1 The traditional secularization thesis predicted that modernization would inevitably and irreversibly lead to secularization. Max Weber, Karl Marx, and Emile Durkheim, among other prominent twentieth century thinkers, postulated that key aspects of modernity, such as industrialization, urbanization, and scientific rationalism, would result in the ultimate erosion of religion in society. Church domination of virtually every aspect of life gave way to structural differentiation, in which functions previously performed by the church, such as healthcare and education, became increasingly specialized and carried out by independent bodies or organizations. 1 As the church lost its pervasive social influence, religion became a matter of private and personal choice rather than social obligation. Migration to urban centers, increased literacy and education, and mass communication presented people with beliefs and worldviews quite different from their own and erased the religious homogeneity that characterized much of the pre-modern world. 2 Enlightenment, science, and rationalism provided new ways of thinking and alternate answers for things previously explained through mysticism or faith. According to the secularization thesis, the combination of these and other factors would result in a modern world completely void of religious belief. A brief look at the headlines of any newspaper today reveals that religion is still very much a part of our world. The United States, among the world’s most modernized countries, houses a variety of thriving religious communities and celebrates the diversity that such beliefs contribute to the national culture. Indeed, religion is flourishing all over the world from the growth of Islam and fundamentalist movements in the Middle East to the explosion of house churches in Asia to a revival of evangelicalism in Latin America and Africa. Religion is also 1 John Habgood, Church and Nation in a Secular Age (London: Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd, 1983) 18. 2 Peter Berger, Grace Davie, and Effie Fokas, Religious America, Secular Europe? (Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2008), 12.
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The traditional secularization thesis predicted that modernization would inevitably and
irreversibly lead to secularization. Max Weber, Karl Marx, and Emile Durkheim, among other
prominent twentieth century thinkers, postulated that key aspects of modernity, such as
industrialization, urbanization, and scientific rationalism, would result in the ultimate erosion of
religion in society. Church domination of virtually every aspect of life gave way to structural
differentiation, in which functions previously performed by the church, such as healthcare and
education, became increasingly specialized and carried out by independent bodies or
organizations. 1 As the church lost its pervasive social influence, religion became a matter of
private and personal choice rather than social obligation. Migration to urban centers, increased
literacy and education, and mass communication presented people with beliefs and worldviews
quite different from their own and erased the religious homogeneity that characterized much of
the pre-modern world. 2 Enlightenment, science, and rationalism provided new ways of thinking
and alternate answers for things previously explained through mysticism or faith. According to
the secularization thesis, the combination of these and other factors would result in a modern
world completely void of religious belief.
A brief look at the headlines of any newspaper today reveals that religion is still very
much a part of our world. The United States, among the world’s most modernized countries,
houses a variety of thriving religious communities and celebrates the diversity that such beliefs
contribute to the national culture. Indeed, religion is flourishing all over the world from the
growth of Islam and fundamentalist movements in the Middle East to the explosion of house
churches in Asia to a revival of evangelicalism in Latin America and Africa. Religion is also
1 John Habgood, Church and Nation in a Secular Age (London: Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd, 1983) 18. 2 Peter Berger, Grace Davie, and Effie Fokas, Religious America, Secular Europe? (Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2008), 12.
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transcending national borders and becoming increasingly important in the global context.
Obvious examples of religion’s worldwide impact include the 1989 Rushdie affair, the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict, the 9/11 attacks, the wars in Pakistan and Afghanistan against the Taliban,
the controversial Danish cartoons depicting Mohammed, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the
unprecedented immigration of religious minorities into the United States and Europe, and the
religiously motivated terrorist bombings in London and Madrid.
In response to the undeniable presence of religion in the modern world, some
sociologists, such as Peter Berger, have retracted their prior adherence to the secularization
thesis, believing it to be mistaken. Some argue that secular Europe is actually an exception to
the rule rather than the natural standard. Religious sociologists Rodney Starke and Roger Finke
believe the secularization thesis has miserably failed to predict the fate of religion and suggest
abandoning the theory once and for all.3 Others look to rework the thesis to accommodate and
more accurately represent the current state of religion. For example, Pippa Norris and Ronald
Inglehart, in Sacred and Secular, present a “revised theory of secularization based on existential
security” that seeks to account for the religious variation evident throughout the world.4 Steve
Bruce, in God is Dead: Secularization in the West, defends the secularization thesis, arguing that
religion may not completely disappear but will continue to lose its significance and influence in
society.5
While there are many differing perspectives regarding the fate or future of religion, the
very need to defend, reject, or rework the secularization thesis reinforces the sustained presence
of religion in the world today. While the link between modernization and secularization is
3 Rodney Starke and Roger Finke, Acts of Faith (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000), 79. 4 Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart, Sacred and Secular (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), 27. 5 Steve Bruce, God is Dead: Secularization in the West (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2002), 44.
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unclear, a clear link exists between modernity and the rise of an unprecedented religious
pluralism—even in secular Europe.6 Pluralism describes a society in which “a variety of
different groups, with different beliefs, values and cultures exist side by side within a larger
whole.”7 Population mobility, an important aspect of modern globalization, is a significant
contributor to the emerging pluralism.8 Traditionally immigrant-sending countries, European
countries are now the destination for a significant amount of global immigration. 9 During the
last half of the twentieth century, unprecedented numbers of non-Western immigrants made their
homes in Western Europe.10 Migrant workers and immigrants from former colonies brought their
diverse cultural backgrounds and religious beliefs with them, introducing Muslim, Buddhist,
Hindu, and Sikh religions into European societies as well as new forms of Christianity such as
Pentecostalism. The startling increase of Muslim immigrants to Europe, bringing with them a
religion and culture very different from that of their new home, is the most significant new
feature of Europe’s diversifying religious landscape. According to a 2005 article in U.S. News &
World Report, the European Muslim population has expanded from 1 million in 1945 to about 18
million today. 11 The communication revolution, another aspect of the ever globalizing, modern
world, has also contributed to the spread of charismatic and evangelical Christian movements in
Europe.12
Modern nations have approached religious pluralism in strikingly different ways. For
example, the United States was founded on the principle of the separation of church and state in
6 Hans Knippenberg ed., The Changing Religious Landscape of Europe (Amsterdam: Het Spinhuis, 2005), 7.
7 Habgood, 29. 8 Knippenberg, 7. 9 Peter Berger, Grace Davie, and Effie Fokas, 102. 10 José Casanova, “Immigration and the New Religious Pluralism: A European Union/United States Comparison,” in Democracy and the New Religious Pluralism, ed. Thomas Banchoff (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007), 59. 11 Jay Tolson, “European, Not Christian: An Aggressive Secularism Sweeps the Continent,” U.S. News and World Report, May 22, 2005. 12 Knippenberg, 7.
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order to secure freedom for the religious beliefs of American citizens. The First Amendment to
the Constitution protects the religious beliefs of individuals from the control of the government
and allows complete freedom of religious expression. Religion is very much a part of American
public discourse and shapes and colors the opinions of individuals on a variety of public issues.
In contrast, the secular state of France aims to secure the freedom of the public domain from
religion. Officially secular since 1905, French society deems religion to be inappropriate for the
public sphere based on the French concept of laïcité, which prescribes the absence of religion in
public and political affairs as well as the absence of government involvement in religious affairs.
The European Union has also defined itself as a secular entity. In 2004, writers of the preamble
to the constitution of the European Union, written to establish and define a common European
identity as it expands and unifies, chose not to include a reference to Europe’s Christian heritage
in order to clearly and firmly establish itself as a secular union founded on secular principles.13
Secularism aims to promote tolerance among groups and individuals of different religious
beliefs and to facilitate peaceful coexistence within ever diversifying societies by removing
religion from the public sphere. Through the proclamation of official neutrality in religious
matters and the equal treatment of all religions, the secular state hopes to protect freedom of
religion and guard against discrimination. The European secular perspective assumes that a
“public recognition of the…living religious traditions of contemporary Europeans…would make
liberal political coexistence and pluralist toleration in a united Europe nearly impossible…Only
secular neutrality is supposed to guarantee liberal tolerance and pluralist multicultural
13
José Casanova, “Religion, European Secular Identities, and European Integration,” in Religion in an Expanding Europe, ed. Timothy A. Byrnes and Peter J. Katzenstein (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 66.
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recognition in an expanded European Union.” 14 In 2003, former French President Jacques
Chirac described France as a country of diversity united by a shared identity that would be
“endangered by the release of religious centrifugal forces, by the celebration of distinctions that
served to separate and not unite.” 15 In banishing religion from the public realm, the secular state
seeks to prevent the clashes, conflicts, and divisions that are assumed to result from public
recognition and expression of religion within a pluralist society.
Though secularism presents itself as the champion of liberalism and impartiality, some
are skeptical. In a 2003 speech, Oliver Letwin, a British politician and Member of Parliament,
questioned the neutrality of the secular state. He declared that “a truly secular constitution rests
on the fundamental assumption either that there is no God, or that the concept of God is utterly
irrelevant to public life. The secular worldview is therefore neither neutral nor inclusive. Like
any religious worldview, it imposes a set of assumptions on everyone who plays a part in public
life.” 16 According to Letwin, in viewing exclusive claims to truth as grounds for intolerance and
believing that state power should be used to oppose such claims, state secularism actually
threatens true pluralism. If religious persons cannot freely and publicly express their beliefs
through words, actions, and symbols for fear of appearing intolerant, religious diversity will
cease to exist in any visible form. Sociologist José Casanova calls this dilemma the “secularist
paradox”—that religious people are asked to keep their beliefs quiet in the name of pluralism,
freedom and individualism. 17 Casanova goes further to accuse liberal modern secularism of
intolerant tyranny, pointing to the inconsistency that religious groups must acquiesce to public
recognition of behavior they might find morally offensive such as gay marriage or abortion,
14 José Casanova, “Religion, European Secular Identities, and European Integration,” 66. 15 New York Times, “Secular Fundamentalism,” December 19, 2003. 16 Oliver Letwin, “Agreeing to Differ,” Speech given at Conservative Central Office, April 2003. 17 José Casanova, “Religion, European Secular Identities, and European Integration,” 66.
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while “liberal secular Europeans are openly stating that European societies ought not to tolerate
religious behavior or cultural customs that are morally abhorrent insofar as they are contrary to
modern liberal secular European norms.” 18
Casanova is not alone in this accusation. Many are lamenting the rise of a new militant
flavor of secularism in Europe. In 2005, Jay Tolson, a senior writer at U.S. News & World
Report covering culture, ideas, and religion, pointed to the ban of religious symbols in French
state-run schools and the omission of a reference to Christianity in the constitution of the
European Union as contributions to a “mountain of anecdotal evidence suggesting that an
aggressive form of secularism…is afoot in Europe.” In fact, he claims that this “secular
fundamentalism” is the “prevailing attitude of European elites toward religion, particularly
traditional religion and particularly in the public sphere.” 19 According to Colin Slee, Dean of
Southwark, England is “witnessing a social phenomenon that is about fundamentalism.” 20 Some
atheists and secularists, says Slee, are just as fundamentalist as the religious extremists. In his
memoir, Journal d’un Prof de Banlieu, non-religious French history teacher Jean-François
Mondot expresses fear that the previous principles of secularism have morphed into a dogma.
Frustrated by the hostility of students and parents towards even the objective mention of
religious topics in the classroom, he compares their “self-righteous zeal” to that of religious
fundamentalists. 21 In a 2007 article for the Guardian, British author and journalist Tobias Jones
strongly warns against what he views as a rising totalitarianism disguised as secularism.
According to Jones, secular fundamentalists claim to be “more tolerant than thou” but actually
want to rid the earth of religious beliefs and believers. They “pretend to be protecting religious 18 José Casanova, “Religion, European Secular Identities, and European Integration,” 79-80. 19 Jay Tolson, “European, Not Christian: An Aggressive Secularism Sweeps the Continent,” U.S. News and World Report, May 22, 2005. 20 Stuart Jeffries, “Faith,” The Guardian, February 26, 2007. 21 Kevin Williams, “Neutrality on Religion Still a Vexed Issue,” Irish Times, September 8, 2009.
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sensibilities as a pretext to strip us of all religious expressions.” Jones fears that not only will
religion be banned from the public arena, it will ultimately be banned from the personal lives of
citizens.22
Having been presented with such contradictory views of secularism, what conclusions
can be drawn? Does secularism protect pluralism and facilitate coexistence or is it rapidly
becoming a new form of totalitarianism? Does admission of religious discussion in the public
sphere encourage toleration and understanding or actually discriminate against religious or non-
religious groups? Does the public expression of religion result in peace and harmony or conflict
and division? On the other hand, does the exclusion of religion from the public sphere allow
freedom and neutrality or repress the right of religious people to practice and express their
beliefs? Does it remove an inappropriate subject from public discussion or ignore an important
issue? Could religion’s omission from public life ensure peace in a pluralist society or might it
ultimately result in a negative reaction from silenced religious groups? Does religion belong in
the public realm or should it remain private?
The question of the role of religion in the public sphere is an important one and one that
is increasingly pressing in our world today—particularly in Europe. Because of Europe’s
traditionally secular self-understanding, the “re-emergence of religion in public life…was not
anticipated. Europeans, including social scientists, did not expect this to happen; they were,
therefore, ill-prepared to deal with it.”23 According to José Casanova, European “secularist
assumptions have a habit of turning religion into a problem—the more so if it encroaches on
public life.”24 This view of religion as problematic makes the treatment of religious issues in a
22 Tobias Jones, “Secular Fundamentalists are the New Totalitarians,” The Guardian, January 6, 2007. 23 Peter Berger, Grace Davie, and Effie Fokas, 54. 24 Peter Berger, Grace Davie, and Effie Fokas, 45.
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practical manner increasingly difficult. 25 Additionally, with the secular pressure for
privatization of religion, secular societies find the “recognition of some legitimate role for
religion in public life and in the organization and mobilization of collective group identities”
quite troublesome.26 However, secular Europe is increasingly obligated to wrestle with such
religious issues in the public realm.27 Many European countries face the unforeseen challenge of
integrating an unprecedented number of outwardly religious Muslim immigrants into mainstream
society. Additionally, the enlargement of the European Union will only contribute to the rising
pluralism already present in many European societies. The inclusion of Turkey would bring over
60 million more Muslims into Europe’s borders.28 Europe’s Christian heritage and some current
revivals combined with the new atheism add another dimension to the growing visibility of
religion. The escalating salience of religion in Europe demands consideration and perhaps a
renegotiation with secularism over religion’s place in the public sphere.
A good beginning step towards gaining insight into what religion’s role in public society
can and should be in Europe and perhaps in the world is to pursue a deeper understanding of the
thoughts, feelings, and opinions of citizens in regard to this topic. For a variety of reasons, I
think that England, specifically London, provides an ideal setting for seeking such an
understanding.
25 José Casanova, “Religion, European Secular Identities, and European Integration,” 82. 26 José Casanova, “Religion, European Secular Identities, and European Integration,” 77. 27 Peter J. Katzenstein, “Multiple Modernities as Limits to Secular Europeanization,” in Religion in an Expanding Europe ed. Timothy A. Byrnes and Peter J. Katzenstein (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 1. 28 Jay Tolson, “European, Not Christian: An Aggressive Secularism Sweeps the Continent,” U.S. News and World Report, May 22, 2005.
9
England is unique among European countries in that it has historically allowed a greater
degree of religious pluralism and toleration. Early on, the Protestant Reformation in England
created a distance between religion and politics and replaced religious conformity with the
coexistence of dissenting sects and various Christian communities along with the established
Church of England.29 Thus, Britain “acquired a relatively high degree of religious pluralism at
an earlier stage than most Europeans, and learnt—though not always willingly—to tolerate
religious differences at a group as well as an individual level.” 30 Today, England encompasses a
tremendous variety of religious inclinations. The predominantly secular or religiously indifferent
general public lives alongside nominal and active members of the Anglican and Roman Catholic
churches. Though Christianity in England is experiencing overall decline, independent,
evangelical Christian churches, such as Pentecostals, represent fast growing Christian groups and
some are experiencing revivals. England is also home to outspoken advocates of the “new
atheism” or what John Gray, professor of European Thought at the London School of
Economics, identifies as “evangelistic atheism” such as Richard Dawkins and members of the
National Secular Society. 31 Though large numbers of British Jews have migrated to Israel,
concentrated Jewish communities remain in London and Manchester.32 The immigration of
Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Hindus from the Commonwealth as well as from Pakistan,
Middle-Eastern Arab countries, and East Africa also contributes to the widening array of
religious preferences. Over the last few decades, England has seen an especially startling
increase in Muslims immigrants. At the start of the 20th century, around 10,000 Muslims called
29 Steve Bruce, Religion in Modern Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995), 5. 30Peter Berger, Grace Davie, and Effie Fokas, 49. 31 John Gray, “The Atheist Delusion,” The Guardian, March 15, 2008. 32 Bruce, 74.
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Britain their home. 33 According to the 2001 census, there are now 1.6 million British Muslims,
making Islam the second largest religious group in the United Kingdom. 34
England’s capital, the city of London, is the epicenter of English religious plurality.
London is commonly described as the most cosmopolitan city in the world “with 300 languages
spoken, fifty non-indigenous communities with populations of 10,000 or more and a third of the
city’s residents born outside of the United Kingdom.”35 The city is home to the “highest
concentration of minority ethnic populations” and is England’s most multifarious region in
regard to religious composition. 36 According to the 2001 census, over half of Britain’s Jewish
and Hindu populations reside in London. Almost a third of the Sikh population and 36% of
Britain’s Buddhists can be found in London as well. 37 London’s most significant minority
religion is Islam, which makes up 8.5% of the population. About 40% of England’s Muslims live
in London, and the 2001 census reported 607,083 Muslims in the Greater London area.38 Many
of the religious groups are concentrated in various neighborhoods and boroughs throughout
London and have had a visible impact on the physical landscape of the city. Places of worship,
including mosques and temples, have been constructed and, along with religious clothing and
symbols, are becoming commonplace in public life. In this city of 7 million, the lives of
England’s religiously diverse citizens intersect as they rub shoulders on the tube, cross paths on
the way to work, go for a coffee, shop for groceries in the nearest Tesco, or have a pint in the
local pub.
33 BBC Religion and Ethics, “History of Islam in the UK,” February 10, 2002. 34 Knippenberg, 51. 35 Ian Bradley, Believing in Britain (London: I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd., 2007), 38. 36 Knippenberg, 52. 37 National Statistics Online, “Geographic Distribution Minority Religions Mainly in London,” http://www.epl.org/library/strategic-plan-00.html (Accessed June 1, 2005). 38 Office for National Statistics, “Neighborhood Statistics. Area: London,” http://www.neighborhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTable.html (Accessed October 3, 2009).
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In addition to the religious plurality of England and especially London, England is unique
in that it currently occupies a middle ground between the religiosity of the United States and the
secularism of Europe. 39 The general population tends to approach religion with an attitude of
indifference and for the most part, lacks the American enthusiasm as well as the French hostility
towards the public expression of religion. The Church of England retains its status as the
established national church; however, church attendance and observance of religious rites have
significantly declined in the last half of the 20th century. While the majority of the population
appears to be religiously unenthusiastic or non-believing, the 2001 census revealed that 71.6% of
the population claims some kind of nominal affiliation with Christianity.40 Though the English
prefer significantly less infusion of religious subjects in politics and public discourse than in the
United States, the English government has yet to implement rigid rules such as banning religious
symbols from state schools as in parts of Europe. Both religious and secular forces are present in
England, but neither has managed to dominate public opinion. At the present moment, England
as a whole appears undecided concerning the appropriate place of religion in public life.
In fact, the nation is in the midst of a fierce internal debate concerning religion’s role and
overall importance. In a 2007 article for the Guardian, Stuart Jeffries reports on the current
“vicious and uncompromising battle between believers and non-believers,” explaining that the
new cultural division in Britain is not between those of differing faiths but between the religious
and the secular.41 Colin Slee, Dean of Southwark, describes English society as a triangle with
secular fundamentalists in one corner, religious fundamentalists in another, and the more
39 Bradley, 58. 40 Knippenberg, 9. 41
Stuart Jeffries, “Faith,” The Guardian, February 26, 2007.
12
moderate, thinking people of various faiths (or no faith) in the other.42 Both secularist and
religious camps claim to champion toleration and liberty and accuse the other side of
endangering pluralism and freedom. While secularists see religion as encroaching on public
neutrality and freedom of thought, religious people fear the loss of England’s religious heritage
and the unifying power of religious symbols and values and view extreme secularism as a
hindrance to freedom of expression. A. C. Grayling, Professor of Philosophy at the University of
London, declares that religious groups are not cooperating in the effort to establish a fair society.
He claims that “we [secularists] are trying to keep a pluralistic society and elements in the
Christian church and other religions are trying to destroy it.”43 On the other hand, the
Archbishop of York John Sentamu has accused secularists of “pervert[ing] and abus[ing] any
notion of diversity for the sake of promoting a narrow agenda.” 44 In his 2007 Christmas
message, the Archbishop of Wales The Most Reverend Dr. Barry C. Morgan proclaimed that the
new secular fundamentalism is dangerous because “it allows no room for disagreement, or doubt,
for debate, for discussion,” but instead “leads to the language of expulsion and exclusivity, of
extremism and polarization.”45 Finally, Polly Toynbee, British journalist and president of the
British Humanist Association, claims that secularists are innocent of all accusations. Instead, she
says “it is the Christians who are stirring this dangerous pot, inventing non-stories, yearning for
martyrdom.”46
A few recent events are illustrative of the ongoing struggle between England’s religious
and secular. In 2006, British Airways worker Nadia Eweida was placed on unpaid leave when
42 Stuart Jeffries, “Faith,” The Guardian, February 26, 2007. 43 Stuart Jeffries, “Faith,” The Guardian, February 26, 2007. 44 Stuart Jeffries, “Faith,” The Guardian, February 26, 2007. 45 BBC News, “‘Atheist Fundamentalism’ Fears,” December 22, 2007. 46 Polly Toynbee, “Sorry to Disappoint, but It’s Nonsense to Suggest We Want to Ban Christmas,” The Guardian, December 21, 2007.
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she refused to conceal her cross necklace after a diversity awareness meeting. She appealed the
decision and claimed religious discrimination because of the company’s policy allowing turbans
and hijabs to be worn, as they could not be concealed under clothing.47 Ms. Eweida lost the case
in 2008; however, British Airways also changed its uniform policy which now allows symbols of
faith to be worn.48 The controversy caused outrage among the British Christian community and
raised the important question of whether religious symbols are acceptable and if so which ones.
Also in 2006, the student guild of the University of Exeter banned the Christian Union and froze
its bank account, claiming that the Union did not comply with its equal opportunities policy. 49
The CU holds open meetings but requires all members to sign a declaration stating their belief in
Jesus Christ as their Savior. While the student guild claimed to guard equality and discourage
exclusivity, members of the Christian Union felt their rights of freedom of belief, expression, and
association to be threatened and decided to take the issue to High Court.50 Similar disputes have
occurred at the University of Birmingham, Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University, and some
London medical schools. In response to the controversy, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan
Williams warned that attempts to silence a group for fear of offense endangers intellectual life
and open argument.51 The president of the National Union of Students countered that the guilds
are working for freedom of opinion within the universities, while Christian Unions impede
opinion by limiting their membership. Pod Bhogal, a spokesman for the Universities and
Colleges Christian Fellowship, said the student guilds were pushing a “secular, politically correct
agenda posing as tolerance.”52
47 BBC News, Archbishop Attacks BA Cross Rules,” November 21, 2006. 48 Times Online, “BA Worker ‘Speechless’ After Losing Cross,” January 9, 2008. 49 Guardian, “Exeter Christian Union Threatens Legal Action Over ‘Ban,’” November 17, 2006. 50 BBC News, “Christian Students in Legal Fight,” January 5, 2007. 51 BBC News, “Evangelical Students ‘Suppressed,’” August 12, 2006. 52 Guardian, “Exeter Christian Union Threatens Legal Action Over ‘Ban,’” November 17, 2006.
14
The unprecedented Muslim presence in England exacerbates this debate and places the
nation under heightened pressure to confront the issue of religion. In 2005, the Guardian and the
Barrow Cadbury Trust hosted a conference in which fifty people were brought together for
twenty-four hours and presented with the question: “what are the consequences of an
increasingly assertive Muslim political identity in Britain?” 53 Though the discussion did not
produce a list of simple answers, it served to bring out into the open an important issue that
demands consideration. That is, “how does the progressive left of centre—with its deeply secular
instincts—deal with the reassertion of religion in British political life? This conundrum has split
progressives in a way that race issues have not done for several decades; all its inclinations are to
insist that religion is strictly a private matter, but that is being profoundly challenged by a British
Muslim community.” The fastest growing religion in Europe and the second largest religious
group in England, Islam is reshaping urban areas such as London as Muslim communities form
neighborhoods and build places of worship. The final decades of the twentieth century witnessed
the erection of a myriad of mosques around the country—there are at least 1,500 mosques in the
United Kingdom today.54 Numerous Muslim organizations have also appeared such as the
Young Muslims UK, the Muslim Council of Britain, the Muslim Association of Britain, the
Islamic Centre of England, and the London Muslim Centre, all located in and around London.
The choice of British Muslims to define themselves by their religion rather than by their
ethnicity or country of origin contributes to the conspicuousness of their faith. Relatively new to
Western Europe, the Islamic faith and culture are very different from either the European secular
or Christian traditions, and the general population tends to have an “ongoing anxiety about
53
Madeleine Bunting, “Elephants in the Room,” The Guardian, January 21, 2005. 54 BBC News, “The Battle Over Mosque Reform,” November 29, 2007.
15
Islam.”55 The Rushdie affair, the Danish cartoons, and the 2005 London bombings have
contributed to a fear of radical, fundamentalist Islam and a feeling of discomfort in reference to
the growing Muslim presence in England.
While the general population maintains a feeling of unease towards the Islamic
community, some are taking steps to increase understanding of the culture and create
intercommunity bonds. Boris Johnson, mayor of London and prior critic of the Muslim
community following the 2005 bombings, spoke recently at the East London Mosque,
encouraging people to learn more about the Muslim faith and perhaps fast for a day with a
Muslim neighbor in observance of Ramadan.56 He went on to praise Muslim contributions to
London society, calling Muslims “an essential part of the fabric of London.” However, not
everyone agrees with Johnson’s positive perspective on Islam. Organizations such as the English
Defense League, Stop the Islamisation of Europe, and the British National Party passionately
oppose the emergence of Islam in England. The English Defense League (EDL), a group that
recently surfaced this spring, claims to oppose radical Islam and Sharia law and has staged
several demonstrations across the country. Calling Islamophobia the “height of common sense,”
Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) is a Europe-wide organization with a branch in England
that aims to prevent Islam from becoming a dominant political force.57 The British National
Party (BNP) is a pro-white, anti-immigration political party that openly opposes the Muslim
religion in the United Kingdom. On September 11, 2009, both the EDL and the SIOE
participated in an anti-Islam demonstration outside of Harrow Central Mosque in London. What
55 Madeleine Bunting, “The New Atheists Loathe Religion Far Too Much to Plausibly Challenge It,” The Guardian, May 7, 2007. 56 Dave Hill, “Boris Johnson Converts to Islam,” The Guardian, September 8, 2009. 57 Stop the Islamisation of Europe, “About SIOE,” http://sioe.wordpress.com/about/html (Accessed August 27, 2009).
16
was promised to be a peaceful demonstration protesting the expansion of the mosque to provide
space for Harrow’s 35,000 Muslims, quickly spiraled into violence between the demonstrators
and counter demonstrators and resulted in several arrests by the local police.58 Ghulam Rabanni,
General Secretary of the mosque, expressed sadness that people came into Harrow to stir up
trouble in a community that has not struggled with racial tension. 59 A spokesperson from the
SIOE explained that the organization is simply fundamentally opposed to totalitarianism and
“regards Islam as the nastiest form of totalitarianism ever devised.” 60 The leader of the group
shared his opinion that expansion of the mosque is “not good for community cohesion.” On the
other hand, the leader of the Harrow Council described the mosque as “part of the fabric of
Harrow” and lamented the fact that “these people feel the need to import their extreme views into
our borough.”
Clearly, the question of the role of religion in England’s public sphere is increasingly
urgent. Now is the time to begin the search for a deeper knowledge and understanding of the
issues and to ultimately work towards a solution. To that end, I would like the opportunity to go
to England to personally speak with and interview the individuals directly involved in these
various religious and non religious groups to gain insight into their perspectives on the
appropriate place of religion in the public sphere. In order to keep the project manageable and
sufficiently narrow, I would specifically focus on secularist, Christian and Muslim groups and
individuals as well as some prominent professors, journalists, and writers who have spoken and
written on this issue. In compiling my list of contacts (attached), I chose to focus on people
directly involved in the relevant religious and non-religious groups and organizations rather than
a random selection from the general public. Several of the contacts that I have chosen to
interview are quite well known and influential leaders and thinkers. If I am unable to obtain a
face to face meeting with them, I will speak with another relevant contact involved in their
organization or religious group. I also have a second list of contacts to draw from if any of my
primary contacts are unreachable. The vast majority of my research would be conducted in
London; however, I will travel outside of the city to meet with a few prominent thinkers and
leaders of religious organizations in Oxford and Cambridge. These specific contacts are
pertinent and influential enough to merit a brief trip outside of my area of focus. I also anticipate
being directed to new contacts and resources by the people that I interview in London.
Face to face interviews will provide the most effective means to gaining an accurate
understanding of people’s perspectives on the role of religion in the public realm. Personal
interviews will allow an excellent environment for discussion and dialogue about current
thought, issues, and problems as well as potential solutions. I plan to conduct one to two hour
interviews which I will record for later review using a portable digital voice recorder. Before
leaving for England, I will more extensively research the various people that I plan to interview
in order to craft my interview questions in a way that is pertinent and specific to each individual.
However, each interview will follow a similar general structure and address the same significant
issues. I will begin by asking the individual to speak about their own beliefs and religious
background, asking questions such as: what are your personal religious views or views about
religion? What have your experiences been as a Christian (or Muslim or secular person) in
London? What people or events have been significant in shaping your opinions and perspective?
18
I will then ask several questions about their views on religion’s role in the public realm:
Is religion appropriate in the public sphere? Do you think tolerance and coexistence are better
achieved by secularism or by open religious expression? Will the public expression of religious
belief cause division and conflict in a pluralist society? Or will open religious discussion allow
mutual understanding and encourage toleration? In general, is the acknowledgement of religious
preference valuable or detrimental to public dialogue? Do you see secularism as a facilitator and
protector of neutrality and freedom? Or do you think the secular state is in danger of infringing
upon the rights of religious association and expression? Should the topic of religion be generally
avoided or publicly confronted?
I will also address the subject of unity within a pluralist society: Is an underlying
religious heritage and worldview necessary to maintain a sense of national unity? Do you think
that the Church of England is essential to England’s national identity? Could (and should) the
Church of England adopt the role of protector and representative of all religions in England? In
your opinion, what would be the consequences of disestablishment? Are Christian traditions and
festivals offensive to minority faiths in England? Do you think that the increasing visibility of
differing religions is divisive in London’s pluralist society? What are some potential non-
religious unifiers for an increasingly pluralist Britain? Can secular values provide common
bonds? Is there a need for a replacement morality if religion is excluded from the public sphere?
I will also inquire into their personal vision of an ideal pluralist society as well as their
concerns for England’s future: In an ideal world, what role would religion play in the public
arena? What would that look like for London? What steps need to be taken to achieve this
vision in London? Is religious tolerance enough or does a pluralist society need something
more? What will be the consequences if England embraces religion as an appropriate aspect of
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public life?…if it excludes religion from public life? What are your hopes, fears, and concerns
about the future of England and Europe as a whole in regard to this topic?
In addition to interviews, I will attend various church services, secular events, and
meetings of student organizations, as well as some informative meetings available to the public
in Muslim centers in order to gain further knowledge and insight and perhaps network to find
new contacts. I am currently seeking IRB approval from SMU, and I plan to work with Glenn
Lucke, President of Docent Research Group and co-author of Common Grounds, on research and
interviewing methods. Dr. Hopkins, History professor of Modern Britain and European Social
and Intellectual Life at SMU, will act as my supervisor, and I will continue to interact with him
about my project while overseas and upon my return. Finally, I will write an article based on my
findings which I will submit for publication in a scholarly journal such as the Journal of Religion
and Society or the Journal of Religion and Popular Culture.
20
Bibliography
Books
Ammerman, Nancy T. Ed. Everyday Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Banchoff, Thomas, Ed. Democracy and the New Religious Pluralism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Berger, Peter, Grace Davie, and Effie Fokas. Religious America, Secular Europe? Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2008.
Bradley, Ian. Believing in Britain. London: I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd., 2007.
Brown, Callum G. Religion and Society in Twentieth-Century Britain. New York: Pearson Longman, 2006.
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Brown, Callum G. The Death of Christian Britain. London: Routledge, 2001.
Bruce, Steve. God is Dead, Secularization in the West. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2002.
Bruce, Steve. Religion in Modern Britain. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.
Byrnes, Timothy A. “Transnational Religion and Europeanization.” In Religion in an Expanding Europe, edited by Timothy A. Byrnes and Peter J. Katzenstein, 283-305. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Casanova, José. “Immigration and the New Religious Pluralism: A European Union/United States Comparison.” In Democracy and the New Religious Pluralism, edited by Thomas Banchoff, 59-83. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Casanova, José. “Religion, European Secular Identities, and European Integration.” In Religion in an Expanding Europe, edited by Timothy A. Byrnes and Peter J. Katzenstein, 65-92. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Davie, Grace. “Pluralism, Tolerance, and Democracy: Theory and Practice in Europe.” In Democracy and the New Religious Pluralism, edited by Thomas Banchoff, 223-241. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Davie, Grace. Religion in Britain since 1945. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1994.
Dawkins, Richard. The God Delusion. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co., 2006.
Gordon, Mick and Chris Wilkinson, Ed. Conversations on Religion. London: Continuum, 2008.
Habgood, John. Church and Nation in a Secular Age. London: Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd, 1983.
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Katzenstein, Peter J. “Multiple Modernities as Limits to Secular Europeanization?” In Religion in an Expanding Europe, edited by Timothy A. Byrnes and Peter J. Katzenstein, 1-33. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Knippenberg, Hans, Ed. The Changing Religious Landscape of Europe. Amsterdam: Het Spinhuis, 2005.
Martin, David. The Religious and the Secular. London: Routledge & K. Paul, 1969.
McGrath, Alister E. The Dawkins Delusion? Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2007.
Norris, Pippa and Ronald Inglehart. Sacred and Secular. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Newspaper articles/Blogs
BBC Religion and Ethics. “History of Islam in the UK.” October, 2, 2002.
BBC News. “Archbishop attacks BA Cross Rules.” November 21, 2006.
BBC News. “‘Atheistic Fundamentalism’ Fears.” December 22, 2007.
BBC News. “Christianophobia Warning from MP.” December 4, 2007.
BBC News. “Muslims in Europe: Country Guide.” December 23, 2005.
BBC News. “UK ‘Must Celebrate Christianity.’” December 5, 2007.
BBC News. “UK Winterval Gets Frosty Reception.” November 9, 1998.
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Brown, Steven. “Religious Leaders Oppose Swiss Ban on Mosque Minarets.” USA Today. September 10, 2009.
Bunting, Madeleine. “Elephants in the Room.” The Guardian. January 21, 2005.
Church In Wales Press Release. “Archbishop of Wales the Most Reverend Dr Barry C Morgan Christmas Message.” http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/press/display_press_release.php?prid=4542
Dawkins, Richard. “How Dare You Call Me a Fundamentalist?” The Times. May 12, 2007.
Economist. “A New Jerusalem.” September 3, 2006.
Eskow, RJ. “Reject Arguments For Intolerance—Even From Atheists.” Huffington Post. January 4, 2006.
Gray, John. “The Atheist Delusion.” The Guardian. March 15, 2008.
Habermas, Jurgen. “Religion in the Public Sphere.”University of San Diego March 4, 2005.
Hill, Dave. “Boris Johnson Converts to Islam.” The Guardian. September 8, 2009.
Hedges, Chris. “On Secular Fundamentalism.” April 7, 2008. http://www.commondreams.org/
Independent. “Organisers Pledge Peaceful Anti-Islam protest.” September 8, 2009.
Kingsway International Christian Centre: http://www.kicc.org.uk/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
Office for National Statistics. “Neighborhood Statistics. Area: London.” http://www.neighborhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTable.html (Accessed October 3, 2009).
National Secular Society: http://www.secularism.org.uk/
National Statistics Online. “Geographic Distribution Minority Religions Mainly in London.”
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=956.html. (Accessed October 3, 2009)
Richard Dawkins Websites: http://richarddawkins.net/
Stop the Islamization of Europe SIOE http://sioe.wordpress.com/
Tuesday—Settle in to hotel and familiarize myself with the city
Wednesday—interview A.C. Grayling
Thursday—interview Lewis Wolpert
Friday—interview Keith Porteous Wood and Terry Sanderson
Saturday—Explore additional leads generated through interviews/Recommended research
Week 2 (1/17 – 1/23)
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Sunday—attend church at Holy Trinity Brompton 11:30am; Explore additional leads generated through interviews/Recommended research
Monday—interview Lord Avebury
Tuesday—interview Ariane Sherine
Wednesday—Day trip to Brighton: visit the office of the Freethinker, interview Barry Duke
Thursday—visit the Center for Inquiry London, interview Provost Stephen Law
Friday—visit the office of the Independent, interview columnist Johan Hari
Saturday—Explore additional leads generated through interviews/Recommended research
Week 3 (1/24 – 1/30)
Sunday—attend church at Hillsong 10:30am; Explore leads/Recommended research
Monday—interview Peter Tatchell
Tuesday—interview Polly Toynbee or other contact from the British Humanist Association
Wednesday—interview Naomi Philips
Thursday—interview Paul Pettinger
Friday—interview Harry Stopes-Roe
Saturday—Explore leads/Recommended research
Week 4: (1/31 – 2/6) Oxford
Sunday—travel to Oxford and get acquainted with the city
Monday—interview Richard Dawkins
Tuesday—interview Philip Pullman, interview Jenna Catley
Wednesday—interview Peter Atkins, interview Jack Quaddy
Thursday—interview Colin Blakemore
Friday—interview Susan Greenfield
Saturday—travel back to London/Explore leads/Recommended research
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Prof. A.C. Grayling: Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College London; renowned atheist; Fellow of the World Economic Forum, and a member of its C-100 group on relations between the West and the Islamic world; columnist for various journals and reviews
Prof. Lewis Wolpert: vice president of the British Humanist Association; current Professor of Biology as applied to Medicine at University College London; well-known for 2008 speech entitled “The Origins of Science and Religion” at the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology in Sweden
Keith Porteous Wood: executive director of the National Secular Society
Terry Sanderson: President of the National Secular Society
Lord Avebury : secularist of the year 2009, liberal MP
Ariane Sherine: creator of atheist bus campaign, writer and journalist; author of the first atheist charity book: The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas
The Freethinker: The British monthly journal for Atheists, Secularists, Freethinkers, Rationalists and Humanists; based out of Brighton
Barry Duke: editor of the Freethinker
Center for Inquiry London: education focused on the application of science and/or reason to questions regarding religion and the supernatural, the application of science and/or reason to pressing contemporary ethical dilemmas and social/political problems, the question of what is, and is not, good science
Stephen Law: Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London; Provost of CFI London
The Independent: UK newspaper
Johan Hari: Independent columnist, one of the nominees for the Secularist of the Year award; has interviewed many world figures, including the Dalai Lama, Tony Blair, Hugo Chavez, George Michael, Dolly Parton, Salman Rushdie, Martin Amis, Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Peter Tatchell: British Human Rights activist, prominent gay equality LGBT campaigner
Polly Toynbee: President of the British Humanist Association
Naomi Philips: BHA public affairs officer; works on the BHA's campaigns covering a wide range of issues including public services, equality law, human rights and social cohesion
Paul Pettinger: BHA Campaigns Manager; Paul is responsible for BHA campaigning on faith schools and other education-related issues, such as Religious Education and collective worship.
Prof. Harry Stopes-Roe: Vice President of the British Humanist Association; received BSc and MSc in physics from Imperial College , London and a PhD in Philosophy from Cambridge University . He was a
29
lecturer, then senior lecturer, in Science Studies at Birmingham University, work which led him to reject the idea of "God" and to seek an alternative basis for morality in Humanism
Richard Dawkins: evolutionary biologist; Former Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford; author of The God Delusion, The Greatest Show on Earth, The Selfish Gene,
The Blind Watchmaker; the OUT Campaign
Philip Pullman: author of His Dark Materials (trilogy containing The Golden Compass)
Jenna Catley: AHS President (National Federation of Atheist, Humanist, and Secular Student Societies), University of Oxford PhD student
Prof. Peter Atkins: retired chemistry professor at Oxford; outspoken atheist known for attacks on religion; has written and spoken extensively on science and religion, arguing the two are incompatible.
Jack Quaddy: president of Oxford Secular Society (student organization)
Prof. Colin Blakemore: Professor of Neuroscience at the Universities of Oxford and Warwick; author of Guardian article “Science is Just One Gene Away from Defeating Religion”
Susan Greenfield: Professor of Synaptic Pharmacology at Lincoln College, Oxford
Focus: Islam
Week 5 (2/7 – 2/13)
Sunday—attend church at Ascension Balham Hill 11:00am; Explore leads/Recommended research
Monday—visit East London Mosque, interview Ghulam Rabanni
Tuesday—interview contact at Islam Awareness Program; interview contact at Islamic Forum of Europe (both based in the East London Mosque/London Muslim Centre)
Wednesday—interview Rashid Ansari
Thursday—visit London Central Mosque & Islamic Cultural Centre; tour by volunteer British Muslim
Friday—interview contact of the Interfaith Department of London Central Mosque
30
Saturday—Explore leads/Recommended research; Secularist of the Year 2010 Award Ceremony
Week 6 (2/14 – 2/20)
Sunday—Islamic Studies Class at London Central Mosque 1-2pm
Monday—visit and interview contact at UK Islamic Mission
Thursday—interview contact at University of London Union Classical Islam Society and contact at University College London Islamic Society
Friday—visit Islamic Centre of England; interview contacts at the Department of Culture and Education and the Department of Religious Enquiries
Saturday—Explore leads/Recommended research
Week 7 (2/21 – 2/27)
Sunday—attend church at St. Gabriel’s 10:30am; Explore leads/Recommended research
Monday—interview Azzam Tamimi
Tuesday—interview Jerome Taylor; interview John Denham
Wednesday—visit Muslim Council of Britain, interview Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, Dr Daud Abdullah, and Harun Rashid Khan
Thursday—visit Harrow Central Mosque; interview Haroon Rashid Sheikh
Friday—interview Ghulam Rabbani
Saturday—Mujlis Ziker
Week 8 (2/28 – 3/6)
Sunday—attend church at St. Barnabas Kensington 10:30am; Explore leads/Recommended research
Monday—interview Aaqil Ahmed
Tuesday—interview Shelina Janmohamed
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Wednesday—interview Anders Gravers or Stephen Gash of Stop the Islamisation of Europe
Thursday—interview contact at English Defense League
Friday— interview contact at London branch of the Muslim Association of Britain
Saturday—Explore leads/Recommended research
East London Mosque
Ghulam Rabanni: General Secretary of East London Mosque
Islam Awareness Program: geared toward creating better community relations and informing non-Muslims about Islam
Islamic Forum of Europe
Rashid Ansari: London chair and vice president of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies
London Central Mosque & Islamic Cultural Centre
Interfaith Department of London Central Mosque
Secularist of the Year 2010 Award Ceremony: prize presented to someone who has contributed significantly to the cause of secularism in the preceding year; gathering of prominent secularists, humanists, and atheists.
Islamic Studies Class at London Central: Mosque 1-2pm: Held in English language and designed for new converts and all other Muslims to increase their knowledge, and an opportunity for non-Muslims to enquire & learn more about Islam. Men & Women are welcome.
UK Islamic Mission: works to promote interfaith dialogue and understanding; doors open to all regardless of belief.
Tariq Ramadan: Muslim academic and theologian; believes that Muslims in Europe have established a new "European Islam" and emphasizes the necessity for their contribution to European society.
Hazhir Teimourian: Iranian Middle East Analyst and commentator
Abdelwahab El Affendi: Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster and co-ordinator of the Centre's Democracy and Islam Programme
interview contact at University of London Union Classical Islam Society and contact at University College London Islamic Society
Islamic Centre of England: interview contacts at the Department of Culture and Education and the Department of Religious Enquiries
Azzam Tamimi: Director of the Institute of Islamic Political Thought in London
Jerome Taylor: the religious correspondent for The Independent; follows EDL/SOIE and Muslim groups
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John Denham: Communities Secretary who has openly criticized groups such as EDL and SOIE for encouraging religious hatred
Harrow Central Mosque: site of the 9/11/2009 anti-Islam demonstration and riot
Haroon Rashid Sheikh: Chairman of Harrow Central Mosque Ghulam Rabbani: General Secretary of Harrow Central Mosque
Mujlis Ziker: regular monthly event hosted by Harrow Central Mosque. Regular speakers include: Allama Nisar Ahmed Sulimani (Hounslow Mosque) and Allama Shafi-ud-Din. Talks in English; All are welcome.
Aaqil Ahmed: first Muslim head of religious programming at the BBC
Shelina Janmohamed: author of spirit21, a blog providing a unique perspective on the life of a British Muslim woman, addresses issues such as the political role of Turkey and women wearing the hijab; author of Love in a Headscarf
Stop the Islamisation of Europe: organization fundamentally opposed to the Muslim religion and the immigration of Muslims to Europe
English Defense League: newly formed organization opposing Radical Islam and Sharia Law
Muslim Association of Britain
Muslim Council of Britain
Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra: Chair of Interfaith Relations of the Muslim Council of Britain
Dr. Daud Abdullah: Chair of Europe and International Affairs of the Muslim Council of Britain
Harun Rashid Khan: Chair of the London Committee of the Muslim Council of Britain.
Focus: Christianity
Week 9 (3/7 – 3/13)
Sunday—attend church at Holy Trinity Brompton 11:30am; Explore leads/Recommended research
Monday—interview Nicky Gumbel
Tuesday—interview Jacqui Hance
Wednesday—visit the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity; interview Nigel Hopper and Tracy Cotterell
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Thursday—interview the Very Reverend Colin Slee, Dean of Southwark
Friday— interview Jane Morris
Saturday—Explore leads/Recommended research
Week 10 (3/14 – 3/20)
Sunday: attend church at Moot 6:30pm, establish a contact to interview; Explore leads/Recommended research
Monday—interview Alister McGrath
Tuesday—visit Evangelical Alliance and Global Connections; interview Steve Clifford
Wednesday—interview Karen Armstrong
Thursday—interview Anne Widdecombe
Friday— interview contact at Hillsong London
Saturday—Explore leads/Recommended research
Week 11 (3/21 – 3/27)
Sunday: attend church at Hillsong 10:30am; Explore leads/Recommended research
Monday—interview Jan Humphrey
Tuesday—interview Rev. Canon Guy Wilkinson and Tim Livesy
Wednesday—interview Richard Harries
Thursday: interview contacts University College London Christian Union and King’s College London Christian Union
Friday— interview Mark Pritchard MP
Saturday—travel to Cambridge
Week 12 (3/28 – 4/3)
Sunday—guided walk with Christian Heritage at 2:30pm
Monday—visit Christian Heritage; interview Martin Lown and Rachel Thorpe
Tuesday-- interview Don Cuppitt and Fraser Watts
34
Wednesday—visit The Jubilee Centre; interview John Hayward and Alan White
Thursday—travel back to London; interview Stuart Jeffries
Friday— interview John Gray; interview Oliver Letwin
Saturday—Recommended research/prepare to return home
Nicky Gumbel: pastor of Holy Trinity Brompton and author of the Alpha Course
Jacqui Hance: co-pastor of Ascension Balham Hill Anglican Church
London Institute for Contemporary Christianity
Nigel Hopper: Lecturer in Contemporary Culture at the LICC
Tracy Cotterell: Director of the Imagine Project at the LICC
Very Reverend Colin Slee, Dean of Southwark
Jane Morris: Vicar of St. Gabriel’s Anglican Church
Moot: “creative and explorative Christian activity in the city;” alternative approach to Evangelical Christianity; a “community of spiritual travelers”
Alister McGrath: Christian theologian; holds a DPhil in molecular biophysics and a Doctor of Divinity degree from Oxford; author of the Twilight of Atheism and the Dawkins Delusion?
Evangelical Alliance and Global Connections: evangelical voice to the state, society, and church
Steve Clifford: Evangelical Alliance General Director
Karen Armstrong: author of comparative religion; former Catholic nun; interfaith initiative—“Charter of Compassion”
Anne Widdecombe: British Conservative Party Politician, member of Conservative Christian Fellowship
Hillsong London: large Evangelical church known worldwide
Jan Humphrey: Evangelism & Clusters Coordinator at St. Barnabas Kensington Anglican Church
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Rev. Canon Guy Wilkinson: Secretary for Inter-Religious Relations at the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Tim Livesy: Secretary for Public Affairs at the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Richard Harries: former Bishop of Oxford—public conversation with Richard Dawkins in Oxford University Museum
University College London Christian Union
King’s College London Christian Union
Mark Pritchard MP: Member of Parliament; called Westminster debate over “Christianophobia”
Christian Heritage: evangelical Christian organization based at the Round Church in Cambridge; seeks to demonstrate the impact of Christianity on the intellectual and moral foundations of the west; welcomes visitors to exhibition, video and regular walks of the city, all of which raise important questions for today.
Martin Lown: director of Christian Heritage
Rachel Thorpe: Intern at Christian Heritage
Don Cuppitt: philosopher of religion and Christian Theologian; Anglican priest, Cambridge emeritus professor
Fraser Watts: Vicar-Chaplain of St. Edward, King and Martyr in Cambridge; Lecturer in Theology and the Natural Sciences; director of the Psychology and Christianity Project in the Center for Advanced Religious and Theological Studies
Jubilee Centre: Evangelical Christian organization believing that the Bible describes a coherent vision for society that has relevance for Britain and the world today. “We seek to study, disseminate and apply this vision in order to provide a positive response to the challenges faced by individuals, communities and policy makers.”
John Hayward: executive director for the Jubilee Centre
Alan White: Projects Manager for the Jubilee Centre; elder in local church
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Week 13 (4/4 – 4/10)
Sunday—attend church at Holy Trinity Brompton 11:30pm; prepare to return home
Monday—visit the Institute of Community Cohesion; interview Shahid Malik
Stuart Jeffries: columnist for the Guardian; articles concerning religion and religion in the public sphere
Prof. John Gray: formerly Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics; often writes on the topic of secular/atheist vs. religious fundamentalism and authored Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia
Oliver Letwin: British Politician well known for his 2003 speech “E Pluribus Unum: Agreeing to Differ”
Institute of Community Cohesion
Shahid Malik: Community Cohesion Minister
Tobias Jones: British author and journalist
Madeline Bunting: Guardian columnist and editor; often writes on ethics, religion, and Islam
To be worked into schedule during the University term:
King’s College London European Society: discusses topics concerning the European Union such as the difference between the political and cultural borders of the continent
37
University College London Interfaith society
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Salam Society: a multi-faith and multicultural society which aims to promote tolerance and understanding between different groups within society
Project Budget
1/10/2010 – 4/8/2010
Round-trip airfare to London (Austin Bergstrom to London Heathrow)
American Airlines—$1019.58
British Airways—$1,002
Northwest Airlines—$818.20
Delta Airlines—$825.20
US Airways—$904
Continental Airlines—$872
Average estimate: $906.79
Transportation to and from Airport Total Estimate: $16.05
38
Hotel Accommodations in London for 75 nights:
The Euro Hotel—$9,026.25
The Grand at Trafalgar—$11,313
The Gate Hotel—$8,424.75
Ramada Encore London West—$9,627.75
Danubius Hotel Regents Park—$14,201
Average Estimate: $10,518.60
Transportation within London :
Oyster Card + daily transportation—$4.81 + $9.63/day in London
Train fare within Greater London area—$38.04
Total Estimate: $736.21
Transportation to and from Oxford: Total Estimate: $80.23
Hotel Accommodations in Oxford for 6 nights:
Oxford Spires Four Pillars Hotels—$914.64
Parklands Hotel—$784.68
The Balkan Lodge Oxford—$654.702
Average Estimate: $784.67
Transportation within Oxford for 5 days : Total Estimate: $25.67
Transportation to and from Cambridge: Total Estimate: $50.39
Hotel Accommodations in Cambridge for 5 nights:
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Lensfield Hotel—$601.75
De Vere University Arms Hotel—$637.85
Arundel House Hotel—$802.35
Average Estimate: $408.39
Transportation within Cambridge for 4 days: Total Estimate: $12.84
Transportation to Brighton: Total Estimate: $47.98
Food:
$82.60 per day (70% of the figure given from US Department of State Foreign Per Diem Rates)
Total Estimate: $7103.60
Secularist of the Year Award: £45 Total Estimate: $72.21
Equipment:
Portable Digital Voice Recorder:
Sony Digital Voice Recorder—$64.99
Olympus Digital Voice Recorder—$64.98
Average Estimate: $64.97
Digital camera (to document interviews and places of interest for blog postings and inclusion in final paper):
Samsung 12.2 Megapixel Digital Camera—$169.99
Nikon Coolpix 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera—$129.99
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Sony – Cyber-shot 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera—$179.99
Average Estimate: $159.99
International Phone SIM card to schedule and confirm appointments