The current situation of Anglican Religious Communities

: A practical and theological reflection

Abstract

The decline in Anglican religious communities since the mid twentieth century can only be understood in the context of the huge changes in society and culture in Britain and their impact on the Church of England which has seen a significant reduction in active membership, affiliation and role. Anglican religious communities have been similarly affected, with their overall membership now roughly a tenth of what it was in the early 1960s. This thesis explores the forces which have contributed to this situation, those in the wider social and cultural context, those in the Church of England and those in the communities themselves. It seeks to contribute to the scholarship around this situation both practically and theologically firstly, by drawing together in an original way insights from a wide variety of sources and secondly, through a piece of qualitative research, reflecting on and analysing the views of members of religious communities using the method of reflexive thematic analysis. It is the contention of this thesis that religious communities, by the nature of their life, live on the edge of both society and the church and that Anglican religious communities currently are more marginal to society and the Church of England than at any time since the first few decades of their revival in the nineteenth century. Growth in any organisation often comes from the edge. So finally, this thesis explores what Anglican religious may, from their current marginal situation, be able to offer to each other, the wider church and contemporary society.

Date of Award	5 Mar 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Winchester
Supervisor	James Woodward (Supervisor) & Liz Stuart (Supervisor)