Major cities have long been seen as centres of secularisation. However, the number of congregations in London grew by 50% between 1979 and the present. London's churches have been characterised more by growth than by decline in the decades since 1980. The Desecularisation of the City provides the first academic survey of churches in London over recent decades, linking them to similar developments in other major cities across the West.

Produced by a large team of scholars from a range of disciplines, this volume offers a striking and original portrait of congregational life in London since 1980. Seventeen chapters explore the diverse localities, ethnicities and denominations that make up the church in contemporary London. The vitality of London's churches in the last four decades shows that secularisation is far from inevitable in the cities of the future.

This study necessitates a significant reassessment of the dominant academic portrayal of Christianity in Britain and the West, which has, mostly, depicted cities as secular spaces within a secularising culture. It will be of great interest to scholars working across a wide range of disciplines, including history, sociology, religious studies and theology.

About the Author

Revd Dr David Goodhew is Director of Ministerial Studies, Cranmer Hall, St John's College, Durham University. He has edited four volumes on contemporary Christianity with Routledge, beginning with Church Growth in Britain: 1980 to the Present (2012).

Anthony-Paul Cooper is Research Fellow of the Centre for Church Growth Research at Cranmer Hall, St John's College, Durham University. Anthony-Paul has a background in social research, with previous research topics including new church use of 'secular' and 'sacred' space and the use of social media data to better understand church attendance and church growth.

Reviews

"This is a fascinating account of religion in a city many observers would have assumed to be irreligious. It is not. The book shows just how vibrant the church-going population has become and gives a subtle, rich account of how it has grown, where it has grown, and why."

- Tanya M. Luhrmann, Watkins University Professor, Stanford University, USA

"While Christianity in the UK as a whole appears to be in decline, in London in the last thirty years churchgoing has risen steadily. Why is this? This brilliant and fascinating book takes us a long way towards an answer. In a series of essays covering themes, particular church communities, and broad trends, Goodhew and Cooper have assembled a team of scholars who open up a challenge not only to conventional views of the actual position of religion in the capital, but also to our understanding of the complex processes through which Christian communities interact with contemporary society. London may or may not be a trend-setter for the future. But anyone who is interested in the nature of contemporary society in Britain, and the place of religion in it, will find much to interest them here. This is a volume of the first importance for understanding religion in Britain today."

- The Revd Dr Jeremy Morris, The Master, Trinity Hall, Cambridge University, UK

"In recent decades, Christian churches around the world have gone through a series of startling transformations, which together have confounded many long-standing predictions about the future of faith. In The Desecularisation of the City, a deeply impressive group of scholars surveys these changes as they affect one of the world's greatest urban centers. The various essays range widely, and the findings are surprising and, often, heartening. This rich and provocative collection should have a powerful impact on the future study of the Christian religion, in Europe and further afield."

- Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History, Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, USA

"This remarkable collection documents the surprising reality that the streets of London are teeming with a cornucopia of communities of faith. Employing surveys and censuses, ethnographic immersion and scraping twitter feeds, this interdisciplinary team has given us both the big picture - innovation, diversity & growth - and an intimate look at this very "desecularized" city."

- Nancy T. Ammerman, Professor of Sociology of Religion, Boston University, USA

"It is widely assumed that Western Europe is relentlessly pursuing a path of secularisation. This collection of detailed essays on aspects of London churchgoing since 1980, however, raises fundamental questions about that idea. It shows that there were more Christian worshippers in the 2010s than in the 1980s, with the pattern of growth including the Anglicans of the diocese of London. Future studies of Western European religion will have to take account of the desecularisation of Britain's capital."

- Professor David Bebbington, University of Stirling, UK

"For several years now, London has been the 'exceptional case' within British religiosity in general, and Christianity in particular. That something is afoot in a good number of London's churches has been clear for a while. But what, where, and why it is afoot... that's something we've had to wait until now to find out."

- Professor Stephen Bullivant, Director of the Benedict XVI Centre for Religion and Society, St Mary's University, Twickenham, UK

"Traditional wisdom held that religion flourished in the village and withered in the city. But now the rural church is in sharp decline, while church-going (as well as attendance at mosques, temples and synagogues) is highest in the cities, notably London. Mixing thorough analysis of the statistics and lively local case-studies with well-nuanced, though inevitably more speculative, interpretative overviews, this book identifies the varied causes and the possible consequences of this important reversal."

- Hugh McLeod, Emeritus Professor of Church History, University of Birmingham, UK

"Debates about the place of religion in our society tend to be higher in empirical assertions than they are in empirical evidence. This well-researched book confounds a wide array of stereotypes that afflict debates on areas such as secularization, the effect of immigration on the Christian character of England, and the potential for numerical growth in England's churches."

- Angus Ritchie, The Living Church

"Over the past half-century, London has experienced a notable religious transformation. From, historically, leading England's secularisation, it has become its most religious region. This scholarly and insightful book throws considerable light on this mutation..."

- Clive Field, Modern Believing

"This is a valuable publication of interest to anyone studying secularization processes or religious practice in the UK. It offers valuable data and starting points to continue the conversation about the questions that could not have been included in this volume."

-Alexander Darius Ornella, Reading Religion

'This is a fascinating account of religion in a city many observers would have assumed to be irreligious. It is not. The book shows just how vibrant the church-going population has become and gives a subtle, rich account of how it has grown, where it has grown, and why.' - Tanya M. Luhrmann, Watkins University Professor, Stanford University, USA

'While Christianity in the UK as a whole appears to be in decline, in London in the last thirty years churchgoing has risen steadily. Why is this? This brilliant and fascinating book takes us a long way towards an answer. In a series of essays covering themes, particular church communities, and broad trends, Goodhew and Cooper have assembled a team of scholars who open up a challenge not only to conventional views of the actual position of religion in the capital, but also to our understanding of the complex processes through which Christian communities interact with contemporary society. London may or may not be a trend-setter for the future. But anyone who is interested in the nature of contemporary society in Britain, and the place of religion in it, will find much to interest them here. This is a volume of the first importance for understanding religion in Britain today.' - The Revd Dr Jeremy Morris, The Master, Trinity Hall, Cambridge University, UK

'In recent decades, Christian churches around the world have gone through a series of startling transformations, which together have confounded many long-standing predictions about the future of faith. In The Desecularisation of the City, a deeply impressive group of scholars surveys these changes as they affect one of the world's greatest urban centers. The various essays range widely, and the findings are surprising and, often, heartening. This rich and provocative collection should have a powerful impact on the future study of the Christian religion, in Europe and further afield.' - Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History, Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, USA

'This remarkable collection documents the surprising reality that the streets of London are teeming with a cornucopia of communities of faith. Employing surveys and censuses, ethnographic immersion and scraping twitter feeds, this interdisciplinary team has given us both the big picture - innovation, diversity & growth - and an intimate look at this very "desecularized" city.' - Nancy T. Ammerman, Professor of Sociology of Religion, Boston University, USA

'It is widely assumed that Western Europe is relentlessly pursuing a path of secularisation. This collection of detailed essays on aspects of London churchgoing since 1980, however, raises fundamental questions about that idea. It shows that there were more Christian worshippers in the 2010s than in the 1980s, with the pattern of growth including the Anglicans of the diocese of London. Future studies of Western European religion will have to take account of the desecularisation of Britain's capital.' - Professor David Bebbington, University of Stirling, UK

'For several years now, London has been the 'exceptional case' within British religiosity in general, and Christianity in particular. That something is afoot in a good number of London's churches has been clear for a while. But what, where, and why it is afoot... that's something we've had to wait until now to find out.' - Professor Stephen Bullivant, Director of the Benedict XVI Centre for Religion and Society, St Mary's University, Twickenham, UK

'Traditional wisdom held that religion flourished in the village and withered in the city. But now the rural church is in sharp decline, while church-going (as well as attendance at mosques, temples and synagogues) is highest in the cities, notably London. Mixing thorough analysis of the statistics and lively local case-studies with well-nuanced, though inevitably more speculative, interpretative overviews, this book identifies the varied causes and the possible consequences of this important reversal.' - Hugh McLeod, Emeritus Professor of Church History, University of Birmingham, UK

"Over the past half-century, London has experienced a notable religious transformation. From, historically, leading England's secularisation, it has become its most religious region. This scholarly and insightful book throws considerable light on this mutation..." - Clive Field, Universty of Birmingham, UK

Book Information
ISBN 9780815348177
Author David Goodhew
Format Hardback
Page Count 366
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Inc
Weight(grams) 680g