The Church of England
A Changing Church in a Changing Culture
Professor Linda Woodhead
Lancaster University, UK
YouGov for Westminster Faith Debates
religion and personal morality 2013
Total sample size 4,437 adults
Fieldwork undertaken between 25th - 30th
January 2013
The survey was carried out online.
The figures have been weighted and are
representative of all GB adults (aged 18+)
The Survey questions
first part – on religion
Items on:
-affiliations and self-identities of various kinds
-influences and socialisation
-beliefs (inc. scaled)
-group participations, past and present
-public practices
-personal practices
-authority and guidance
The survey questions
second part – on personal morality
•
•
•
•
•
•
Abortion
Sex and sexualisation
Gender difference
The family
Same-sex marriage
Euthanasia
Plus the usual demographic
cross-breaks
Survey 2: Religion and Social
Morality
Just completed
Religious
by age
90
80
70
C of E
Prefer not to state
60
None
Catholic
Other
50
40
30
20
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Proportions who state C of E as their religion and proportion who have probable or definite belief in
God or higher power: in each group about two in three Anglicans are believers.
70%
60%
Percentage of age group
50%
40%
Anglicans
Believers
30%
20%
10%
0%
under 30
30 to 39
40 to 49
50 to 59
Age
60 to 69
70 and over
Prob no Don't
No God
God know
Moral score:
0=“liberal"
3="strict moral
minority"
Total
Prob
God
Def
Non
God,
Part GF Total
part GF
non GF
0
6.9%
4.7%
2.8%
3.9%
2.5%
0.2%
0.2% 21.2%
0.5
4.9%
3.8%
4.1%
4.7%
3.2%
0.1%
0.3% 21.0%
1
4.1%
3.3%
3.8%
5.6%
4.5%
0.6%
0.7% 22.6%
1.5
2.6%
2.0%
3.8%
4.4%
3.9%
0.4%
1.1% 18.3%
2
0.7%
0.7%
1.0%
1.7%
2.6%
0.5%
1.1%
8.4%
2.5
0.3%
0.4%
0.7%
0.7%
1.8%
0.7%
0.9%
5.5%
3
0.1%
0.1%
0.0%
0.1%
0.7%
0.4%
1.6%
3.0%
2.9%
100.0
%
5.9%
19.5% 15.1% 16.2% 21.0% 19.4%
e.g.
abortion
0= keep or relax current rule
0.5= reduce time limit or don't know
1= ban abortion
A liberal, democratic/egalitarian ‘moral majority’
of 80-90% of the GB population
A strict moral minority of 8.5%
A God-fearing moral minority of 3.6%
Should
same-sex
couples be
allowed to
get
married?
All
All religious
adherents
Church of
England
Catholic
Should
52%
43%
44%
44%
Should
NOT
34%
43%
43%
41%
Don’t
know
14%
14%
14%
15%
Self identified
religious tradition
None
Anglican
Roman
Catholic
Presbyterian
Methodi
st
Baptist
Jewish
Hindu
Islam /
Muslim
81
72
56
61
62
43
69
36
26
9
15
30
24
23
45
21
28
55
10
13
14
15
15
12
10
36
19
Support change
Oppose change
Don't know
Euthanasia: Adherents
Anglican
Roman
Catholic
Church of
Scotland
Methodis
t/ Baptist
Pentecostal
Jewish
Hindu
Islam /
Muslim
Support
change
59
44
45
49
6
64
47
23
Oppose
change
25
42
40
40
78
25
36
63
16
14
15
11
16
11
17
14
Religion of group
Don't know
Euthanasia: Actively participaitng in a group
Which, if any, of the following do you rely on
MOST for guidance as you live your life and make
decisions?
Own reason and judgement
Own intuition or feelings
Family
God or 'higher power'
Trusted friends
The teachings of my religion
Science
Deceased loved ones
Religious leaders, local or national
The religious or spiritual group to which I belong
Great literature and art, past and present
None of these
Don't know
41%
22
13
6
3
2
2
1
0
0
0
4
5
Profile of Churchgoers in
England, 2005
Source: Peter Brierley
Anglican
Roman Catholic
28 %
28%
Baptist,
Charismatic,
independent
churches
44%
In your opinion, would you say that
the Church of England today is...?
A positive force in society
18
A negative force in society
14
Neither a positive or negative force
in society
58
Don't know
10
You said that in your opinion the _Church of England_ was a
positive force in society, which, if any, of the following is the
MAIN reason for this?
[To those who said the CofE is a positive force. N=689]
The Church of England is integral to English culture
The Church of England is an ethical voice in society
The Church of England is part of our heritage
21
20
18
The Church of England is at the heart of local communities
10
The Church of England is a support for those in need
The Church of England brings people closer to God
The Church of England is an important part of a global
church
10
9
The Church of England is an important provider of services
like schools and chaplains
For another reason
Don't know
5
4
2
2
You said that in your opinion the _Church of
England_ was a negative force in society, which, if
any, of the following is the MAIN reason for this?
[This question went to those who said the CofE is a
negative force. N=603]
The Church of England is too prejudiced - it
discriminates against women and gay people
The Church of England is stuffy and out of touch
The Church of England is too hypocritical
The Church of England is too morally conservative
The Church of England is too privileged
The Church of England is too liberal
The Church of England is too 'happy clappy'
The Church of England is too clerical
For another reason
Don't know
30
24
17
8
6
4
2
2
5
2
You said that in your opinion the _Church of England_
was a negative force in society, which, if any, of the following
is the MAIN reason for this?
AGES
The Church of
England is
stuffy and out
of touch
The Church of
England is too
prejudiced - it
discriminates
against
women and
gay people
18-24
25-39
17
46
40-59
60+
19
23
35
39
24
15
You said that in your opinion the _Church of England_ was a
negative force in society, which, if any, of the following is the ages
MAIN reason for this?
[This question went to those who said the CofE is a negative
force. N=603]
1824
2539
4059
60+
The Church of England is too prejudiced - it discriminates
against women and gay people
46
39
24
15
The Church of England is stuffy and out of touch
17
19
23
35
The Church of England is too hypocritical
12
9
25
20
The Church of England is too morally conservative
12
8
7
6
The Church of England is too privileged
5
6
5
7
The Church of England is too liberal
4
3
4
7
The Church of England is too 'happy clappy'
1
1
1
3
The Church of England is too clerical
1
4
2
1
For another reason
0
8
7
4
Don't know
2
3
3
2
A values-based theory of secularisation
The widening ‘values gap’
A contingent rather than an inexorable process
(e.g. blessing civil partnerships)
Faithful witness or failure of leadership?
Are the majority of us (GB and Anglican) wrong?
What role for a national church out of step with its
nation? (e.g. blessing civil partnerships)