in some areas redundant religious buildings are being converted to secular purposes. In other locations, new places of worship are being established. Here is a selection of articles on notable places of worship in the United Kingdom:

In the 2001 census data, people were asked about their beliefs.

Religion England %ge Wales %ge
Christianity 35,251,244 71.7 2,087,242 71.9
No religion 7,171,332 14.6 537,935 18.5
Islam 1,524,887 3.1 21,739 3.7
Hinduism 546,982 1.1 5,439 0.2
Sikhism 327,343 0.7 2,015 0.1
Judaism 257,671 0.5 2,256 0.1
Buddhism 139,046 0.3 5,407 0.2
Any other religion 143,811 0.3 6,909 0.2
Religion not stated 3,776,515 7.7 234,143 8.1

The 2001 UK census also included responses from 390,127 people (or 0.7% of the population of England and Wales) who gave their religion as the parody religion, Jedi.

A survey[5] in 2002 found average weekly attendance at Anglican churches in England varied between 4.0% of the population in the diocese of Hereford, down to just 1.4% in Birmingham. Church attendance at Christmas in some dioceses was up to three times the average for the rest of the year.

A 2004 YouGov poll indicated that 44 per cent of UK citizens believe in the Christian god[6]. The disparity between the census data and the YouGov data has been put down to the phenomenon of 'cultural Christianity', whereby many who do not believe Christian dogma still identify with the religion because of its role in their upbringing or its importance to their family.

Denomination Adherents %ge
Presbyterian Church in Ireland 348,742 20.7
Church of Ireland 257,788 15.3
Methodist Church in Ireland 59,173 3.5
Other Christian (Including Christian Related) 102,221 6.1
(Total non-catholic Christian) 767,924 45.6
Catholic 678,462 40.3
Other Religions and Philosophies 5,028 0.3
No Religion or Religion not Stated 233,853 13.8

Source: UK 2001 Census.

Religion/Denomination Current religion %ge Religion of upbringing %ge
Church of Scotland 2,146,251 42.4 2,392,601 47.3
No Religion 1,394,460 27.5 887,221 17.5
Roman Catholic 803,732 15.9 859,503 17.5
Other Christian 344,562 6.8 424,221 8.4
Islam 42,557 0.8 42,264 0.8
Buddhism 6,830 0.1 4,704 0.1
Sikhism 6,572 0.1 6,821 0.1
Judaism 6,448 0.1 7,446 0.1
Hinduism 5,564 0.1 5,921 0.1
Other Religion 26,974 0.5 8,447 0.2
Religion not stated 278,061 5.5 422,862 8.4
Base/Total 5,062,011 100 5,062,011 100

Source: UK 2001 census, General Register Office for Scotland, [7]


In the UK overall, a Guardian/ICM poll has found that 33% describe themselves as "a religious person" while 82% see religion as a cause of division and tension between people. (Sample of 1006 adults weighted to adult profile, 12/13 December 2006) [8]

Main article: Hinduism in United Kingdom


Main article: Sikhism in United Kingdom


  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ "Criticism of Israel Is not 'anti-Semitism'", 2006-09-05 publisher=Arab News.
  4. ^ [3]
  5. ^ [4]
  6. ^ [5]
  7. ^ The Registrar General's 2001 Census Report to the Scottish Parliament (Excel). See also Analysis of Religion in the 2001 Census: Summary Report
  8. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,1978045,00.html


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Religion in Europe

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Dependencies, autonomies and other territories
Abkhazia1 · Adjara2 · Åland · Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Crimea · Faroe Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Kosovo · Nagorno-Karabakh2 · Nakhichevan2 · Transnistria · Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus2, 3

1 Has significant territory in Asia. 2 Entirely in West Asia, but considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons. 3 Only recognised by Turkey.

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