On Sociology of Religion in Great Britain

Abstract

.The article introduces the basic theses of the annual conference organized by the British Sociological Association (BSA) Sociology of Religion Study Group named «Foundations and Futures» in 2015. It analyzes the changes in the academic community of British sociologists of religion for the past forty years. In particular, it discusses the structure of the research group, the scale and format of academic discussions. The author notes the shift in the subject of scholarly debates in British sociology of religion. In particular, the research subject of the academic community shifts from the classification of sects and cults to the subject of spirituality and the religiously unaffiliated. Other popular topics for academic discussion are religion and gender, religion and culture, methods of teaching religion. All these topics as well as the question of the methodology of religious studies among youth and religious literacy were discussed at the meeting. Particular attention was given to the transformation of religion in British, specifics of British secularization, Christian cultural heritage, the shift from religious obligations to religious consumption, the influx of migrants (G. Davie). A special focus was placed on the increase in the number of «religious nones» population in Britain, its characteristics in terms of structure and values as well as their classification are given (L. Woodhead, N. Madge).