History of Religion in Britain

History of Religion in BritainPre-Roman forms of religion in Britain included various forms of ancestor worship and paganism. Little is known about the details of such religions. In Roman Britain, Christianity was introduced to what are now England, Wales, and Southern Scotland. Forms of Christianity have dominated religious life in Britain for over 1,400 years.The first evidence of Christianity in England was from the late 2nd century AD. This came at first by indirect means, probably brought by traders and soldiers. At that time England and Wales were ruled by the Romans. The native people, Celts, were polytheists (they worshiped many gods). During the 4th century Christianity became widespread in England.In 407 the last Roman soldiers left Britain. Over the following decades Roman civilization broke down. In the 5th and 6th centuries Saxons, Angles and Jutes from Germany and Denmark invaded southern and eastern England and gradually conquered most of England. They introduced their own Teutonic religion. In the course of the 7th century, Christianity was again brought to Great Britain by Roman Catholic and Iro-Scottish missionaries.In the Middle Ages, religion was a vital part of everyday life. Most people lived their lives genuinely believing in the reality of a spiritual realm all around them and in heaven or hell when they died. Everyone attended mass on Sunday. Mass was in Latin, a language that ordinary people did not understand. The Catholic Church provided for the religious aspects of people’s liv es –baptism of babies, marriages, confession, the last rites for the dying and burying the dead, and dominated the thinking of people. Monasteries and nunneries looked after the old and sick, provided somewhere for travelers to stay, gave alms to the poor and sometimes looked after people's money for them. Monks could often read and write when many other people could not, so they copied books and documents and taught children. Monasteries often had libraries. Church festivals and saints' days were 'holy days', when people didn't have to work. The Church played a big part in government: Bishops sat in the House of Lords. They could raise an army for the king in times of war.As the Early Modern era started, the way people looked at life and the world around them began to change. Some began to question traditional beliefs. For example, many Catholic churches suggested that people could pay indulgences in order to buy their way into heaven. Some felt that this was just a way for the church to make money. This led to conflicts about religion and many people died because of their views. In 1517, a German monk called Martin Luther protested about the Catholic Church and “the Reformation” began in Western Europe, which attempted to reform the Catholic Church and develop Protestant Churches. Protestants believed in worshipping God more simply, without the need for beautifully decorated churches and lots of money. They felt that there should be no distractions and it should just be God and his people. Catholics, on the other hand, always believed in making a church look divine in order that people could feel closer to God there. They also had different ideas on liturgy, prayer and communion. At that time, Protestant ideas were spreading in England despite persecution by the state.In the 16th century, Britain broke free from the Roman Catholic Church. There was a period of religious conflict. In 1534 King Henry VIII founded the Church of England (Anglican Church) and split it away from the Pope when the Vatican refused to grant him permission to divorce his first wife. He became the leader of the church. In 1539, Henry authorized a new English translation of the Bible and from 1545 English replaced Latin as the language of church services. During the reign of Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII, Catholicism was restored and manyProtestants were burned. In 1558, Elizabeth became Queen. She changed the church back to Anglican and it has been the official religion ever since.In the early 17th century king and parliament clashed over the issue of religion. In 1642 came Civil War between king and parliament. Following the Civil War, many independent churches sprang up in England. The parliament was determined to crash down on the many independent churches. When James II became the king of England and Scotland in 1685, he tried to make England a Roman Catholic country by forcing people to follow his Roman Catholic faith. He was hated by the people because of his persecution of the Protestants. In 1688, he was forced to give up the crown. Afterwards the Bill of Rights (1689) said that no Catholic could become king or queen and no king could marry a Catholic.In the early 18th century England was noted for its lack of religious enthusiasm. It was an age of reason and the churches lacked vigor. In the mid-18th century things began to change. And in the late 18th century religious enthusiasm began to revive in England.During the early 19th century religious revival continued. The Church of England regained its energy and many new churches were built. Throughout the Victorian age, religion was a dominant force in the lives of many people. The Protestant church of England was very powerful. Most people were members of the Anglican or Presbyterian Church, although there were some Catholics and increasing numbers of Non-conformists for example, Quakers and Methodists. Social life for ordinary people revolved around choir and Sunday School outings. Many employers insisted that their employees go to church. Religion inspired many of the great 19th century social reformers and British Protestant missionaries travelled all over the world. At the same time, there were developments in science, such as Darwinism; politics, such as Marxism and theology. Religion had a great influence over people's life, however, there was a growing seam of doubt.By the 20th century, religion had declined in importance for many people in Britain. Although there have been significant political events related to religion, the number of regular Christian worshipers began to decline, and many people didn't believe in God. By the end of the 20th century only a small minority of the population attended church regularly. The substantial immigration to Britain since the 1920s has contributed to the growth of foreign faiths, especially of Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism.Today, Britain has been variously described as a post-Christian society. British society became more liberal, secular and materialistic.Church of EnglandThere are two established churches in Britain, that is, churches legally recognized as official churches of the State: Church of England in England and Church of Scotland in Scotland.The Church of England (Anglican Church) is the established or state church in England. It is divided into two provinces - Canterbury in the South of England and York in the North. Each province has a head or Primate - the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. On any one Sunday more than a million people attend Church of England services, making it the largest Christian denomination in the country.The Church of England traces its roots back to the early church, but its specifically Anglican identity and its links to the State date back to the Reformation. In the 1530s, Henry VIII started the process of creating the Church of England after his split with the Pope. Henry was anxious to ensure a male heir after his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, who had borne him only a daughter.Henry argued the marriage to Catherine was not valid, because she was his brother's widow. He asked the Pope to annul the marriage in order to remarry, however the Pope would not cooperate. In 1534 after several attempts to persuade the Pope to grant an annulment, Henry passed the Act of Succession and then the Act of Supremacy. These recognized that the King was "the only supreme head of the Church of England called Anglicana Ecclesia", and Church of England became the official religion.The Church of England is the established church, meaning, amongst other things: the Monarch is the Supreme Governor of the church；the Church performs a number of official functions；and the Church and State are linked.Today the Monarch retains the title Defender of the Faith. He or she has to approve the appointment of archbishops, bishops and deans (on the recommendation of the Prime Minister); formally open each new session every five years of the General Synod; promise to maintain the Church in his or her coronation oath.The Church of England also has a law-making role in Britain. Twenty-six bishops (including the two Archbishops) sit in the House of Lords and are known as the Lords Spiritual. They are thought to bring a religious ethos to the secular process of law. However, in an increasingly multi-cultural society, questions are being asked as to whether that role needs to be specifically fulfilled by Church of England Bishops.The Church of England fulfils a civic responsibility too. Its bishops and priests are responsible for performing state weddings and funerals, acts of remembrances, memorial services as well as grand occasions like the coronation. After events like the Gulf War or major disasters, the country "comes together" to mourn under the spiritual guidance of the Church of England. In recent years, such occasions have become more ecumenical and multi-faith as the Church of England acknowledges Britain's changing religious landscape.From the 18th century onwards the Church of England has also been faced with a number of challenges that it continues to face today.●There has been the challenge of responding to social changes in England such as populationgrowth, urbanization and the development of an increasingly multi-cultural and multi-faith society.●There has been the challenge of engaging in mission in a society that has becomeincreasingly materialist in outlook and in which belief in God or interest in 'spiritual' matters is not seen as being linked to involvement with the life of the Church.●There has been the challenge of providing sufficient and sufficiently trained clergy and layministers to enable the Church of England to carry out its responsibility.There has been the challenge of trying to overcome the divisions of the past by developing closer relationships between the Church of England and other churches and trying to move with them towards the goal of full visible unity in faith.。