عنوان

Inter-Faith Relations in Britain Since 1970 - An Assessment

Number

LA110533

.Language of Text, Soundtrack etc

انگلیسی

Title Proper

Inter-Faith Relations in Britain Since 1970 - An Assessment

General Material Designation

[Article]

First Statement of Responsibility

Ataullah Siddiqui

Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.

Leiden

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

Brill

Text of Note

This article argues that inter-faith relations in Britain are essentially inspired by the existential realities of a multi-cultural and multi-religious society. It argues that the earliest formal discussions between the followers of various faiths were motivated by their desire to 'understand' the beliefs and practices of other faiths. However these 'engagements' were confined to local and national secular civic bodies. The motivations behind these 'engagements' were essentially need-oriented rather than driven by religious motives. It also seems that the interest of successive British governments was to manage the migrant communities through an agenda based on 'ethnicity' and 'race' and the religious needs of these migrant communities were largely defined within that context. More recently the British state found it necessary to involve itself directly by funding projects of inter-faith nature. Churches, mainly the Church of England, have become over the years the mediator between the 'migrant communities' and the state. This 'mediation' is motivated by the churches' evangelical outreach but also by humanitarian reasons. Due to internal and external factors, all three actors have, over the years, changed and adapted their positions considerably. This article argues that inter-faith relations in Britain are essentially inspired by the existential realities of a multi-cultural and multi-religious society. It argues that the earliest formal discussions between the followers of various faiths were motivated by their desire to 'understand' the beliefs and practices of other faiths. However these 'engagements' were confined to local and national secular civic bodies. The motivations behind these 'engagements' were essentially need-oriented rather than driven by religious motives. It also seems that the interest of successive British governments was to manage the migrant communities through an agenda based on 'ethnicity' and 'race' and the religious needs of these migrant communities were largely defined within that context. More recently the British state found it necessary to involve itself directly by funding projects of inter-faith nature. Churches, mainly the Church of England, have become over the years the mediator between the 'migrant communities' and the state. This 'mediation' is motivated by the churches' evangelical outreach but also by humanitarian reasons. Due to internal and external factors, all three actors have, over the years, changed and adapted their positions considerably.

Date of Publication

2010

Physical description

236-250

Title

Exchange

Volume Number

39/3

International Standard Serial Number

1572-543X

Subject Term

Christianity

Subject Term

Christian-Muslim relations

Subject Term

inter-faith

Subject Term

Islam

Subject Term

religion and state

Ataullah Siddiqui

Call Number

10.1163/157254310X517450

Electronic name

p

[Article]

275578

a

Y