Surveying Christian Beliefs and Religious Debates in Post-War Britain

This book provides a detailed study of religious beliefs in British society. It considers belief in and the personal salience of God, levels of atheism, as well as a variety of other beliefs lying within a traditional Christian framework. It also examines public opinion on archetypal religious-secular issues, looking at debates concerning religion and science, faith schools and church-state arrangements. Areas or change and continuity over time, as well as patterns in contemporary belief and attitudes, are explored using opinion poll and social survey data spanning several decades. Throughout, close attention is paid to historical and contemporary differences in the belief and attitudes of social groups, including on the basis of religious affiliation.

Situated within broader debates concerning secularisation and declining religious authority within Britain, Surveying Christian Beliefs and Religious Debates in Post-War Britain makes a valuable contribution to the empirical study of religious change in British society.

Ben Clements is a Lecturer in Politics at the University of Leicester, UK. He is the author of Religion and Public Opinion in Britain, co-convenor of the Political Studies Association's Politics and Religion specialist group and a member of the project board for the British Religion in Numbers website.