Based on extensive analysis of social surveys and opinion polls conducted over recent decades, this book provides a detailed study of the social and political attitudes of religious groups in Britain. It covers a period when religion has declined in significance as a social force in Britain, with falling levels of identity, belief, attendance and of the traditional rites of passage. It looks at group attitudes based on religious affiliation, attendance and other indicators of personal engagement with faith. It details the main areas of attitudinal continuity and change in relation to party support, ideology, abortion, homosexuality and gay rights, and foreign policy. It also examines wider changes in public opinion towards the role of religion in public life, charting the decline in religious authority, a key indicator of secularisation. It provides an important 'bottom-up' perspective on the historical and contemporary linkages between religion and politics in Britain.
Industry Reviews
'Much that is written about the public effects of religion is speculative. Reliable information about the social and political opinions of religious people does exist in a mass of survey data but it requires statistical skill to mine that data, a good mind to interpret it, and a clear prose style to make it available to the rest of us. Ben Clements has all three and he has performed a sterling service.' - Steve Bruce, Professor of Sociology, University of Aberdeen, UK 'This book is a veritable gold-mine for anyone interested in public opinion and the effects of religion on this. Religion, moreover, is considered variously: in terms of allegiance, activity and belief. The 'patterns' that emerge, both within denominations and between them, are not only fascinating but significant. Policy makers, among others, would do well to pay attention.' - Grace Davie, Professor of Sociology, University of Exeter, UK 'Weaving together public opinion data from a range of sources, Clements provides an exhaustive, detailed account of the nuanced relationship between Christianity and British politics. Religion and Public Opinion in Britain carefully traces the changing landscape including the decline of confidence in institutional and political authority and subsequent rise of secularism as well as the consistent links between denomination and political party support. Mapped over time and examined together, these consistencies and changes explain the subtleties underpinning moral-political debates over abortion, homosexuality and post-911 foreign policy. Students of British politics, and politicians worried about re-election, would do well to learn from Clements' thorough analysis of public opinion and to take heed of the powerful force Christianity continues to play in British politics.' - Angelia R. Wilson, Professor of Politics, University of Manchester, UK
