World News and Trends: Decline of Christianity in Britain and Europe
The Scotsman recently observed that "Christianity is clinging on in Britain-but perhaps for not too much longer." What's behind this grim assessment?
Churches grew in Britain up to the beginning of the 20th century. From then, although the trend was a decline in growth for 50 years, the statistics occasionally fluctuated upwards, and church membership rose in the early 1950s. Then the '60s marked the beginning of a long free fall in church membership and attendance.
Two plausible reasons have been suggested for the decline: the loss of so many British men during two world wars and the growth of secularism. The archbishop of York, David Hope, recently said: "There are deep spiritual yearnings, longings. Large numbers of people say they pray. But they are not into religion." Dr. Hope blamed the church for not addressing the problem and helping people who find themselves spiritually adrift.
Of course, the decline is not confined to the British Isles. For example, the phenomenon is common to Western Europe and Scandinavia. As Newsweek magazine recently reported: "Modern Europe is a postreligious society. More accurately, what was once the heartland of Christendom is a post-Christian society. Throughout the Continent churches stand empty."
To gain a perspective on why Christianity has declined in effectiveness on a global scale, please request our free booklext The Church Jesus Built.(Sources: Newsweek magazine [Atlantic edition], The Times [London].)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: March - April 2001
Course Content
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
Melvin Rhodes
Melvin Rhodes is a member of the United Church of God congregation in Lansing, Michigan.
