Lesson video

Hi, my name's Miss Minton, and welcome to this Christianity Practises lesson on the census and Christianity in the UK.

Now, by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain the influence of Christianity in Britain and how this has changed over time.

Now, lots of our learning today might be new to you, but please don't worry because I'm here to guide you through each step of our lesson, and I'm confident that by the end, you will achieve this outcome.

So let's get started by taking a look at our keywords for today.

We have census, diverse and diversity and festival.

Now, a census is an official count or survey, especially of a population.

Diverse and diversity refers to the presence of variety and differences within a group or context.

And a festival is a day or period of celebration that's typically done for religious reasons.

Now our lesson today will have two parts.

We'll start by looking at Christianity in Britain, and we'll then move on to look at UK laws, festivals and traditions.

So let's get started and take a look at Christianity in Britain.

Now, historically, Christianity has been the dominant religion in Britain since around the seventh century.

So let's take a look now at what led to this.

So in the late second and early third century, the ancient Romans brought Christianity to Britain.

In the fifth century, Christianity declined, but it still remained in some communities.

And then in the sixth century, St.

Augustine of Canterbury spread Christianity in Britain.

By the end of the seventh century, Christianity was then the dominant religion in Britain.

So this means that most people in Britain were Christian.

So let's check your understanding so far.

Christianity was the dominant religion in Britain by the end of A, the third century, B, the fifth century, C, the seventh century, or D, the ninth century.

Fantastic, the correct answer is C, Christianity was the dominant religion in Britain by the end of the seventh century, well done.

Now, in recent decades, the religious landscape of Britain has changed.

So what this means is that the religions that exist within Britain and how many people identify as belonging to these religions has changed over time, and this has become evident through the census conducted in England and Wales.

Now, a census is a survey that's carried out to collect information about the population, so information about the people who live in a particular country or area, in this case England and Wales, and a census in England and Wales takes place every 10 years, and it collects information about things like housing, employment, ethnicity, religion and much more.

Now, census data from 2001, 2011 and 2021 shows that Christianity in England and Wales is changing.

Now, I'd like you to pause this video and have a good look at the graph that you can see on the screen.

What does this data tell us about Christianity in England and Wales between 2001 and 2021? So pause the video and either have a think to yourself, talk to a partner or talk to me.

Off you go.

So this data shows us that Christianity is actually on the decline.

So the number of people who identify as being Christian is decreasing.

The percentage of Christians per population declined between 2001 and 2011, and then declined again between 2011 and 2021.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false, census data shows that the percentage of Christians per the population remain stable between 2001 and 2011.

Fantastic, that statement is false, But why is that statement false? How do we know that this is not true? Well, it's because actually the census data shows that the percentage of Christians has actually declined between the years of 2001 and 2011.

So well done for identifying that that statement is false and for identifying the reason why.

Now as well as the decline of Christians across England and Wales, there's also been an increase in people who identify as belonging to other religions.

Now the table that you can see here on the screen contains percentages of the population who've identified as being Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist or another religion in 2001, 2011 and 2021.

Now, I'd like you to pause the video and have a really good look at the data on this table, and I'd like you to either have a think about or discuss with a partner what trends you notice.

So pause the video, off you go.

So according to the census data from 2001, 2011 and 2021, nearly all other religions are actually growing in England and Wales.

So after Christianity, the next largest religion is Islam, with 6.

5% of people identifying as being Muslim in 2021.

Now, in addition to the growth of other religions in England and Wales, there's also been an increase in individuals who've identified as having no religion.

There was 15% of people who identified as having no religion in 2001.

In 2011, this increased to 25%, and then in 2021, this increased again to 37%.

Now, this means that no religion was the second most popular answer in 2021, with Christian being the first.

So overall, the England and Wales census data from 2001 to 2021 shows that more people are identifying as being Christian than any other religion.

However, this is still less than half of the population.

It also shows that England and Wales are becoming more diverse.

So there are different religions that exist within England and Wales, and this diversity also includes people who have no religion.

So this means that we're able to get a much better understanding of the different religions and no religion that make up Britain.

So let's now check your understanding, true or false? The second most popular answer on the 2021 England and Wales Census for religion was Muslim.

Fantastic, that statement is false, but why is that statement false? Well, it's because although the 2021 census did show that Islam is the second largest religion across England and Wales, the second most popular answer in the 2021 census was actually no religion.

So well done for identifying that that statement is false and for identifying the reason why.

So it's now time for you to have a go at to task.

On the screen you can see a full evaluation question which states that the influence of Christianity in Great Britain is declining.

Now, if you are completing a full response to this task, you would need to discuss the statement, showing that you've considered more than one point of view, and you would also need to refer to religion and belief in your answer.

Now, for the purpose of today's task, I'd like you to write a paragraph that offers a point of view supporting the statement, and I'd like you to use the England and Wales census to provide evidence for your point.

So here's some guidance that you might find helpful when responding to the task.

You might find it useful to use the structure of point, support, develop.

So offer a point supporting the statement.

So you might start by saying that it may be argued that the influence of Christianity in Great Britain is declining because, then support the point that you've given.

So say that this is supported by, or this is evident in.

And then finally develop your point and your support.

So you might say this demonstrates that which means, So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you ask to respond to the statement that the influence of Christianity in Great Britain is declining by writing a paragraph that supports the statement and uses the England and Wales census to support the point that you give.

Now, your response might look something like this.

It may be argued that the influence of Christianity in Great Britain is declining because the number of people identifying as being Christian has declined in recent years.

This is evident in the England and Wales census, which shows that the percentage of Christians per the population declined from 72% in 2001 to 59.

3% in 2011 and to 46.

2% in 2021.

This demonstrates that less than half of the population now identify as being Christian, which means that the influence of Christianity in Great Britain has declined because the number of Christians has declined.

Now, what you can see here is that I have used data from all three of the censuses in England and Wales between 2001 and 2021.

You may not have done this and you may have chosen to focus on one specific year, and if you have, that is absolutely fine.

So well done again for your work responding to that statement.

We're now moving on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at UK laws, festivals and traditions.

Now, although recent census data shows that Christianity has declined since 2001, many of the UK laws, festivals and traditions still actually reflect Christian belief and teaching.

Now I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself.

Can you think of any examples of UK laws that reflect Christian beliefs and teachings? Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, You may have considered laws against murder and that how these were a reflection of one of the 10 Commandments, which states "You shall not murder." You may have also mentioned Sunday trading laws.

So many shops operate during reduced hours on a Sunday, and this reflects the Christian teaching to keep the Sabbath Holy, which is again one of the 10 Commandments.

You may have also mentioned laws against stealing and theft, which again reflect one of the 10 Commandments, which is "You shall not steal." So what we can see here is that there are a number of laws that exist within UK society that reflect Christian belief and teaching.

I'd now like us to focus on festivals that are celebrated in the UK.

So again, I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself.

Can you think of any festivals that are celebrated in the UK that reflect Christian beliefs, teachings and practises? How are these festivals marked or celebrated in the UK? Off you go.

Okay, so as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have mentioned the festival of Christmas, which is when most Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus.

And for most Christians, this happens on the 25th of December.

Now in the UK, schools and many places of work are closed during the Christmas period and most shops also close on Christmas day.

You may have also mentioned Easter, and again in the UK, most schools close for two weeks during the Easter period and also Good Friday and Easter Monday are bank holidays, which means that many shops and places of work are closed or they operate on reduced hours on these days.

So what we can see here is that there are points throughout the year where UK society reflects Christian festivals by closing schools, some places of work and shops or operating during reduced hours.

Now, as well as many UK laws and festivals being rooted in Christian beliefs, teachings and practises, there are also other traditions within the UK that also reflect Christian belief and practises.

So for example, many people in the UK mark important events like births and marriage with traditional Christian celebrations, even if they're not practising Christians themselves.

As well as this, historically in a court of law, it was custom to swear to tell the truth with one hand placed on the Bible.

So swearing on Christian belief and teaching that you would tell the truth in a court of law.

And as well as this, Christian hymns and readings often feature in public events in the UK.

So for example, Remembrance Day services usually contain Christian hymns and readings.

So now we've seen that there are a number of ways that Christian beliefs, teachings and practises are reflected in UK laws, festivals and traditions.

Let's imagine that I've been asked how do UK festivals and traditions reflect Christian beliefs? My answer is that public holidays are based on Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter.

I'm now going to ask you the same question.

So I would also like you to say how UK festivals and traditions reflect Christian beliefs.

So pause the video and have a go.

Okay, so you may have said that UK festivals and traditions reflect Christian belief because Christian hymns are used for national events.

Many people in the UK also mark life events with traditional Christian celebrations, or you may have said that historically the Bible has been used to swear an oath in court, so to swear to tell the truth.

So well done if you've got one of these answers or something similar.

Now, as shown in the census, the UK is made up of people from many different religions, and this means that the UK is religiously diverse.

Now, while many UK laws, festivals and traditions are rooted in Christian beliefs, people from other religious backgrounds also observe and celebrate significant events and festivals from within their own religious traditions.

So let's take a look at a few examples of how this happens in the UK.

So one example is Eid in the Square in Trafalgar Square in London, which is attended by many Muslims each year.

Another example is the Sikh Festival of Vaisakhi, which is also celebrated as Vaisakhi in the Square in Trafalgar Square in London.

And another example is during the festival of Diwali, which is celebrated by many Hindus and Sikhs, there will often be decorations on houses, buildings and streets.

And in the picture you can see here, this is a neighbourhood centre in Leicester which has been decorated with lights to celebrate Diwali.

Now in the UK, families and individuals will often celebrate religious festivals by taking time off work to take part in traditional celebrations.

Many shops will sell food, drinks and decorations that are associated with these festivals, and there's also often public recognition and media coverage to celebrate these festivals and celebrate the religious diversity.

So let's now check your understanding.

True or false, only Christian festivals are celebrated in the UK.

Fantastic, that statement is false, but why is that statement false? Well, it's because festivals from many different religions in addition to Christianity are celebrated in the UK and this is because the UK is religiously diverse.

So there's lots of people from lots of different religions who live in the UK.

So well done for identifying that that statement is false and for identifying the reason why.

Okay, it's now time for a task.

We're going to revisit the statement from earlier which states that the influence of Christianity in Great Britain is declining.

Now, like you, Jacob had also been considering this statement, and Jacob offers an alternative point of view against the statement.

He says, "The influence of Christianity in Great Britain is still powerful because many laws, festivals and traditions in the UK, which includes Great Britain, are based on Christian teachings.

Now, I would like you to develop Jacob's point by doing the following, supporting the point with a source of wisdom and authority, and then explaining what the point and source show in relation to the statement.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you ask to develop Jacob's point by supporting the point with a source of wisdom and authority and explaining what the point and source show in relation to the statement.

So Jacob's point was that the influence of Christianity in Great Britain is still powerful because many laws, festivals and traditions in the UK, which includes Great Britain, are based on Christian teachings.

Now, you may have supported that point with a source of wisdom and authority such as this.

For example, the laws against murder and theft are a reflection of the Commandments.

"You shall not kill" Exodus 20:13 and "You shall not steal" Exodus 20:15.

You may have then explained what that point and source show in relation to the statement by saying something similar to this, this demonstrates that the influence of Christianity in Great Britain is not declining because people living in Great Britain must abide by UK laws that are based on Christian teachings, showing that Christianity is still very influential in Great Britain.

Now what you can see from my response is that I have chosen to use two of the 10 Commandments as my sources of wisdom and authority.

You may have used a different source of wisdom or authority, but as long as you've been able to explain that in relation to Jacob's point, that is absolutely fine.

So well done again for your work during that task.

We've now reached the end of our lesson, but before we finish, let's take a look at some of the key things that we've learned today.

So we've learned that a census is an official count or survey usually of a population, and that there's a census conducted in England and Wales every 10 years.

We've seen that census data from 2001, 2011 and 2021 shows that Christianity is declining in England and Wales.

And the data also shows that other religions such as Islam are growing in England and Wales.

We've seen that although Christianity is declining, UK laws, festivals and traditions still reflect Christian belief and that many UK public and school holidays are centred around Christian festivals like Christmas and Easter.

We've also seen that festivals and events that are important to other religions are also celebrated in the UK and this is because the UK is a place of religious diversity.

So a huge well done for all of your work throughout this lesson.

It's been wonderful learning with you today.