Britain Today Lesson 1: Religion, Immigration & Diversity

Religion in Britain Today – Christian: 71.7% – None: 14.6% – Not Stated: 7.7% – Muslim: 3.1% – Hindu: 1.1% – Sikh: 0.7% – Jewish: 0.5% – Buddhist: 0.3% – Other: 0.3%

Christianity in Britain Christianity is the main type of religion in Britain today

The Early Christian Church Christianity first arrived in Britain between 100 and 200 AD and existed independently of the Church of Rome.

St Augustine The Pope sent Saint Augustine from Rome in 597. He established his church in Canterbury, the capital of Kent, and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.

“Unification” The Roman system introduced by Augustine gradually absorbed the pre- existing Celtic Christian churches (e.g. the Church of Ireland) England became “Roman Catholic”

Separation from Rome England remained a Roman Catholic country for nearly a thousand years. It separated from Rome in 1534 during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Modern Anglican Church Today, the Church of England is the “official” church in England. It is divided into two provinces, York and Canterbury. It has 43 dioceses and approximately 27 million members. The Queen is the head, followed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. Queen Elizabeth 2 CanterburyYork

Multiracial Britain - Immigrants Many came from the Caribbean and Indian subcontinent. Before and after WW2, most immigrants to the UK were from former colonies. These people filled a gap in the UK labour market for unskilled jobs.

Immigration Restrictions In 1962, new laws restricted the freedom of passage into the UK from other parts of the Commonwealth. By 1972 only holders of work permits, or people with parents or grandparents born in the UK could gain entry.

Demographics Population – male: 23,922,144 – female: 25,216,687 – total: 49,138,831 Place of birth – UK: 90.7% – EU: 2.3% – Outside EU: 6.9% Ethnicity – White: 90.9% – Indian: 2.1% – Pakistani: 1.4% – Mixed: 1.4% – Black Caribbean: 1.1% – Black African: 0.9% – Chinese: 0.4% – Black Other: 0.2%