Religion
Historical background
Britain is mainly a Christian country.
The origins of Christianity date back the Roman occupation of England.
Between AD 596-7 the Anglo-Saxon Kings foster the spread of Christianity as asupport of their power, then the
connection between state and church started.
Henry VIII and the Act of Supremacy in 1534.
Henry VIII titled by the Pope: Fidei Defensor
The Catholic Counter-Reformation and Mary Tudor.
The Protestant status of the Church is definitely established by QueenElizabeth I (1558-1603).
Dissenters and Free Churches.
The Puritan regime of Oliver Cromwell brought the discrimination of minority religions.
1688 the Glorious Revolution, William III sympathized with the Catholiccause.
By the end of the 19th century also non-Christian Churches scattered throughout England.
Today there is no tie between any religion and political parties, the only exception is that the monarch is also the head of the Church of England.
It has been observed a decline inreligious observance and attendance at services.
The Church of England
The Church of England is not a state church.
The Church is hierarchical structure ruled by the Archibishops ofCanterbury and York.
Together with the 24 senior bishops sit in the House of Lords.
Bishoprics are divided in 13,000parishes each headed by a vicar or a rector.
The vicarage is also the abode of the vicar. All the financial revenues of the Church come from its property and investments holdings.
The Church of England is the third largest
landholder in the UK, its patrimony is estimated at £400 million.
Differences between the High and Low Church services (Evangelical influences).
The membership of the Church of England is manifold.
There is still an open debate on the role of women in the Church of England as well as on the presence of gay priests.
The Lambeth Conference held every ten years in London.
The Church of Scotland
It is more commonly called the Kirk and it has been independent from the Church of England since 1707.
It was established in 1560 by John Knox in opposition to the Church ofEngland accused to be still too close to Roman Catholicism.
It is based on Calvin’s doctrine which in Scotland bears the name ofPresbyterianism.
