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RELIGION IN THE UK
The Treaty of Union (1707) that led to the formation of the United Kingdom ensured that there would be a Protestant succession as well as a link between church and state that still remains. Christianity is the major religion (72% of population), followed by Islam (3%), Hinduism (1%), Sikhism (0,6%) and then Judaism (0,5%) in terms of number of adherents*. Though each country that makes up the UK has a long tradition of Christianity** that pre-dates the UK itself, in practice all have relatively low levels of religious observance and today are secular societies.
Religion in England. The Church of England
Role and status of the Church of England
TheChurch of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communion’s thirty-eight independent national churches. Others include the Church in Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church of Ireland. The British Monarch is “ Supreme Governor of the Church of England ”.
Thus, Britain does not follow the rule of "separation of church and state" as many modern states do and the Church of England plays a role in governing the country. Firstly, the British monarch is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and no adherent of other religions can become the monarch or the consort. Secondly, the Measures of the General Synod (the church’s legislative body) become part of English law. Thirdly, the two archbishops and 24 senior bishops sit in the House of Lords, making a major contribution to the Parliament's work.
The Church of England, although an established church, does not receive any direct government support. Donations comprise its largest source of income, though it also relies heavily on the income from its various historic endowments.
The church has its own judicial branch, known as the Ecclesiastical courts, which likewise form a part of the UK court system, and have powers especially in relation to the care of churches and churchyards and the discipline of the clergy.
Doctrine and religious practices of the CofE
The Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534 with the Act of Supremacy during Henry VIII’s Reformation. Henry maintained a strong preference for traditional Catholic practices and, during his reign, Protestant reformers were unable to make many changes to the practices of the Church of England. Under his son, Edward VI, more Protestant-influenced forms of worship were adopted. The settlement under Elizabeth I developed the via media (middle way) character of the Church of England, a church moderately Reformed in doctrine, but also emphasising continuity with the Catholic and Apostolic traditions of the Church Fathers. Thus, the Church of England considers itself to be both Catholic and Reformed:
· Reformed insofar as many of the principles of Protestant Reformation have influenced it and also insofar as it does not accept Papal supremacy.
· Catholic in that it views itself as being an unbroken continuation of both the early apostolic and later medieval universal church, rather than a new formation, and in that it holds and teaches the historic Catholic faith. In its customs and liturgy it has retained more of the Catholic tradition than most other Protestant churches. (For comparison between the Catholic, Anglican, and other Protestant churches, see Table 1 below)
In practice, Anglicanism is mixed, with some Anglicans who emphasise the Catholic tradition and others the Reformed tradition. Anglican services are extremely varied and flexible. Set forms of words are available, in the Common Book of Prayer as well as several equivalents, but the use of these is optional. There is much variation in style between individual parishes, and some parishes use different services on different Sundays. There are specific words to accompany Communion, and the Lord's Prayer will normally find its way into a service. There will often be a Creed, a formal statement of basic Christian beliefs. Most services include hymns, which may be either traditional or modern. There will be prayers; some of these will be in set words, but some are about current issues. Services also include readings from the Bible and quite often a sermon. At the end of the service there will normally be a collection of money to meet the church’s current needs as well as for charities.
The core of many Anglican services is Holy Communion, also known as Eucharist. This is a ceremony derived from the supper which Jesus held with his followers on the night before his execution. Holy Communion involves the giving out of bread and wine which has been consecrated, or made holy, with special prayers. The bread and wine symbolize the body and blood of Christ.
Spiritual leaders of the Church of England
The Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr Rowan Williams) fills a unique position in the world-wide Anglican Communion. As primus inter pares (first among equals), of the Bishops, he serves the Anglican Church as spiritual leader.
The Archbishop of York (Dr John Sentamu) is Archbishop of the Province of York – the whole northern half of England with pastoral oversight of the bishops in that Province and responsibility for clergy discipline.
The General Synod
The national assembly of the Church of England is the General Synod. It came into being in 1970, replacing an earlier body known as the Church Assembly. It continues a tradition of synodical government which, in England, has its origins in the medieval period. It has powers in the following areas: legislation, relation with other churches, approving and amending liturgy, church finance. The legislation passed by the general Synod comes in two types: Measures, dealing with the government of the Church and its institutions; which, if approved by resolution of each House of Parliament, receive Royal Assent and thereby become part of the law of England; and Canons, determining doctrine and the form of worship; which are part of the church law, not the state law.
Structure of the Church of England
The church is structured as follows (from the lowest level upwards):
· Parish – the most local level, often consisting of one church building and community, although nowadays many parishes are joining forces in a variety of ways for financial reasons. The parish will be looked after by a parish priest who for various historical or legal reasons may also be called vicar, rector or the “ incumbent ”.
· Deanery, e.g., Lewisham, or Runnymede. This is the area for which a rural dean is responsible. It will consist of a number of parishes in a particular district. The rural dean will usually be the incumbent of one of the constituent parishes.
· Archdeaconry, e.g., Dorking. This is the area under the jurisdiction of an archdeacon. It will consist of a number of deaneries.
· Diocese, e.g., Diocese of Durham, Diocese of Guildford, Diocese of St Albans. This is the area under the jurisdiction of a diocesan bishop, e.g., the Bishops of Durham, Guildford and St Albans, and will have a cathedral. There may also be one or more assisting bishops, usually called suffragan bishops, within the diocese.
· Province, i.e., York or Canterbury (these are the only two in the Church of England). This is the area under the jurisdiction of an archbishop, i.e. the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. A province is subdivided into dioceses.
· Primacy, i.e., Church of England. In addition to his specific authority in his own province, each archbishop is “Primate of All England” (Canterbury) or “Primate of England” (York) and has certain powers that extend over the whole country.
Outside this hierarchy lies the Royal Peculiar, a small number of churches that are more closely associated with the Crown, and a very few with the law. These are outside episcopal jurisdiction. There are also a number of local churches which do not have a parish.
Patronage
All rectors and vicars are appointed by patrons, who may be private individuals, corporate bodies such as cathedrals, colleges or trusts, or by the bishop or even appointed directly by the Crown. In effect patronage (also called advowson) means the right to nominate, or suggest, a person to hold a church office in a parish; the final decision will be the bishop’s.
Historically it was most often the local landowner who was responsible both for the building of a church and the upkeep of priests. With time such rights, and sometimes land, often passed into the hands of Bishops and religious foundations (including such places as Oxford and Cambridge colleges). Patronage is regarded as property, and could be bought and sold, as well as inherited, but after reforms of parish administration in the 19th century it has little commercial value. Patronages were valued for a number of reasons, including as a means for the patron to influence the parish through the appointee or to simply reward the appointee for services rendered. The incumbent of a prosperous parish might receive a very comfortable, even elegant house — the rectory or vicarage or parsonage — and a very good living. Lately, the role of Patrons in appointments has been significantly reduced. In contrast, more and more of the role has been taken on by Diocesan officials.
Religion in Scotland. National Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, The Kirk, is the national church of Scotland. It is a Presbyterian church, founded in 1560 along Calvinist principles, and grew out of the Reformation led by John Knox.
It 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 spiritual matters. Although the British Monarch is an ordinary member of the Church of Scotland, she is represented at the General Assembly by the Lord High Commissioner.
'Presbyterian' government refers to the sharing of authority in the church by an equal number of ' elders ' (elected from the membership of the church) and ministers. Both are ordained for their special tasks. The local council is the Kirk Session, consisting of elders and the minister. The regional council is the Presbytery, which looks after all the churches in the area. The national council is known as the General Assembly and convenes each year in Edinburgh. This meeting establishes the laws which govern the church and the priorities for the coming year. The most public position in the Church of Scotland is that of Moderator who chairs the General Assembly. It is an honorary (which means unpaid) and elected role held for a year. (For further details, see Table 1)
The indigenous Scottish Episcopal Church, which is part of the Anglican Communion, is a relatively small denomination and not established.
Religion in Wales. National church of Wales
The Church in Wales is a member Church of the Anglican Communion, consisting of six dioceses in Wales. The Welsh Church Act 1914 provided for the separation of the 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. As in Scotland the Church of Wales is not an Established church. The Archbishop of Wales holds that post as well as being bishop of one of the six dioceses.
Religion in Northern Ireland.
Ireland has a complicated and violent religious history. Having a longer continuous Christian tradition than Great Britain, it resisted protestant Reformation even after being joined to the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland, or Ulster, was drawn forever into the conflict when James I seized Catholic lands in order to give them to loyal Protestants from England and Scotland. The terrible combination of nationalism, politics and religion has had deadly consequences for the people living in Northern Ireland. Even now there is noticeable tension between mainly pro-British Protestants and pro-Irish Catholics, who often live in separate areas of cities and visit separate pubs.
The Anglican Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Like other Anglican churches, it considers itself to be both Catholic and Reformed. The Church of Ireland was disestablished in 1871 by the Irish Church Disestablishment Act. The Republic of Ireland later seceded from the UK. Although the Protestant population of Northern Ireland 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, closely linked to the Church of Scotland in terms of theology and history; the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church.
Table 1. Comparison of the Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian (representing Radical Protestant) beliefs and traditions
| Catholic | Presbyterian | Anglican | |
| Religious authority | The Bible (Old Testament, New Testament, and Apocrypha); tradition, along with the pronouncements of Popes and Councils is equally authoritative. | The Bible (Old Testament and New Testament only); no prayer book which has to be followed. | The Bible (Old Testament and New Testament only), the Book of Common Prayer as a guide for services. |
| Saints and Virgin Mary | Strong devotion to the saints, especially to Christ's mother, the Virgin Mary. | Prayers to saints are rejected; Mary’s role is less important, because the Bible says very little about her. | Prayers to saints are rejected; Mary’s role is less important, because the Bible says very little about her. |
| Purgatory | affirmed | denied | denied |
| Sacraments | Seven sacraments: baptism, reconciliation (penance), Eucharist, confirmation, marriage, holy orders (joining the priesthood) and the sacrament of the sick. | Two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion. | Two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion. |
| Confession and penance | Believers are expected to confess sins and have them absolved by a priest. The priest may then offer advice and imposes a particular penance to be performed. | No intermediary except Christ is necessary between the Christian and God in order to be absolved from sins. Corporate confession may be included in regular worship. | Confession and absolution is usually a component part of corporate worship, there is no requirement for private confession, but it may be desirable depending on individual circumstances. |
| Service | Unlike most Protestant churches, Catholic masses are conducted in a liturgical fashion, with much emphasis upon symbols, rituals and ceremony. | The Church has no set prayer-book or order of service; communion is generally celebrated only occasionally. Scripture readings, singing and the sermon are key elements of worship. | The range of belief and practice includes those who emphasise liturgy and sacraments, to the far more preaching-centred and less ritual-based services. Generally the service is based on the Common Book of Prayer or the modern liturgical book, Common Worship. |
| Structure of government | The Pope, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests and laity. | Authority is shared by an equal number of 'elders' (elected from the membership of the church) and ministers. | Two archbishops, bishops, archdeacons, deans and parish priests, laity. |
| Spiritual leader | PopeBenedict XVI (Joseph Alois Ratzinger). Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor is the Archbishop of Westminster (most senior Catholic priest in Britain). | All ministers have equal status; the assembly is presided over by a moderator. This year's moderator is the Right Reverend Dr Finlay Macdonald. | The Most Reverend Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury. |
| Representative body | The College of Cardinals | The General Assembly | The General Synod |
| Celibacy | Priests are celibate men. | Priests can marry. | |
| Church architecture and interior | Catholic churches and cathedrals are usually highly ornate with a lot of Christian symbols used in decorations; the altar is the centre of worship. | Early Presbyterian meeting-houses (now called churches) were extremely plain. No stained glass, no elaborate furnishings, and no images were to be found there so as not to detract from worship. The pulpit was the centerpiece of the building. | There is a great variety of architectural styles and level of decoration, as many Anglican churches used to be Catholic before the Reformation; but often a communion table and pulpit replaced the altar and many statues, pictures and stained glasses were destroyed as they were considered a form of idol worship. |
| Status in the UK | In Britain, Catholics suffered a long period of persecution which ended by the start of the nineteenth century. Today there are 5 million Catholics - or 10 per cent of the population. | The Church of Scotland has the status of “national’. In 2000 Church membership was estimated at 607,714 (42% of the population of Scotland or 3% of the population of Britain). | The Church of England is the established or state church in England. Surveys suggest there are between 17 million and 27 million Anglicans in Britain (about 20% of population). |
| Role of the Monarch | The reigning monarch is not seen as head of the Church as in England. | The Monarch is the Supreme Governor of the church |
Glossary
| baptism | Christian religious rite of sprinkling water on to a person's forehead or of immersing them in water, symbolizing purification or regeneration and admission to the Christian Church |
| Canon | religious law or body of law decreed by the church |
| diocese | territorial jurisdiction of a bishop |
| ecclesiastical | of or associated with a church (especially a Christian Church) |
| liturgy | rite or body of rites prescribed for public worship |
| Measure | statute in draft before it becomes law |
| Purgatory | (in Catholic doctrine) a place or state of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners who are expiating their sins before going to heaven |
| pulpit | a raised enclosed platform in a church or chapel from which the preacher delivers a sermon |
| secede | withdraw from an organization or communion |
| secular | not having any connection with religion |
| sermon | a talk on a religious or moral subject, especially one given during a church service and based on a passage from the Bible |
Comprehension
Exercise 1. Fill in the gaps with the names of religions from the box.
Judaism Sikhism Catholicism Russian Orthodox Church Protestantism Christianity Hinduism Anglican Church Islam
For the largest part of its history the traditional religion in England, and later the United Kingdom has been _________, first ________ and later a branch of _________. Nowadays the church is separated from the state in all the constituent countries except England, where _______ is the established church. Besides, there exist a wide variety of other Christian churches and denominations, including __________. _________ has been practiced in the country since the Middle Ages, apart from a four hundred year period when the Jews were expelled from Britain. The influx of immigrant from former Asian colonies brought a wide range of other religions, such as _______, _________ and _______.
Exercise 2. Answer the following questions about the Church of England.
Exercise 3. Indicate whether the following statements are true or false.
Exercise 4. Study the chart depicting some of the Christian denominations and fill in the following:
Eastern Orthodox, Church of England, Church of Scotland, Quakers, Baptists, Russian Orthodox
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