Religion has played an enormous role in British public life, but not lately.  We can be grateful not to be fighting religious wars or repressing Bible translations. We should be glad that in the 19^th century Britain did finally offer Catholics full political rights. Perhaps we should be content with a merely ceremonial role?

Before concluding this, we should also recall the mid-20^th century, when the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Temple, was the country’s foremost advocate for building a welfare state – and even coined the term. The middle of the 20^th century was not the middle ages. The issues we face are not altogether different – though today, even though Britain is a much richer country, we seem to be dismantling not building the welfare state. Certainly Britain still faces basic questions about what values and commitments bind citizens together.

Religion hasn’t vanished from British public life, of course, but it has been marginalised. Sports and the monarchy seem now to draw more passionate commitments (and oppositions). Markets are more frequent foci for prayer and supplication (if not propitiatory sacrifice – though how else to understand George Osborne’s imposition of austerity?).

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