Module description
The module is divided into two sections. In the first, the history and evolution of the major religious traditions in Britain since the eighteenth century will be examined, focusing on major turning-points and crises in the churches such as the Evangelical Movement, the Oxford Movement, and the rise of Methodism. The nature of religious belief in contemporary Britain will also be studied. The second section will examine the attitude of the churches and of British religious leaders to controversial social and political question such as the alleviation of poverty, warfare, gender, equality, and moral issues.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to:
i) understand the development of the major religious traditions in the United Kingdom since c. 1750, and the impact of religion on the wider political and social history of Britain;
ii) become familiar with key concepts in the evolution of religion in modern Britain, such as Darwinism and the "Crisis of Faith" in the Victorian era, and secularization and Fundamentalism in recent times;
iii) develop an understanding of how religion has been viewed by social scientists, for example in Weber's "Protestant ethic and capitalism" thesis;
iv) understand how religion has underpinned important facets of the development of British culture in modern times.