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The Moral and Religious Profile of Britain Today Professor Linda Woodhead Lancaster University AHRC/ESRC Westminster Faith Debates www.faithdebates.org.

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Presentation on theme: "The Moral and Religious Profile of Britain Today Professor Linda Woodhead Lancaster University AHRC/ESRC Westminster Faith Debates www.faithdebates.org."— Presentation transcript:

1 The Moral and Religious Profile of Britain Today Professor Linda Woodhead Lancaster University AHRC/ESRC Westminster Faith Debates www.faithdebates.org

2 1.Moral profile -moral majority -moral minority 2.Religious profile -majority -minorities

3 Based on data from: 1.£12m AHRC/ESRC Religion & Society Research Programme 2.Three surveys on religion and values designed by me and administered by YouGov, 2013. Each one nationally representative (9,000 people in total) 3.Own research

4 Moral profile of Britain

5 Values consensus On personal morality (from abortion to same- sex marriage to euthanasia) the overwhelming majority of British people are liberal On socio-political issues matters more are ‘centre-right’ than ‘centre-left’

6 7% GB9% GB 38% GB 45% GB Social (leftwing) Paternalist Liberal Individualist (rightwing) A values profile of GB Vertical axis = personal morality Horizontal = socio- political views

7 Religious values The values of most Christians are close to the general consensus

8 7% GB 5% CofE 9% GB 10% CofE 38% GB 30% CofE 45% GB 56% CofE Social Paternalist Liberal Individualist Values profile of Anglicans compared with population NB the leadership is in a different place

9 Church leaders are out of step with the moral convictions of the British people Positioned in top left and right quartiles E.g. less than 30% of Christians under 45 think that same sex marriage is wrong. A clear majority under 45 think it is positively right.

10 The moral minority A liberal, democratic/egalitarian ‘moral majority’ of >90% of the GB population A strict moral minority of 8.5% (on abortion, SSM, euthanasia)

11 The post-paternalistic moral revolution The boundaries of liberalism extended Egalitarianism extended to include women, children, the disabled, LBGT people “post-paternalism” Read by churches as religio-moral dissolution

12 The moral minority remain on the paternalist side of the divide Splits churches between approved moral minorities and disaffected moral majorities

13 Religious Profile of Britain 1.Ethnic/cultural majority 2.Ethnic/cultural and religious minorities

14 Census 2011 (England &Wales) Source: ONS

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16 Religious by age Source: Woodhead, YouGov for Westminster faith Debates 2013

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18 The failure of religious institutions in GB to connect with religious people under 40 The coming apart of Christian institutions and the spiritual and moral life of the nation

19 Spiritual creativity, institutional failure Results in displaced persons – no neat institutional home Complex identities

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21 “Catholics” 76% believe in God 54% don’t go to church 52% don’t identify as either religious or spiritual 33% no spiritual practice in private 19% “not influenced by any religion at all” 4% take ANY guidance from religious leaders (11% from my religion, 8% God)

22 “Nones” on the run 25% practise a spiritual activity in private 17% believe in God (22% agnostic, 41% atheist) 11% describe themselves as “spiritual” 1% belong to a religious group 0% take ANY guidance from religious leaders (30% from science) Source: Woodhead, YouGov for Westminster faith Debates 2013

23 Religious or spiritual or… Which, if any, of the following best describes you? A spiritual person11 A religious person10 Both spiritual and religious10 I would not describe myself, or my values and beliefs, as spiritual or religious 51 None of these13 Don't know5 Source: Woodhead, YouGov for Westminster faith Debates 2013

24 Which do you rely on most? (CHURCHGOERS) CofERC Own reason and judgement 3120 Own intuition or feelings 14 Family 1117 Trusted friends 33 God or 'higher power' 1513 The tradition and teachings of my religion 1017 Science 11 A scripture or holy book, e.g. Bible, Qur'an 75 The religious or spiritual group to which I belong 35 Religious leaders, local or national 10 Authority – self not religious leaders or sources

25 2.Ethnic/cultural minorities

26 Census 2011 (England &Wales) Source: ONS

27 Minorities are likely to have much clearer ‘mono-identities’ – Sikh, Muslim, born-again Christian, atheist etc.

28 Conditions favouring mono-identities 1.Cultural defence (and attack) in relation to majority 2.Mobilisation against injustice 3.Strategic opportunities 4.Counter-cultural advantages

29 View minority identities in GB in relation to a spectrum of security

30 Jewish identity: secure From trying to achieve security in insecure conditions to greater security – room for more complex and fractured identities to expand.

31 Muslim identity: insecure Race, class, colonial factors make Muslims the most insecure large group in Britain Injustices exacerbate Heighted religious identity – from culture to religion – is a reaction vicious cycle of insecurity and mono-identity

32 Christian minority identity Over-60s Christians plus A defensive Christian moral minority Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph moaning and mourning

33 The defensive Christian minority Aim to purify and defend ‘fundamentals’ of faith Conservative family defence Anti women’s equality, anti gay Ironically, reinforces drift from the churches

34 Atheist minority

35 Do you believe in a god or some 'higher power'? Yes, there is definitely a God or some 'higher power' 26 Yes, there is probably a God or some 'higher power' 23 No, there is probably NOT a God or some 'higher power' 16 No, there is definitely NOT a God some 'higher power' 19 Don't know17

36 Definitely no God 18-1421% 25-3922% 40-5923% 60+14%

37 Threatened identities The two most threatened groups in GB at the moment are paternalist Xns and Muslims. The first because privilege draining away, the second because the most genuinely disprivileged group Their loud voices colour views of religion as paternalist, mono-identity, intolerant Reinforce “new” atheism

38 Insecurities Higher profile of religion Decline of scientific prestige Masculinity? 5:3 male:female

39 Govt policies reinforce mono-identities “community” multiculturalism RE favouring traditional religious representatives juridification of religious identity, first under HR law, since 2006 under equality law

40 The God-fearing moral minority A liberal, democratic/egalitarian ‘moral majority’ of 80-90% of the GB population A strict moral minority of 8.5% (on abortion, SSM, euthanasia) A God-fearing moral minority of 3.6%

41 Conclusion Settled majority with clear moral consensus Non-Christian minorities, secure and insecure Atheist minority Religious institutions catering better for defensive minorities than secure majorities Spiritual creativity, institutional religious failure An increasingly unchurched country

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