This study demonstrates the value of the field of public theology for cathedral studies. Both of these fields are concerned with the continuing role of religion in public life in contemporary societies, and yet those writing within these fields often do not draw from the work of the other. Therefore, in this study I show some findings of my PhD…

Metaphors were introduced to the science of cathedral studies by Muskett in her book, "Shop window, flagship, common ground." Such metaphors have the power to inform and shape the perception of cathedrals, but lack theological or ecclesial authority. Gary Hall's analysis of "The purpose of cathedrals" offers a different…

The present paper reports findings from interviews with thirty ex-choristers from cathedrals and collegiate chapels in England, aged from eighteen to eighty. These interviews explored choristers' religious commitments before entering choir school and factors for staying with, leaving, or later returning to religious practice. The findings suggest…

The Church of England's vision for education is generous and seeks to allow the riches of Christian life to overflow throughout schools. The vision is captured by the strapline 'Deeply Christian, serving the common good'. The present study assesses the contribution made to service this vision by the 43 Anglican cathedrals within England and the…

The aim of this paper is to inquire into the Christian distinctiveness of church schools as an interactively achieved pragmatic resource. The ethnomethodological perspective incorporated in this research offers an actor- and meaning-focused take on the question of what makes Christian schools different from public schools. We connect this issue to…

Prior research on the effect of religion on prejudicial attitudes against sexual minorities has looked into how religion may influence public attitudes towards homosexual behaviours, gay marriage, and same-sex adoption. However, less is known about how religion may influence employment discrimination against gays in the education industry where…

The Methodist Church of Hong Kong has promoted a life education programme since 2004, and has progressively applied it in all affiliated schools. This article analyses the characteristics of the latest primary school life education curriculum compiled by this Christian school sponsoring body. There are three significant findings: 1) religious…

Walzer insists that his supreme emergency argument morally legitimises Churchill's 1940 decision to bomb German civilians. We contend, however, that it is morally deficient. We contend, further, that if Walzer's argument had been presented to the leaders of the Church of England in 1940 as justification for the bombing of German civilians, the…

The article deals with the concept of religion in the laws which regulate access of religious organisations to public education in the Czech Republic. The analysis of the laws reveals that the World Religions Paradigm (WRP) is applied here. Religious organisations representing 'important world religions' have a privileged position in accessing…

Drawing on data from the 2011 Australian National Church Life Survey (NCLS), this study was designed to assess peer and parental influence on frequency of church attendance, attitude toward church, and attitude toward Christianity among a sample of 6256 young churchgoers between the ages of eight and 14 years, attending a range of denominations,…

This paper explores the cross-cultural organisational adaptation of host religious organisations through their interaction with non-Christian Chinese international students in the UK. Grounded in Kim's integrative adaptation theory, the research employed the methods of participant observation, interviews and document analysis to examine the…

The Catholic Church, the largest school-sponsoring body in Hong Kong, is a major provider of religious schools and educational programmes. In 2006, the Catholic Diocese released its first centralised and comprehensive curricular document concerning religious and moral education (RME) in Catholic schools. Taking this programme as a reflection of…

Loyal supporters of Anglican cathedrals first subscribed to "Friends" associations in the late 1920s. Yet, in 1937, a journalist in "The Times" portrayed cathedrals as a "queer thing to be a friend of." Drawing on theories of friendship from a range of disciplines, and surveys of what has been proclaimed in the public…

This article considers the growth of Pentecostal-style churches in Southeast Asia, and specifically in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. It outlines four reasons for the growth that occurred and then, using qualitative and quantitative data in a mixed mode, seeks to test the hypotheses it derives. It concludes that each of the hypotheses…

The New Indices of Religious Orientation (NIRO) proposed and tested by Francis have been found in later studies to satisfy the requirements for internal reliability among samples where there are comparatively high levels of religious activity, and usually of predominantly older adults. The present study takes a sample of 393 individuals who…