Christianity and Religion in the UK

Of the hundreds of religions practiced throughout the United Kingdom, Christianity is the most widely practiced and long established of all. Christianity entered through the influence of the Roman Empire and in Britain there are forty churches in regular use that have portions of their buildings dating back to that period.

After the Anglo-Saxon invasions of the 5th century, Christianity seemed to be reduced to scattered pockets throughout the country. Their status was greatly assisted by the arrival of missionaries led by Augustine in 597 and as a result, Christianity became firmly rooted in Britain and the UK over the next few centuries.

Augustine became the first Bishop of Canterbury, which remains an important figure in the Church of England today. Over time, more Bishops were appointed and by the 11th century a system of dioceses and parishes had been established across England. The religious system brought growth and urban development as it grew and is still the basis of the structure of the Church of England.

The Reformation period of the 16th century did not disturb the foundation of the system, but it did fracture links to Rome. Consequently, the alliance of the established Church was to the English crown. The Reformation did result in further division during the 16th and 17th centuries with conflicts over theology, church order and freedom of conscience which led to several secessions from the Church of England.

Several of the churches that split from the Church of England became known as Free Churches were joined by Methodist in the 18th century. With immigration continuously growing through the 18th and 19th centuries, various churches experienced growth from a largely diverse population which fueled even more diversity in the Christian make up of the United Kingdom. Today, there are over 200 Christian denominations throughout Britain and the UK.