Towards the post-secular city? London since the 1960s

Abstract

It is possible to interpret the available statistical evidence to argue that—when the presence of minority traditions is taken into account—the level of religious practice in London in the early twenty-first century was quite similar to that in the early twentieth century. London may be exceptional in some respects, but it is nevertheless indicative of wider patterns of religious change over the last half-century, which have hitherto received little academic attention. The London case reveals a dynamic picture of simultaneous decline and resurgence, with overall rapid growth in Pentecostalism, Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism while traditional Christian denominations have generally been contracting. However, the Christian picture is further variegated at the local level, with significant pockets of growth even in the historic churches, notably but not only in the Church of England Diocese of London. Moreover, the wider social engagements of many religious groups have given them an impact beyond their actual membership.