Faith and Nation

I The Current Position

"The Government reaffirms its commitment to the position of the Church of England by law established, with the Sovereign as its Supreme Governor, and the relationship between the Church and

State. The Government greatly values the role played by the Church in national life in a range of spheres."[1]

This statement of relations set out in the Government's Green paper The Governance of Britain, states clearly the current position of the partnership between Church and Sate. The Government has had cause to re-state this view more recently in response to suggestions that disestablishment is back on the agenda.[2], In October this year the Ministry of Justice issued a statement reaffirming that: "the Church of England is by law established and the Monarch is its Supreme Governor. The Government remains committed to this position and values the establishment of the Church of England." [3]

The position of the Government recognises not only the historical legacy of the relationship between Church and State but also acknowledges the reality of that relationship at present, marked not so much by a position of privilege born of establishment, but rather a position of service born of duty and care.

In considering the ongoing relationship between church and state, between faith and nation, it is worth noting the nature of the establishment before considering the challenges of pluralisation and secularisation, and concluding with thoughts on 'faithful capital' and the future of faith and nation.

II What is Establishment ?

The establishment of the Church of England is manifest in a wide range of ways, not least through the individual daily contact of clergy who are bound by duty under establishment to serve the whole of their community, with people of all faiths and none. Some of the more visible strands of establishment include:

· The presence of a parish priest for every local community

· The right of all to be married, baptised or given a funeral through their parish church

· Helping the Nation mark moments of tragedy and triumph through services, such as the recent service for police officers who have lost their lives on duty or the celebration of the bi-centenary of the abolition of the slave trade

· Helping the nation mark important Royal events, such as Coronations, Royal weddings, funerals

· The role of the Church as a key education provider through church schools

· The laws of the Church are part of the laws of England (Measures passed by the General Synod also need to be passed by Parliament), and therefore the Church's courts are part of the English legal system.

· The role of the Sovereign as the Supreme Governor of the Church

· The role of the Crown in appointing bishops and some other senior clergy

· The Presence of bishops in the House of Lords

Taken together these outward vestiges of establishment provide a basis for beginning to understand the complex nature of a relationship that has been forged over past centuries and which now finds its identity not only in these visible strands, but also in a daily engagement resulting in "faithful capital" of which I will say more below.

III The Call for Disestablishment

The debate, within and without the Church, has been alive since the seventeenth century when Puritan critics of the settlement articulated their dissatisfaction with the constitutional settlement. Critics are as often to be found within the Church as outside, with the former Bishops of both Woolwich[4] and Birmingham[5] both advocating the case for disestablishment over recent years. However as Professor Owen Chadwick observed in 1970, most people were uninterested and uninformed about Church and State and as such were content to leave things as they were.[6] More recent critics argue that the Church should be disestablished because it has "ceased to be either intellectually or theologically respectable."[7] If respectability were the only criterion for establishment then I would take up the example of Christ and quite happily ditch respectability for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

However, there are two more substantive grounds upon which calls for disestablishment have been made: the increasing plurality of society and the growth of secularism. In my response to this I am grateful to the work of Professor Grace Davie whose work[8] in this area has influenced my own understanding.

(a) Pluralisation

One of the arguments advanced by those critical of the role of the established Church is that it gives "preference" to the Church of England above other Christian communities and other religions who have increased in numbers over recent decades, largely as a consequence of immigration, but who do not have access to "privileges" of establishment. I think there are two reasons why such arguments are misleading and over simplistic. The first lies in the statistical make up of the nation and the other in a misunderstanding of how the Church of England exercises the so-called "privilege".

According to the last Census, just over three-quarters of the UK population reported having a religion. More than seven out of ten people said that their religion was Christian - 72 per cent – some 38.4 million people. After Christianity, Islam was the most common faith with nearly 3 per cent describing their religion as Muslim (1.6 million).

The next largest religious groups were Hindus (559 thousand), followed by Sikhs (336 thousand), Jews (267 thousand), Buddhists (152 thousand), and people from other religions (179 thousand). These groups accounted for a further 3 per cent of the UK population.

About sixteen per cent of the UK population stated that they had no religion. The Census religion question was a voluntary question. Nevertheless, over 92 per cent of people chose to answer it.

Such figures are the context rather than the conclusion for arguments on pluralisation. The proper acknowledgement of a society in which today different religions are visibly present with the freedom to worship and erect places of worship – on an unprecedented scale - must also be read in the context of it being a society where the vast majority of its people describe themselves and this country as Christian, not only because of its heritage but because of its current make up.

One of the arguments made by pluralists against establishment is that since we now inhabit a "multi-faith society", it is surely anachronistic to have only Church of England bishops sitting as the Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords. However these voices rarely come from members of other faith communities who know by experience that the exercise of this aspect of establishment is done not on the church's own behalf but for a wider constituency of which other religions are very much a part. In practice this particular criticism is often more advanced by those using the argument of syncretism as a stalking horse for secularism.

In his Religion in Public Life, Roger Trigg – writing largely from a Canadian perspective – considers how the House of Lords Select Committee on Religious Offences, reporting in 2003, received a submission from the Muslim Council of Britain suggesting that changes to the law of blasphemy – which protected only the Church of England by law established – should be retained rather than being abolished in attempting a "negative equalisation".

Removing perceived privilege did not improve the situation for some, rather it made the situation worse for all: "from a Muslim perspective, it is better for the law to protect at least one religious denomination from blasphemy, the Anglican Church, than no religion at all."[9]

Writing recently in The Times Melanie McDonagh puts it more simply: "leaders of minority faiths tend to be rather favourable to the Church of England position, on the ground that its bishops provide a religious take on various issues with which they usually agree."[10]

(b) Secularism

The second argument employed against establishment is that of the increased secularisation of Britain and the belief that the advent of increasing secularisation should lead to a consequential decrease in the role played by the Church in society. Critics point to the decline in attendance at Church of England services and suggest that such figures mirror an attendant lack of support for the Church as a whole.

Figures for the Church of England alone provide a proper context for such criticism.

• 1.7 million people take part in a Church of England service each month, a level that has been maintained since the turn of the third millennium.

• Almost 3 million participate in a Church of England service on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve. Thirty nine per cent of the population attend a church service around Christmas.

• In 2007, 43 per cent of adults attended a church or place of worship for a memorial service for someone who has died.

• 85 per cent of the population visit a church or place of worship in the course of a year, for reasons ranging from participating in worship to attending social events or simply wanting a quiet space.

The figures above, combined with the statistics from the last Census, point to a rather different picture than that painted by those who see growing secularisation as an inevitability.

The secularist argument rests on an understanding that the Church exists only to service the needs of its believers. This is where the nature of an established Church stretches beyond that attributed to it. As Archbishop William Temple is reputed to have remarked – "the Church is the only society that exists for the benefit of its non-members."

This argument of "public utility" features in the work of Professor Grace Davie who suggests that churches, just like their parallels in health or welfare, act as a public utility, offering their services at the point of need for populations who will sooner or later require their services. Davie goes on to note that: "the fact that these populations see no need to attend these churches on a regular basis does not mean that they are not appreciated."[11]

This idea of 'public utility' leads to a further understanding proposed by Professor Davie of 'vicarious religion': "the notion of religion performed by an active minority but on behalf of a much larger number who (implicitly at least) not only understand, but quite clearly approve of what the minority is doing."[12]

Melanie McDonagh makes a similar point when she writes, "But the reason, I think, why most people don't mind establishment, insofar as they think about it at all, is that it's a reassuring reminder that there is some sort of moral touchstone within the political structure. It allows non-churchgoers to identify themselves, at several removes, with Christianity in its most benign and unthreatening form."[13]

Faithful Capital

The idea of "faithful capital" stands as perhaps the greatest bulwark against disestablishment in providing a reminder of what the Church is doing on a daily basis. Rooted in the parish system, flourishing from a concern for people of all faiths and none and fed by a desire to bring about the common good, in all areas of our nation.[14]

More than twenty years ago a report from the Church of England, Faith in the City,[15] ignited a wide-ranging political debate on urban life in 1980s Britain.

The conclusion of the report left little doubt of the state in which many urban dwellers found themselves: "Chapter after chapter of our Report tells the same story: that a growing number of people are excluded by poverty or powerlessness from sharing in the common life of our nation. A substantial minority - perhaps as many as one person in every four or five across the nation - are forced to live on the margins of poverty or below the threshold of an acceptable standard of living." [16] The report spoke of fabric decay, economic decline, and social disintegration.

One of the many outcomes prompted by Faith in the City was the establishment of the Church Urban Fund which continues to invest 3 million annually[17] in vital grassroots projects in the poorest urban communities on behalf of the Church of England as a whole.

Twenty years after the publication of Faith in the City, the Church embarked on a new inquiry into urban life in light of the changed world in British cities. The result was a new report, Faithful Cities: A call for celebration, vision and justice,[18] which argues that there is more to life than economic and cultural regeneration, and that the wellbeing and renewal of our cities must be grounded in a vision of justice and human dignity. What makes a good city is its people who are generous, and create safe neighbourhoods through their active volunteering.

One of the findings of the report was that at their best, churches – alongside those of other faiths – offer a particular gift to communities, something the report calls 'faithful capital', a development of the idea of 'social capital', an idea used by social theorists to express the way in which people are enriched not only by what they have or what they can do but by their web of social relationships and their participation in civic life.

The report identified the powerful influence of "faithful capital" in the long-term, not least through the presence and engagement of people of faith in our most deprived urban areas. No doubt because of its parish system, the Church of England, in particular, is home to buildings and networks of people dedicated to the long-term service of the local urban neighbourhood.

The report found that not only are faith communities in our cities physically present, they are actively, dutifully and, sometimes passionately, engaged in caring and campaigning for those who need care most – sometimes people whom the wider 'society' has forgotten.

With regard to relations between state and nation, this social and "faithful capital" can be seen as both a valuable resource and a source of discomfort. On the one hand, they offer paths to the grails of 'community cohesion' and urban 'regeneration'.

On the other, the distinct and conflicting language of faith, the values that challenge rather than support government policy, and working styles that fail to mesh with time-limited, benchmark-driven, outcome-required government schemes can pose a huge challenge.

Since the publication of Faithful Cities, an independent report [19] has been published which outlines the work undertaken by the Church of England in its welfare provision for the nation. One of the reports conclusions was that the government is fundamentally underestimating the number of Christian charities, the work of such charities and consequently their social, economic and civic impact and potential.

Through their own research into the social, economic and civic impact of churches, the authors highlighted the important roles of bishops, dioceses and cathedrals. They also note that they found congregations, clergy and volunteers running post offices and cafes, doctors' surgeries and asylum rights centres, homeless outreach and bereavement counselling, job creation and economic regeneration programmes, eco initiatives and youth clubs, peace networks and third world solidarity groups.

The "faithful capital" identified by the Faithful Cities report remains strong and vital in its service of entire communities throughout our nation. The findings of the Von Hügel Report underscores that fact.

Any belief that the established relationship between church and state is defined solely by reference to constitutional settlements, the presence of Bishops in the Lords or through national engagement needs to be re-considered in light of the "faithful capital" being employed each day by the church in community throughout the nation.

In speaking of establishment we must also have due regard to the existence of the parish system as the place where establishment is most real and accessible. That is where it happens: a place of worship and service to the nation.

IV Conclusions

At a time when a creeping social Darwinism is on the rise, where life is measured in terms of its "quality" or "usefulness" the Church remains the last bastion of defence for those who would find themselves close to jettison by society. The doors of the Church are never shut in that they embrace an understanding of humanity and the individual where all life is God given and God breathed. There is no measure or qualification of "usefulness" but only the very act of being alive. In this sense the Church re-asserts those principles at the very heart of equality and human rights: the infinite worth of every human being.

Hence the Church becomes a place not only for the most vulnerable but also for their most vocal defenders; a tent pitched in the middle of the public square where all are invited because all are worthy. It is a place where divine action and human activity overlap in the person of Jesus Christ, with His altar at the centre of the tent pitched among us.

Not simply a place of refuge, but rather a place of hospitality for the marginalised, welcoming those who find themselves, by accident or design, at risk of exclusion from any sense of belonging or without a stake in our stakeholding society.

The Church also remains the place, overwhelmingly, where people gather to grieve for those shared public events that require a retreat from the daily business of activity to a more reflective place where a grieving community exists. Whether it be the public tragedies of 9/11, 7/7, the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, or the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the public outpouring of grief and shock found their voice and physical presence in the Churches of their communities. Perhaps more importantly the Church provides the community for those who are daily bereaved, to grieve alongside, to offer thanksgiving in memoria and to offer care.

There is little doubt in my mind that a place exists for an established Church serving our nation. From Church Schools to funerals, from inter-faith work to state occasions, from speaking out for the marginalised to ministering to the sick, the Church plays a vital daily role in the operation of our nation.

The Church of England, itself part of the world-wide Church, has given birth to churches in 166 countries. I myself benefitted from the educational work of English, Scottish and Welsh missionaries in my country of birth, Uganda. Now, as a Christian and Archbishop in England, I simply remind the English of what they first taught me.

I am amazed that there is so little consciousness of this rich heritage. We need to become better acquainted with this legacy, be grateful for it, rediscover its dynamic and build upon it. The spiritual wealth and "faithful capital" that made this country great is to be shared not only with present and future generations in the UK, but as a free gift from God to the whole of humanity.

A nation with a clear, shared view of itself, of its basic values and beliefs, and the behaviour that those within society can expect from each other, will be better prepared to face up to the challenges of the modern world; be they the impacts of globalisation, different working patterns, an increasingly mobile population, or the challenges of climate change; not forgetting the turbulence in the money markets. Who ever thought that money as a means of exchanging goods would become the leading brand of goods with a market of its own!

For the Church in England must once again be a beacon by which the people of England can orient themselves in an unknown ocean by offering them the Good News of God in Christ in practical and relevant ways to their daily lives. The Church in England must rediscover her self-confidence and self-esteem that united and energised the English people those many centuries ago when the disparate fighting groups embraced the message and invitation of God's love in Jesus Christ.

The current challenge for the Church of England, as I believe it is also for other denominations, is to ensure that it is proclaiming the Gospel afresh in a way that is comprehensible and relevant to people today. Inviting them to participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And I am hopeful. There are many signs that the church is beginning to find again that renewal which lies at the heart of our resurrection faith. I see it in the 23 million hours of voluntary service that members of the Church of England provide to their communities each year.

I see it in the work that Anglicans along with Christians of other denominations and those of other religions are doing to campaign and provide for asylum seekers.

I see it in the work of Church Academies seeking to transform areas of need and deprivation into places of learning, service and hope. In responding to the needs of these most vulnerable people the church is indeed fulfilling the biblical imperatives to stand up for the poor and defenceless and to care for the stranger in its midst.

The Church finds its energy, vision and purpose in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This earth shattering event gave the Church its momentum. The physicality of Jesus' resurrected body is the prototype and promise of new creation. It opens the way for us to discern and obey God's loving purpose for planet earth and for every nation and person on it. There is no place for spectators, for we are all invited to be active collaborators with our Creator.

As Archbishop William Temple wrote, at the conclusion of his book, Christianity and the Social Order, "I should give a false impression of my own convictions if I did not here add that there is no hope of establishing a more Christian social order except through the labour and sacrifice of those in whom the spirit of Christ is active, and that the first necessity for progress is more and better Christians taking full responsibility as citizens for the political, social and economic system under which they and their fellows live"[20]

[20] William Temple, Christianity and the Social Order, 1942 p.98

Faith in the Nation...

'Faith in the Nation: Religion, identity and the public realm in Britain today' is available from the Institute for Public Policy and Research.

ISBN: 978-1-860-303-210

Author: Zaki Cooper and Guy Lodge (Eds.)
Contributors: Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, Zaki Cooper, Dilwar Hussain, Ramesh Kallidai, Professor Michael Kenny, Guy Lodge, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Sir Jonathan Sacks, Dr John Sentamu, Indarjit Singh OBE