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GCU 114

Christianity in England
Christianity is the main religion in England today. In fact, it has been the main religion in England since the Roman invasion of England. The first traces of Christianity found in Roman Britain were in 180 AD. (Lambert, 2001)1 Christianity actually started in 30 AD and is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, a Jewish carpenter who lived during the Roman occupation of Israel. Christianity was founded in Palestine during the first century by disciples of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of all humanity.

(ONS, 2012)2

(ONS, 2012)

The map and chart above, from the 2011 census, show us that 59 percent of the citizens of England and Wales, about 33.2 million people, are Christian. This is a 12 percent drop since 2001. Four million people no longer affiliate themselves with the Christian religion. The second highest religious affiliation in England and Wales today are the 25 percent of citizens who claim no religious affiliation. (BBC News, 2012)3 Religion has played a large role in the social development and culture of England. Christianity has had both a positive and negative impact on English society through the years. Christianity has been a repressive force against the advancement of civilization at times. (Williams, 2000)4 During Henry VIIIs rule, when he deviated from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England, there was persecution of those who did not share the same beliefs and belong to the same Church as the King. Some of Henrys wives we executed because of this disagreement in religious beliefs. Through the Middle Ages and beyond England has gone back and forth between the Catholic and Protestant sects of Christianity. Whatever Christian sect the King or Queen of England belonged to the people was expected to follow as well, this caused wars and burning of

dissenters at stake. During the Middle Ages, Christianity created a further divide between the poor and the wealthy. The Church left the poor to mostly fend for themselves with only the aid of monks, nuns, and parish priests. Bishops, from rich families, ruled the Church and influenced government while living in palaces. William Tyndale and John Wesley were two men who tried to bring about positive social change through reformation. Christianity has positively influence society in science, higher education (founding of universities), and the arts. (Lambert, 2001)5 Christianity has many sacred places. The sacred places of Christianity have to do with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, which would be in present day Israel. He grew up in Nazareth, was baptized in the Jordan River, ministered in Jerusalem, and was crucified on the hill Golgotha. Israel is known as the Holy Land because it was the birthplace of Jesus Christ and Christianity. There are some famous and old Christian churches in the country of England that could be considered sacred places as well. Westminster Abbey of the Church of England has over 1000 years of history and is the resting place for many famous English people including kings and queens. St Pauls Cathedral is another old, historic church located in London. It has been the site of many historic events and is the seat of the Bishop of London for the Church of England.

Westminster Abbey The Church of England 6

Inside Westminster Abbey Church leaders 7

St. Pauls Cathedral in London

Stained Glass Window in Rochester Cathedral, Kent (Dlloyd, 2006)9

There are indeed connections between the English government and the Church of England. Queen Elizabeth II, the constitutional monarch of the United Kingdom, also holds the position of Supreme Governor of the Church of England. (Barrow, 2011)10 The ties between the Church of England and the ruling monarch began with the reign of Henry VIII. Henry VIII wished to divorce his wife and marry another so he could have a son to pass on his kingdom too. The Roman Catholic Church, which England was affiliated with at the time, prohibited divorce so England split with the Pope and Roman Catholic Church and established a new church, the Church of England. Henry VIII made himself the head of the new church and was able to divorce his current wife. Today the Church of Englands relationship with government is mostly traditional and less influential than back then.

SOURCES
1. Lambert, T. (2001). A timeline of Christianity in England. Retrieved from http://www.localhistories.org/christiantime.html 2. Office of National Statistics. (2012). Christian population, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/view-larger.html?edition=tcm:77286262&map=tcm:77-290512&contentid=tcm:77-290510 3. BBC News. (2012, December 11). At a glance: Census 2011 findings. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20677321 4. Williams, J. (2000). The social and historical impact of Christianity. Retrieved from http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4220739/k.E4FC/The_Social_and_Historical_I mpact_of_Christianity.htm 5. Lambert, T. (2001). A history of Christianity in England. Retrieved from http://www.localhistories.org/christian.html 6. Hjjanisch. (Photographer). (2010). Westminster abbey. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjjanisch/4418022608/ 7. (2007). Unity postponed. (2007). [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2007/2-february/news/reunion-with-east-not-beyondhope 8. (n.d.). St. Paul's Cathedral. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://virtualpaulscrossproject.blogspot.com/ 9. Dlloyd. (Photographer). (2006). Rochester cathedral stained glass. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rochester_cathedral_stained_glass_2.jpg 10. Barrow, M. (2011). Religions in Britain. Retrieved from http://projectbritain.com/religions.html