Theos

Home / In the news / Theos in the media

Britain’s sea of faith remains, but its tides are changing

Britain’s sea of faith remains, but its tides are changing

Chine McDonald writes about the 2021 Census for the Financial Times. 03/12/2022

If everyone who ticked the “Christian” box in last year’s census were to actually turn up to church on Sunday, there wouldn’t be nearly enough pews, let alone biscuits to go round after the service. This is despite the fact that, according to data released this week, the number of people in England and Wales identifying as Christian has dropped to less than half the population, at 46 per cent, down from 59 per cent a decade ago and 71 per cent in 2001.

The National Secular Society was quick to jump on these figures as evidence of a changing tide. “It’s official,” said its chief executive, “we are no longer a Christian country.” But anyone who needed the census data to show them that has not been paying attention. Christians who mention to colleagues on a Monday morning that they were at church the day before will tell you the look of mild perplexity or indifference with which they are met. Christianity — that is, practising Christianity — is not the norm, but the exception. In the UK, the faith has been perceived to be in decline since at least the 19th century. It was, after all, in 1867 that Matthew Arnold’s poem “Dover Beach” described the “melancholy, long, withdrawing roar” of the “Sea of Faith”, “retreating, to the breath of the night–wind”.

Read the full article here.

 


Interested in this? Share it on social media. Join our monthly e–newsletter to keep up to date with our latest research and events. And check out our Supporter Programme to find out how you can help our work.

 Image by The Financial Times

Chine McDonald

Chine McDonald

Chine is a writer, speaker and broadcaster,
and head of public engagement at Christian Aid.

Watch, listen to or read more from Chine McDonald

Posted 3 December 2022

Research

See all

In the news

See all

Comment

See all

Get regular email updates on our latest research and events.

Please confirm your subscription in the email we have sent you.

Want to keep up to date with the latest news, reports, blogs and events from Theos? Get updates direct to your inbox once or twice a month.

Thank you for signing up.