The Minster:
Religion in York
Throughout its long history, York Minster has been an important centre of Christianity in this country and, as the seat of the Archbishop of York, is the hub of the Church of England’s Northern Province. This stop will provide an opportunity to reflect on the changing religious landscape of York over time to the present day, in which ‘non-religion’ has now for the first time replaced ‘Christianity’ as the cultural default, and we will reflect on how religion is adapting and changing to this new religious landscape. In particular, we will focus on why both cathedrals - represented by York Minster - and charismatic evangelicalism - represented by the church of St Michael-le-Belfrey located next to the Minster - are bucking the broader trend of religious decline. In reflecting on their broader sociological significance, we will explore how these two churches represent contrasting ways of connecting with religion in an increasingly secular wider landscape.
Listen to the podcast below to learn more!
Anna Strhan is a Reader in Sociology at the University of York. Her research interests lie in the relations between religion, secularism, ethics, and moral life. She is the author of a number of books, including Aliens and Strangers? The Struggle for Coherence in the Everyday Lives of Evangelicals (Oxford University Press, 2015), The Figure of the Child in Contemporary Evangelicalism (Oxford University Press, 2019). She is currently leading a Leverhulme Trust funded research project which examines the role of religion in the work that schools do to foster notions of citizenship and national identity, and what this means for children’s sense of belonging in wider society.
