I picked up the "Economic and Social Research Council" annual report, "Britain in 2008" yesterday (available in all good bookshops!). It's a vital overview of trends in British lifestyles and consumption, attitudes to conservation, religion and science, affording a picture of where we are now. The corresponding website is a helpful repository of statistics and articles here.
The stuff on religion is fascinating and attempts to unpack that majority of those who continue to designate themselves "Christian" in the census. Research conducted by the likes of Prof Woodhead at Lancaster University suggest that there is a large and growing constituency that they are now calling the "fuzzy faithful". This group go to church for high days and holidays, believe something but have relinquished core beliefs such as Jesus being the Son of God. As well as the well documented "spiritual seekers" they have another category known as "Sheilaists" after a young nurse who told a study of religion that although she believed in God, "I can't remember the last time I went to church", her position defined by herself as "Sheilaism. Just my own little voice."
The landscape is evidently hugely complex and belies any talk of absolute secularism. Nominal believers are in turn categorised as "natal nominalists" (born into the faith and assuming this is all that is necessary for such religious identity), "ethnic nominalists" (describing themselves as Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu etc in order to signal a difference from people of other faiths) and "aspirational nominalists" (who claim to be Christian in an established church because it is associated with respectability).
To muddy the waters even further, I see that Professor Richard Dawkins has "come out". In a full-blown admission of his skeleton in the cupboard, the prophet of uber-rationalism has trumpeted to the BBC that he enjoys singing Christmas carols! Apparently, Richard Dawkins sees himself as a "cultural Christian". There we have it: he's obviously a "natal nominalist". So long as religious folk keep their religion to themselves (that means keeping it from the kids too.....does Richard Dawkins do nativity plays??), then that must be fine in his way of looking at the world.
This is all interesting stuff. Our context is perhaps not as bad as we think but neither is it as good as we might want to believe. The huge numbers of "fuzzy faithful" are at a staging post towards secular hegemony, having left religious hegemony. What should discipleship and mission look like for a 2008 Britain? Imagination, prayer and the willingness to take risks and make mistakes are commodities the church needs in abundance.
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