In trying to understand the relationship of the British people to religion - specifically Christianity - we tend to say that people: believe - or do not; attend - or do not. The argument of Lost Church is that the majority of people do not really fit either of these categories. Rather, they 'belong' - in the sense that they feel some affinity to Christianity and the Church; they are not hostile to its ministers; they do not find churches alien places to be, and they turn to the Church and its clergy on specific occasions. But they do not want to attend regularly and their beliefs may be incoherent or even non-existent, and often flicker on and off like a badly wired lamp. This absorbing and encouraging volume is a call to lay Christians and clergy to take stock of what is happening and to recover an understanding of the Church that will not alienate those who 'belong' but rather enable ministry to them to continue.

Author Biography

The Revd Canon Alan Billings is an Anglican priest and a former Director of the Centre for Ethics and Religion at Lancaster University. He previously trained clergy in a number of institutions. His other books for SPCK are Making God Possible (2010); God and Community Cohesion (2009); Secular Lives Sacred Hearts (2004) and Dying and Grieving (2002).