
Antidisestablishmentarianism (, ) is a position that advocates that a
state church (the "established church") should continue to receive government patronage, rather than be disestablished (i.e., be separated from the state).
In 19th century
Britain, it developed as a political movement in opposition to
disestablishmentarianism, the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world.
The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
's efforts to
disestablish or remove the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
as the
official state church of England,
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, and
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
. The Church's status has been maintained in England, but in Ireland,
the Anglican Church of Ireland was disestablished in 1871. In Wales, four Church of England
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
s were disestablished in 1920 and became the
Church in Wales. In colonial America, the Church of England was disestablished in six colonies despite its mild popularity in the 1780s; many Anglicans in America began to refer to themselves as
Episcopalians.
History
The matter of disestablishment of the Church of England is an ongoing issue, often tied with the position of the
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers Constitutional monarchy, regula ...
as
"Supreme Governor" of the Church (see
Act of Settlement 1701).
British philosopher
Phillip Blond, an advocate of the antidisestablishmentarian position, argues that England's having a state church has prevented the country from embracing any sort of ethnic or racial nationalism.
Blond has stated that official patronage of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
has allowed the country to withstand and speak against totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century that were plaguing other parts of the world.
He further opined that "Just as we need the church to protect the political, so we need it to protect the idea of civil society."
Blond concludes that the "church establishment in England creates a more diverse political and social life, prevents religious extremism and helps to minimise partisan conflict and secular violence."
Giles Coren, a British writer, supports antidisestablishmentarianism because it allows all English people to receive meaningful
rites such as marriage.
In April 2014,
Nick Clegg
Sir Nicholas William Peter Clegg (born 7 January 1967) is a British retired politician and media executive who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2015 and as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 to 2015. H ...
, then
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom is an honorific title given to a minister of the Crown and a member of the British Cabinet, normally to signify a very senior minister, the deputy leader of the governing party, or a key political ...
and
Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said that he thought the Church of England and the British state should be separated "in the long run".
David Cameron, the
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...
at the time, responded to Clegg's comments by stating that the position was "a long-term Liberal idea, but it is not a
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
one", adding that he believed the existence of an established church is beneficial.
See also
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Citations
General and cited references
*Adrian Hastings, ''Church and State: the English Experience'' (Exeter: University of Exeter Press, 1991.)
External links
{{Spoken Wikipedia, Anti spoken article2.ogg, date=2008-04-28
Political theories
Religion in the United Kingdom