英国宗教与信仰概览

BuddhismChristianityIslamHinduismReligiousFreedomIntroductiontoBritishandAmericanCultureTheProtestantChurchTheCatholicChurchTheChurchofEnglandBritishStateChurch基督教，是一个相信耶稣基督为救主的一神论宗教。基督教、佛教、伊斯兰教是世界三大宗教，估计现在全球共有15亿至21亿的人信仰基督教，占世界总人口25%-30%。最早期的基督教只有一个教会，但在基督教的历史进程中却分化为许多派别，主要有天主教（中文也可译为公教、罗马公教）、东正教、新教（中文又常称为基督教）三大派别，以及其他一些影响较小的派别。中文的“基督教”一词有时被用于专指基督新教。ReligionintheUnitedKingdomTheintroductionofChristianityTheearlyAnglo-Saxonswereworshippersofnaturalforces;e.g.thunder,winds,storms,etc.“Religionaroseineveryprimitivetimesfromerroneous,primitiveconceptionsofmenabouttheirownnatureandexternalnaturesurroundingthem.”(Engles)TheearlyAnglo-SaxonsconvertedChristianityReligionintheUnitedKingdomTheAnglo-SaxonsbroughttheirownTeutonicreligiontoBritain.Christianitysoondisappeared,exceptamongtheCeltsofCornwall,Wales,ScotlandandIreland.In597,PopeGregoryⅠsentSt.Augustine,thePriorofSt.Andrew’sMonasteryinRome,toEnglandtoconverttheheathenEnglishtoChristianity.In579St.AugustinebecamethefirstArchbishopofCanterbury.Hewasremarkablysuccessfulinconvertingthekingandthenobility,buttheconversionofthecommonpeoplewaslargelyduetothemissionaryactivitiesofthemonksinthenorth.TheEnglishReligiousReformationHenryⅧwasaboutallresponsibleforthereligiousreformofthechurch.Thereare3mainreasons:adesireforchangeandreformintheChurchhadbeengrowingformanyyearsandnow,encouragedbythesuccessofMartinLuther(1483-1546),manypeoplebelieveditstimehadcome;theprivilegeandwealthoftheclergywerealsoresented;andHenryneededmoney.ReligionintheUnitedKingdomReligionintheUnitedKingdomHenry’sreformhadthreeimportanteffects:theystressedthepowerofthemonarchandcertainlystrengthenedHenry’sposition;Parliamenthadneverdonesuchalongandimportantpieceofworkbefore;andhisattachonthePope’spowerencouragedmanycriticsofabusesoftheCatholicChurchtoexpectsomemovementawayfromCatholicismtowardsProtestantideology.ReligionintheUnitedKingdomJamesⅠforcedthePuritanstoworshiptheCatholic,conductedthereligiouspersecution.ThePuritan,anewreligiousgroup,didnotappearuntilthereligiousreform.Thepuritanscalledforapureformofworship,wipingoutmanyCatholicdoctrinesandpractices.Inordertofreefromthereligiouspersecution,manyPuritanshasleftEnglandforHolland.In1620asmallgroupofthesePuritanssailedforAmericaintheMayflower,whichwasthemostfamoussettlementofthePuritansinhistory.ReligionintheUnitedKingdomTheBritishwereveryreligiousbeforethe19thcentury.Butthingsaredifferentnow.InBritaintoday,alargepopulationofpeoplearenotreallyinterestedinreligionatall.Thesuccessesofmodernsciencearepartlyresponsibleforthis,TheprimeexamplebeingthedevelopmentofDarwin’sfamoustheoryofevolution.Then,thegeneralimprovementinsocialconditionsandthevarietyofmodernentertainmenthavemadereligionappearratherirrelevant.However,despitethefactofthedeclineofreligion,itstillhasmarketamongsomeBritishpeople.Andfurthermore,othernon-ChristianreligionsarealsopopularinBritaintoday.ReligionintheUnitedKingdomEveryoneinBritainhastherighttoreligiousfreedomwithoutinterferencefromthecommunityortheState.Hemaychangehisreligionatwillmaymanifesthisfaithinteaching,worshipandobservance.ExceptthattheLordChancellormaybeaRomanCatholic,publicofficesareopenwithoutdistinctiontomembersofallchurchesornone.ReligionintheUnitedKingdomMinistersoftheestablishedChurches,aswellasclergybelongingtootherreligiousgroups,workinservicesrunbytheState,suchasthearmedforces,nationalhospitalsandprisons,arepaidasalaryforsuchservicesbytheState.Voluntaryschoolsprovidedbyreligiousdenominationsmaybewhollyorpartymaintainedfrompublicfunds.ReligiouseducationinpubliclymaintainedschoolsisrequiredbylawthroughoutBritain,asisadailyactofcollectiveworshiptosomelegislativecontrols.ReligionintheUnitedKingdomTheSovereignmustalwaysbeamemberoftheChurch,andpromisetoupholdit.ChurchofEnglandarchbishops,bishopsanddeansareappointedbytheSovereignontheadviceofthePrimerMinister,andallclergysweartheirallegiancetotheCrown.TheChurchcanregulateitsownworship.TherearetwoestablishedchurchesinBritain,thatis,churcheslegallyrecognizedasofficialchurchesoftheState:inEnglandthe(Anglican)ChurchofEngland,andinScotlandthe(Presbyterian)ChurchofScotland.ReligionintheUnitedKingdomTheChurchofEngland•PositionThemostimportantdenominationintheU.K.;theestablishedchurchoftheU.K..•HeadofthechurchQueenElizabethII•SpiritualleaderTheArchbishopofCanterbury•PoliticalfunctionManyseniorchurchofficialsalsositintheHouseofLordsArchbishopofCanterbury•Timeofestablishment16thCenturyintheReformation•FeatureBothCatholicandProtestant•RoleManymembersareinvolvedinawiderangeofpublicbodies.IthasthemostfollowersofanydenominationinBritaintoday.•Morethan16,000churches•42cathedralsChristChurch,Dore,Sheffield,EnglandTheChurchofEnglandIntroductiontoBritishandAmericanCultureTheProtestantChurchandPuritanism•TheReformationMartinLutherledthebreakawayfromtheRomanCatholicChurchin1517.Theycalledthemselves“Protestants”becausetheywereprotestingagainsttheteachingsandcustomsoftheRomanCatholicChurch.IntroductiontoBritishandAmericanCultureTheProtestantChurchandPuritanismIntroductiontoBritishandAmeric