Filby, Liza (2010) God and Mrs Thatcher : religion and politics in 1980s Britain. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

The core theme of this thesis explores the evolving position of religion in the British public
realm in the 1980s. Recent scholarship on modern religious history has sought to relocate
Britain's "secularization moment" from the industrialization of the nineteenth century to the
social and cultural upheavals of the 1960s. My thesis seeks to add to this debate by examining
the way in which the established Church and Christian doctrine continued to play a central
role in the politics of the 1980s. More specifically it analyses the conflict between the
Conservative party and the once labelled "Tory party at Prayer", the Church of England.
Both Church and state during this period were at loggerheads, projecting contrasting
visions of the Christian underpinnings of the nation's political values.
The first part of this thesis addresses the established Church. It begins with an
examination of how the Church defined its role as the "conscience of the nation" in a period
of national fragmentation and political polarization. It then goes onto explore how the
Anglican leadership, Church activists and associated pressure groups together subjected
Thatcherite neo-liberal economics to moral scrutiny and upheld social democratic values as the
essence of Christian doctrine. The next chapter analyses how the Church conceptualized
Christian citizenship and the problems it encountered when it disseminated this message to its
parishioners.
The second half of this study focuses on the contribution of Christian thought to the
New Right. Firstly, it explores the parallels between political and religious conservatism in this
period and the widespread disaffection with liberal Anglicanism, revealing how Parliament
became one of the central platforms for the traditionalist Anglican cause. Secondly, it
demonstrates how those on the right argued for the Christian basis of economic liberalism and
of the moral superiority of capitalism over socialism. The next chapter focuses on the public
doctrine of Margaret Thatcher, detailing how she drew upon Christian doctrine, language and
imagery to help shape and legitimise her political vision and reinforce her authority as
leader. Finally, the epilogue traces the why this Christian-centric dialogue between the
Church and Conservative government eventually dissipated and was superseded by a much
more fundamental issue in the 1990s as both the ruling elite and the Church were forced to
recognise the religious diversity within British society.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Church of England -- History -- 20th century, Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1979-1997, Church and state -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century
Official Date:	September 2010
Dates:	Date Event September 2010 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of History
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Thomson, Mathew
Sponsors:	University of Warwick ; Turner Exhibition Fund ; Royal Historical Society (Great Britain) ; Economic History Society
Extent:	269 leaves
Language:	eng

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