Go to top menu Whychurch.org.uk home page About us Support WhyChurch Accessibility Sitemap Format and print page Churchgoing in the news Links Book recommendations Contact Home

WhyChurch


Belonging and believing

Should we secularise the Church?

What is Secularisation?

Picture of the outside of Yorkminster Secularisation is the process of change by which a society disconnects itself from its religious roots. In the UK this means replacing Christian symbols, morals, principles, or practices with man-made alternatives. The social theorists behind it are atheists who believe that as society becomes more modernised it will no longer believe in God.

The issue with the Church of England(CofE) is in part highlighted by Prince Charles wanting to be the defender of faith (instead of defender of the faith). This change would make it a secular role and raises constitutional issues concerning the established church because the Monarch is both head of state and supreme governor of the CofE.

While most of Western Europe has become secular, the secularisation of the CofE would seem to most Christians a step too far. If true what is at stake is nothing less than the faith once for all delivered to the saints. The CofE is either a part of the worldwide Church of Jesus Christ or it becomes apostate.

The alternative solution could be disestablishment, and the Archbishop of Canterbury surprised many when he was reported in the Guardian and the Times as being in favour of breaking the link between Church and State.

What Albert Mohler said

Picture of Albert MohlerSometimes people with a different perspective can see problems more clearly than those who are involved in it. Remarkably in the USA Albert Mohler took time to write a blog about "The Secularisation of the Church" which takes a look at the Archbishop of York Dr. John Sentamu's proposal for the CofE and as the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary he is also well qualified to give a theological opinion.

In his blog Albert Mohler sums up of the proposal for the CofE:

"Archbishop Sentamu effectively erases the boundary between belief and unbelief, suggesting that the church belongs to believers and unbeliever alike. The saving message of the Gospel -- the message of salvation from sin through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ -- is replaced with a social function. The Body of Christ is transformed into a public utility."

What the Times said

Under the headline "Church of England must serve all the faiths, says Archbishop" on the 6th December 2008 the Times reports the Archbishop of York's contribution on the proposals for the future of the CofE. In the opening paragraphs it sums up the proposal this way:

"The Church of England should be open for use by people of any religion or none, like a hospital, says Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York.

There is a strong case for regarding the Church as a public body that does not exist simply to serve believers, he argues. Whether or not most people attend regularly is irrelevant."

If this an accurate assessment of the proposals then it does open up the prospect of groups from any religion using CofE churches for their religious rituals? Could we see CofE church buildings being shared with other faiths and does all mean any faith?

What is being proposed by the Archbishop of York?

Picture of Dr John Sentamu the Archbishop of York While many have come to think of John Sentamu as being one of the most evangelical Archbishops of York in recent times, he has always been an ardent supporter of the established church and like all bishops in the CofE his election was subject to the secular authority of the UK government.

John Sentamu's proposal came as a result of his participation in a think tank called the "Institute for Public Policy Research." The IPPR trustees include a roll call of the great and the good of the Labour Party including for example Clive Hollick its founder, one time leader of the party Neil Kinnock and long time Labour benefactor David Puttnam. The IPPR is not, as it likes to think of itself, independent of any political bias or interests. In addition "Faith in the Nation" is a particularly powerful working party led by no one less than the Prime-Minister himself. This is the Labour Party system at work forming policy and IPPR has a way of getting what it wants because that is what it was set up to do.

By his own words the key resource John Sentamu used for his essays is Grace Davie, "whose work in this area has influenced my own understanding." He uses her reasoning and published works as the justification for his proposals and phrases like "public utility" come directly from her secular work as a professor of sociology. There is no attempt in any of the essays to seek understanding of the purposes of church from scripture.

In his chapter of "Faith in the Nation" John Sentamu recognises that establishment gives the CofE a privilege over other religious bodies in our multi-faith society, and argues for the CofE to become a public utility for the whole nation (i.e. those of any faith or none). This is a CofE for believers and unbelievers alike. It is also a CofE where those that belong do so vicariously for those that do not. The CofE becomes the provider of a social service to the nation.

Here we should simply note that Greek word Jesus used for Church (in Matthew 16:18) was ekklesia which means "the called out ones" and this refers to Jesus' own people not the population at large. The use of the word call is the same as when for example we say "to call a shareholders' meeting," and we could describe those at the meeting as those that had been called to the meeting.


Give us feedback...?