EAUK on Confident Faith

In 2025, the Evangelical Alliance surveyed evangelical Christians on their views and experiences as Christians living in the UK:

• Do Christians feel free to practise their faith today?

• How has that changed over time?

• How do they experience faith in the workplace?

• What is the state of Christian hate crime and hostility today?

• Evangelicals’ views on Christian nationalism. 

The resulting report – Confident Faith, Contested Culture – gives a snapshot of the views and lived experiences of evangelical Christians in the United Kingdom today.

According to Danny Webster, Director of Advocacy:

‘Evangelicals in the UK have considerable freedom to practise their faith, and to practise it in public. Whether that’s meeting to worship without fear of reprisals, or preaching in the street, or talking about your beliefs at work, the freedom of Christians is real, meaningful and worthy of gratitude. And yet, there is a growing sense among many that the cultural context is changing and making things harder.’

Key findings are highlighted in an article here, and the full report is available as a pdf here.

Daniel Lilley on Marriage

Daniel Lilley, Marriage and the Stable Society: The Continued Importance of Marriage (London: Civitas, 2024).

This report from Civitas has been available for a while, though I’m only just getting round to posting about it.

The summary blurb is below, and the report itself is available as a pdf here.

‘Marriage has undergone a remarkable decline in the UK. The marriage rate has fallen two thirds in 50 years; and in 2021, for the first time, more than half of babies were born to unmarried parents. We also see a growing “marriage gap”, in which those who are wealthier and more highly educated are much more likely to be married.

‘This decline in marriage has not corresponded with much increase in singleness; instead, we have seen a huge rise in cohabitation: that is, couples living together without getting married. The cultural consensus seems to be that cohabitation is just as good as marriage, and that getting married is little more than a pointless piece of outdated bureaucracy.

‘Marriage and the Stable Society argues that, on the contrary, marriage remains highly relevant in today’s Britain. The data show clearly that couples who are married are much more likely to stay together long term, and that this is greatly beneficial to their children as well as to couples’ own happiness and wellbeing. Far from being regressive, marriage has the potential to improve the lives of the most disadvantaged people in society, who are currently less likely to marry.

‘The report also examines the reasons that people today, especially those who are less well off, are less likely to marry than they were in the past. As well as changes in cultural attitudes, bureaucracy and cost represent significant barriers, with even the most basic wedding costing over £500 in administrative costs, and most costing many times more than this. Marriage and the Stable Society shows how this burden could be reduced so that more people are able to access the benefits of being married.’

Christopher Watkin on Christianity, Society, and Freedom

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded), this one by Christopher Watkin:

Christopher Watkin, ‘Are Christianity and Society in Conflict: The Case of Freedom’, Cambridge Papers 28, 2 (September 2019).

Here is the summary:

‘We increasingly hear the argument that biblical values are in fundamental conflict with contemporary Western society, but is that really the case? This paper considers the example of freedom, a core value of Western liberal democracy and also a major biblical theme. Paul’s treatment of the dominant values of his day in 1 Corinthians 1 shows the inadequacy both of straightforwardly opposing biblical and societal values, and of seeing them in simple continuity. The paper draws implications from Paul’s cruciform account for the areas of evangelism, apologetics, and cultural critique.’

Centre for Public Christianity (March 2019)

Among other items, the Centre for Public Christianity has posted links to a lecture (and the Q&A time) by Tim Dixon on ‘Crossing the Great Divide: Building Bridges in an Age of Tribalism’, offering ‘a vision for how we might reunite increasingly fragmented societies’.

There’s also an audio interview with John Milbank – ‘Space for the Sacred – on ‘secularism, politics, Harry Potter, and how Christianity is surprising’.

Theos Report on Doing Good

The latest report from Theos has just been published:

Nick Spencer, Doing Good: A Future for Christianity in the 21st Century (London: Theos, 2016).

Here are some excerpts from the Foreword by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster:

‘Strange things are happening to Christianity in the United Kingdom.

‘While critics prophesy its imminent demise – as critics have done for several hundred years – Christians across the country are doing what they too, have done for may hundreds of years: worship, pray, witness, serve.

‘There is nothing, of course, strange about this. What is strange – or at least worthy of greater notice than it usually receives – is that the breadth, depth and intensity of this Christian service is deepening. From personal debt advice to marriage counselling, from foodbanks to street pastors, from rehabilitation to reconciliation, the Church and Christian charities across the country are rolling up their sleeves, struggling on behalf of human dignity, pursuing the common good – and doing it all in the name of Jesus Christ.

‘In 2006, our predecessors as Archbishops of Canterbury and Westminster, Rowan Williams and Cormac Murphy O’Connor, welcomed the launch of the think tank Theos. We have watched closely and admired its rigorous and thoughtful work over the last ten years, and are delighted to commend this ten year anniversary report.

‘In it, Nick Spencer charts a view of the future for Christianity in the UK, drawing on the wealth of data and evidence that Theos has accumulated in its years of research.

‘That view is one in which service is central, but it is service-as-witness, service that is firmly rooted in, shaped by and unashamed of its faith in Jesus Christ.

‘The report's idea of “Christian social liturgy” expresses how Christians can combine their fidelity to the two greatest commandments – loving God and loving neighbour – in a way that is simultaneously distinctive and inclusive.’

A pdf of the full report is available here.

Jubilee

The Ezra Institute for Contemporary Christianity – ‘for the defense, confirmation and vindication of a biblical cosmology affirming the Lordship of the triune God over all life and thought’ – publishes a magazine, Jubilee, three times a year. The most-recent issue, devoted to social justice, is available from here, with several back issues of the magazine available from here.

Theos Report on Justice

The latest report from Theos has just been published.

Andrew Caplen and David McIlroy, “Speaking Up” – Defending and Delivering Access to Justice Today (London: Theos, 2015).

Here’s the blurb:

‘The rule of law is absolutely foundational to any fair society. But the rule of law is not enough if that law is only accessible to those with sufficient funds. For justice to be done, people need to have access to justice. This essay argues that recent government changes to legal aid are putting access to justice at risk.

‘Written from an openly Christian perspective, it argues that there is a deep tradition within Christian scriptures not only on law – that much is clear from even a cursory reading of the Bible – but also equality before the law, universality of access, the need for legal advocacy, and the impartial administration of justice. Without these, no society can be a good society.

‘This being so, the authors argue that Christians ought to be concerned with recent changes to legal aid, the effect of which is likely to be on the most disadvantaged in our society. In the longer term it threatens social cohesion, accountability of public bodies and powerful private individuals, and the rule of law.

‘Christians have long seen healing, teaching, comforting and supporting others as key areas of their mission. Speaking Up argues that justice is no less important than any of these, and that Christians should seek to provide access to justice and to protect it where they can.’

A pdf of the full report is available here.

The Jubilee Centre on Thinking Biblically About Everything

The Jubilee Centre is producing a helpful series of short pamphlets on ‘Thinking Biblically About…’ particular topics.

The latest to be released sets itself the modest goal of thinking biblically about... everything.

According to the website, this one ‘introduces the Bible’s relational worldview, and shows how it provides the key for us to translate the biblical social vision into the 21st century – where despite the passage of time, history and geography, human relationships are essentially the same as they were when the Bible was written’.

The pamphlet is available to buy or download here.

Theos Report on Religious Freedom

Nick Spencer, How to Think About Religious Freedom (London: Theos, 2014).

Yet another new report from Theos...

Here’s part of Jonathan Chaplin’s recommendation:

‘In this report, Nick Spencer cuts through the complexities and offers us a wonderfully clear and judicious overview of what is at stake, why religious freedom is so important to human beings and can’t be taken for granted, and how it can be more intelligently and fairly balanced with the legitimate claims for equal treatment and nondiscrimination of which our society is justly proud.’

More information is available here, and the full report is available for download here.

Centre for Public Christianity (February 2014)

Among the collection of useful items from the Centre for Public Christianity this month is a short video interview with Greg Clarke, CEO of Bible Society Australia, about his new book, The Great Bible Swindle, in which he argues that ‘we need to understand the Bible in order to be properly educated in matters of art, history, literature, music and film’.

Theos Report on Faith Schools

Elizabeth Oldfield, Liane Hartnett and Emma Bailey, More than an Educated Guess: Assessing the Evidence on Faith Schools (London: Theos, 2013).

Theos have published the above report.

Here’s the opening paragraph from the Executive Summary:

‘Around one in three maintained (i.e. state funded) schools in England have a religious character. This reflects the substantial historic contribution of the churches in providing public education. More than an Educated Guess: Assessing the evidence on faith schools summarises research around maintained schools with a religious character, with a view to informing debate around their place in a plural society and their effect on students.’

More information is available here, and the full report is available for download here.

The Great British Class Calculator

I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the research behind this, but the BBC today posted a fascinating piece saying that ‘people in the UK now fit into seven social classes’.

‘Class has traditionally been defined by occupation, wealth and education. But this research argues that this is too simplistic, suggesting that class has three dimensions – economic, social and cultural.’

This being the case, the new classes are defined as:

• Elite – the most privileged group in the UK, distinct from the other six classes through its wealth. This group has the highest levels of all three capitals.

• Established middle class – the second wealthiest, scoring highly on all three capitals. The largest and most gregarious group, scoring second highest for cultural capital.

• Technical middle class – a small, distinctive new class group which is prosperous but scores low for social and cultural capital. Distinguished by its social isolation and cultural apathy.

• New affluent workers – a young class group which is socially and culturally active, with middling levels of economic capital.

• Traditional working class – scores low on all forms of capital, but is not completely deprived. Its members have reasonably high house values, explained by this group having the oldest average age at 66.

• Emergent service workers – a new, young, urban group which is relatively poor but has high social and cultural capital.

• Precariat, or precarious proletariat – the poorest, most deprived class, scoring low for social and cultural capital.

A link to a ‘calculator’ allows readers to see where they might fit.

Catalyst 4 (Autumn 2012)

Catalyst is a twice-yearly magazine, published by CARE, highlighting ministries ‘making a Christian difference’ as well as giving the latest CARE news.

According to the CARE website, highlights in this issue include ‘a fascinating profile of Chief Superintendent John Sutherland of the Metropolitan Police and Gareth Davies’ interview with Matt Summerfield, Chief Executive of Urban Saints, about his work with young people. Catalyst also features an interview with the speaker, writer and apologist, Amy Orr-Ewing on Christianity in the public square and a moving piece by CARE Consultant Philippa Taylor on the impact of family breakdown on children.’ In addition, ‘CARE’s Chief Executive Nola Leach talks to Lord McColl of Dulwich about his life as surgeon, as a politician and his campaign against human trafficking’.

The issue is available for browsing here, or downloadable as a pdf here.

Clearing the Ground Inquiry

Christians in Parliament, an official All-Party Parliamentary Group, chaired by Gary Streeter MP have launched Clearing the Ground Inquiry, a preliminary report of the committee’s findings on the question of whether Christians are marginalised in the UK.

The report is available (via the Evangelical Alliance UK) as a pdf here.

The key finding, according to the Executive Summary is that ‘Christians in the UK face problems in living out their faith and these problems have been mostly caused and exacerbated by social, cultural and legal changes over the past decade’.

L’Abri Papers from Jerram Barrs

The Learning Resources page at L’Abri Fellowship England contains a number of useful pieces, including the following from Jerram Barrs:

• Christianity True to the Way Things Are

• The Christian and Society

• The Christian Mind

These are transcripts of lectures; there’s some overlap in the material, but I think the one on the mind is the best of the three.

Jonathan Chaplin on Multiculturalism

Jonathan Chaplin, Multiculturalism: A Christian Retrieval (London: Theos, 2011).

This substantial booklet is available for download (here) from the Theos website. Here’s the blurb:

‘Recent years have seen an astonishingly rapid volte face regarding multiculturalism in Britain. Once political orthodoxy, it is now almost a by-word for segregation, exclusion and security threats. In this report, Jonathan Chaplin argues that in our haste to reassess multiculturalism in the light of evidence of its darker sides, we must not lose sight of its indispensable contribution to realising a just society. Tracing the history of multiculturalism and clarifying precisely what is at stake in the debate, Chaplin offers a vision of “multicultural justice”, drawn from the resources of Christian social thought, but accessible and persuasive to those outside of the Christian faith.’

Guy Brandon on the Big Society

Guy Brandon, The Big Society in Context: A Means to What End? (Cambridge: Jubilee Centre, 2011).

This report is freely available here from the Jubilee Centre.

‘Research by the Jubilee Centre reveals how the Big Society is ultimately intended to be the solution to the social problems of what Conservatives were describing before the 2010 general election as “Broken Britain”, but this has not been well publicised. In reality it is highly unlikely that any Big Society ambitions can succeed without the help of faith groups. Motivated by a love of neighbour, Christians will want to take any new opportunities that arise to play a greater role in their communities, including starting social enterprises and bringing biblical principles and social transformation agendas to business. The church must also be prepared, however, to defend its own autonomy and help promote religious freedoms.’