This book arises from a general preoccupation with the relationship between religion and politics and from a particular interest in the changing political stance of England's established Church. With the aid of surveys, interviews, and documentary evidence the authors have assembled an uniquely detailed picture of how the Church governs itself, of its leaders' attitudes, and of the institution's consequent impact upon public debate. Equally, they scrutinize the structural and ideological factors which limit the Church's capacity for influencing public discussion. Recent and well publicized shifts in the Church's official positions are explained by reference to the complex interaction of long-term social, political, and theological developments. The result is a volume which not only adds to our understanding of a significant yet little-charted area of English political life, but which is also intended to enhance the Church's own self-understanding.
