A bit of a barney has broken out over the latest Religious Trends data on church decline in the UK. The Times gave a spin to the statistics which included several unsustainable claims. The Church of England reacted with fury, and said it was weathering the storm thank you very much. Christian Research have been accused of bad methodology. But CR has defended its data and the overall situation remains the same. Inherited church institutions in Britain continue to be in decline - dramatically so since the 1950s and 60s. This is not the same thing as saying that Christian faith is dying, however. Indeed the demise of assumptions about being 'the majority' may be good for the moral, political, spiritual and communal health of the Christian churches, if they can begin to see things differently (which is the burden of my comment for Ekklesia ). Thinking Anglicans collates more responses and debate here.
Friday, May 09, 2008
CHURCH ON THE WANE?
A bit of a barney has broken out over the latest Religious Trends data on church decline in the UK. The Times gave a spin to the statistics which included several unsustainable claims. The Church of England reacted with fury, and said it was weathering the storm thank you very much. Christian Research have been accused of bad methodology. But CR has defended its data and the overall situation remains the same. Inherited church institutions in Britain continue to be in decline - dramatically so since the 1950s and 60s. This is not the same thing as saying that Christian faith is dying, however. Indeed the demise of assumptions about being 'the majority' may be good for the moral, political, spiritual and communal health of the Christian churches, if they can begin to see things differently (which is the burden of my comment for Ekklesia ). Thinking Anglicans collates more responses and debate here.
A bit of a barney has broken out over the latest Religious Trends data on church decline in the UK. The Times gave a spin to the statistics which included several unsustainable claims. The Church of England reacted with fury, and said it was weathering the storm thank you very much. Christian Research have been accused of bad methodology. But CR has defended its data and the overall situation remains the same. Inherited church institutions in Britain continue to be in decline - dramatically so since the 1950s and 60s. This is not the same thing as saying that Christian faith is dying, however. Indeed the demise of assumptions about being 'the majority' may be good for the moral, political, spiritual and communal health of the Christian churches, if they can begin to see things differently (which is the burden of my comment for Ekklesia ). Thinking Anglicans collates more responses and debate here.
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