ABSTRACT

“Secularisation” is a common phenomenon in modern western societies especially in European countries. It progressed more rapidly after the 1960s. In the context of secularisation，Christianity presented many new characteristics in Europe，the previous base camp of Christianity. The author of this book deals with issues related to “secularisation”，and analyses the tendency to decline of Christianity in contemporary Britain with the tremendous impact of secularisation，the causes of secularisation，and also the responses to secularisation both within and outside British Christian churches at different levels. Based on her own survey in Birmingham in England，the author analyses the relationship between secularisation and the development of Christianity in contemporary Britain from the angle of grass-roots churches，and discovers the diversity within British Christian churches.

The history of Christianity in contemporary Britain in the atmosphere of secularisation is rich and colourful but complicated. The author tries to find a logical clue to the variety and complexity，so as to bring forward this multicoloured historical scene. This book focused on the present age，but also involved in modern even ancient history，because history is always a successively developed process，and stories happening currently always connect with the past.

This book includes an introduction，six chapters，and a conclusion. Chapter one is the theoretical cornerstone and logical foundation for the later chapters. The author here discusses the context of secularisation—European background of the development of Christianity in Britain. It clarifies the meaning，manifestations and causes of secularisation generally. In chapter two，the author analyses concretely the huge blows dealt to British Christianity by secularisation，and the causes of secularisation effected in varying degrees during different stages of British history，especially since the 1960s. In chapter three，the author considers various responses to the challenges of secularisation，emphasizing the accommodation strategy of liberal churches and the resistance strategy of conservative churches. The fourth chapter is based on a case study. The author assesses Sunday morning services of the churches she visited，and summarizes her findings according to the interviews with the clergy of each church. In chapter five，the author reviews different attitudes toward secularisation，the interaction of the religious and the secular，the double-sided function of secularisation，and opens up a cautious prospect for the future of Christianity in Britain. In the last chapter，with a global perspective，the author compares the development of Christianity in Britain with that in the United States，and also compares the development of Christianity in the “global North” with that in the “global South”，so as to probe into the universality and diversity of secularisation patterns in different countries and areas of the world.

Key Words：secularisation Christianity contemporary Britain