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Religion, State and Society in Modern Britain by Paul Badham Review by: Grace Davie Review of Religious Research, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Dec., 1990), pp. 180-181 Published by: Religious Research Association, Inc. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3511766 . Accessed: 05/02/2014 11:36
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180
offathers home"is a dominant believers. Thedisciplinary authority goalofFundamentalist tobe thecure-all ofsocialills.Recruitover is believed for a variety mothers andchildren ment of newconverts and thenurturing of thechildren of fundamentalist believers are Ammerman themethods of evangelism at Southside described. encouraged catalogues Church: the"lost"tochurch, the the message, teaching young, busing inviting broadcasting in (seenas oneofthecongregation's and members failures), potential visiting prospects, converts to"walk aislefor the invitation at the the Jesus" during hymn encouraging potential thecloseoftheSunday service. ofthe in "thenurture andadmiration are raised also, is thewaychildren Important, inchurch, Thechildren Lord"athome, andinthefundamentalist school and (ifpossible). ofSouthside liveapart from their Athome aretaught the adolescents unchurched they peers. ofparental traditional over the idealstandards children. alsolearn for They concept authority Christian families: full-time anddailyfamily devotions mothers, fathers, priestly (p.173). In the final Ammerman the tension between the fundamentalist andthe discusses chapter, Their world. world contains order while theoutside world is chaotic. to modern According the that all oflife's these believe Godhasa planfor details andthat can author, people they find for their livesifonly tofollow this meaning they try plan(p. 188). has given of a fundamentalist Tatom Ammerman us a thorough socialportrait Nancy ofa participant inonecongregation. church from the observer While Protestant perspective and other differences Ammerman has fundamentalism, mayexistevenwithin regional ofthese solidsociological theessence late-twentieth research, century captured, through in an alienworld. pilgrims traveling Review ofReligious Research, 1990) Vol.l32, No. 2 (December,

Paul Badham, in Modern Stateand Society Britain. Lewiston/ ed., Religion, EdwinMellenPress,1989. 416 pp. $79.95. Lampeter/Queenston: GraceDavie
University of Exeter, England This collectionof essay on Religion, State and Society in Modem Britainhas been

almost as longas I havebeencompiling in thesociology of forthcoming bibliographies British Itsappearance-at inthat last-is more than itoffers a wide-ranging welcome religion. ofthesubject. Thetwenty cover themajor Christian denominations inthe critique chapters United andNorthern Ireland are allocated Wales, (Scotland, Kingdom separate chapters), the folk ofthe a number ofreligious minorities black churches, (the religion English people, sectsandnewreligious andtheprincipal other-faith communities. The final movements) four havea rather different are thematic in approach and chapters point: they starting to women consider attitudes within thechurches, and politics (twoessays)and religion church andstate issues. (Establishment) Therange ofexpertise is impressive. Itincludes a number ofacknowledged onthe experts inquestion, for Michael ontheRoman Catholic topic example Hornsby-Smith community, Wilson on sects, EileenBarker on newreligious andNinian Smart on movements, Bryan church andstate. Thelistcouldwellbe continued. Tenofthese lifeat a conference, heldin 1986,on theroleofreligion in chapters began British a conference oftheProfessors contemporary society, bytheUK Branch sponsored World Peace Academy. Tenfurther wereaddedto provide an admirably wide chapters ofthesubject inquestion. In introducing thecollection as a whole PaulBadham coverage

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articulates the dualaimofthe volume: todiscover ofreligion incontemporary the condition Britain andtoask questions about thepart that in modern society. religion plays In my the initsfirst better than itdoesinitssecond. volume succeeds aimrather opinion, With to thecondition ofreligion in contemporary eachessaycontributes Britain, respect in its ownright. But in addition, a distinct an overall, something impression emerges which needs Notonly doweliveina society that host toa wide impression underlining. plays ofreligious there is alsomounting ofanintra-plurality evidence that is communities, variety ofvariety within as wellas between thereligious ofmodern A corolcommunities Britain. from follows this which needs further where dothe most salient distinctions lary exploration: ordivisions within fall this lie across rather than the between variety? Myguessis that they denominations. In hesitating about thesuccess ofthe volume inachieving itssecond want to aim,I do not that the four thematic arelessthan That is not the case givethe impression essays adequate. andthey tooprovide valuable What does seemto be lacking is something rather insights. is noattempt different. There topoint ofBritain inthe1980s andtheir upthe particularities for the life ofthis TheThatcher decadeis,after all,a unique implications religious country. inBritish wehave a Conservative which conserves and period history: government nothing, thechurches havefound themselves notonlyto rapidly events butto reacting changing unfamiliar If thechurches alliances. seemto have policiesand unprecedented political a higher inthe1980sthan wasthought a decadeor so earlier this acquired profile possible wellbe because thecontext has altered rather than attitudes toreligion. may public comment is a sad one. The standard of sub-editing is lamentable. My final Pagesare an author's nameis misspelt in thetableof contents and thetext is fullof misplaced, Theauthors inaccuracies. andtheir deserve better. subject ofReligious Review Vol.32, No. 2 (December, Research, 1990)

and TheMexican Revolution: DeborahJ.Baldwin.Protestants Missionaries, ofIllinois and Social Change.Urbana:University Ministers, Press,1990.203 $26.95. pp., hardcover, PhilipE. Lampe
Word Incarnate College To be Protestant in 19th ofa rebel. Mexico wastoexhibit thespirit the century Although in Catholic Church wasgreatly traditional Catholicism continued tobe dominant weakened, atboth those endsofthesocialstructure. theemerging However, society, especially among into middle didnotfit theexisting wasa ready for American class,which structure, target with itsemphasis on change, andeducation.Suchgoalswere democracy protestantism whowanted tocontinue todisaffected toserve the outside of attractive priests people equally oftheChurch, andtointellectual liberals whowere to thehierarchical constraints opposed dictatorial theconservative government. with missionaries thehelpofMexican Protestantism wasspread ministers byAmerican inthe Missionaries settled inurban areas northern of whom they employed. particularly part them tomaintain better linesofcommunication with their Mexico.Thisallowed headquarandmoral ters in theUnited States which financial, necessary political provided support. in Mexicocentered on education notonlyattracted which Theirprimary activity many to be an attractive to a government butalso proved service which converts, potential in a time itsilliterate masses ofnascent theneedtoeducate industrialization. recognized

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