Through the lens of faith: complexities, challenges & opportunities

Dr Chris Allen School of Social Policy

Co-Lead, Religion & Culture Workstream

@DrChrisAllen #IRiSlaunch

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Is it important and why does it matter...?

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More new churches

than Starbucks

have opened in

the UK since 2001

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More people believe in heaven today than they did in the 1970s

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The number of adult baptisms are increasing

year on year

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Overall church attendance remains in decline but is slowing Today, a third of all churches are today reporting growth

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“religious identity is a feature of national and international affairs today in a way that was unexpected, indeed unimaginable, just twenty years ago”

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-Identity...important feature of our everyday experience as individuals, families, friends, communities; at home, in the workplace, school and elsewhere

- Shapes who WE are

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Research shows that religion (belief &

practice) continues to be important to

minority communities…more

central to their everyday experience

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Connecting Histories

- Birmingham used to be the ‘city of a thousand trades’ now it’s the ‘city of religions’ - More than 600 places of worship - Unique opportunity

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- Religion is rapidly changing, increasingly complex, more fragmented & diverse

- Established religions - Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism & Sikhism – are co-existing with those less established including Buddhism, Rastafarian, Bahá'í, Jainism, Confucian, Latter Day Saints, Jehovah’s Witnesses...no faith also

- Religion is multi-layered, overlapping with ethnicity, language, culture, migration status, etc

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Inclusion

Discrimination

Cohesion Social values

Conflict

Belonging

Identity

Security

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Provide new opportunities for research that build on existing expertise

Martin Stringer Religious diversity in the city

Arshad Isakjee Young Muslim identity in Birmingham

Chris Allen Islamophobia, discrimination & faith policy

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To undertake research ‘with’ rather than ‘about’ religious communities – as partners &

collaborators To improve understanding & knowledge about religion &

religious communities for the city and beyond

To support & inform policy & practice here and elsewhere

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@DrChrisAllen

Chris Allen

www.chris-allen.co.uk

c.allen.2@bham.ac.uk

07940 537691

about.me/drchrisallen