Suchergebnisse

An examination of the relationship between the Church of England & the English polity over the past decade, noting the impact of the change in political leadership & the replacement of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Issues that have generated friction between the Church of England & the government of Margaret Thatcher are discussed, including policies affecting ethnic relations, immigration law, social security provision, education & health service reforms, housing, overseas aid, & sanctions against South Africa. Greater involvement in political controversy on the part of the Anglican Church's episcopate confirms the extent to which the Church's leaders have become a specialized elite group set apart from the nation's governing elites. A narrowing of the social & psychological distance between senior Church spokesmen & their constituents has also occurred, promoting a comprehensive nationwide parochial network that brings parishioners into direct contact with points of tension in society & encourages their contributions to public debate. Criticism of the Church's leadership & the fundamental division between the leaders & their "new right" critics are discussed. It is concluded that recent changes in the Church's relationship with the surrounding society & polity may free it to contribute to the construction of new identities, allowing churches to become channels for the diffusion of cultural impulses on continental provenance. S. Millett