Title Labour and the Free Churches, 1918-1939 : radicalism, righteousness and religion / Peter Catterall

Published London ; New York : Bloomsbury Academic, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2016

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Description 1 online resource Contents Theological and Political Changes amongst the Free Church Leadership -- The Nonconformist Conscience -- Changes in Chapel Society -- The Politics of Pewmanship -- Free Churchmen and Women in the Labour Party -- The Nonconformist Conscience and the Labour Party -- The Free Churches and Class Consciousness -- The Kingdom, the State and Socialism -- Conclusions -- Appendices on Nonconformist Candidatures in General Elections, 1918-35 Summary "Did the Labour Party, in Morgan Phillips' famous phrase, owe 'more to Methodism than Marx'? Were the founding fathers of the party nurtured in the chapels of Nonconformity and shaped by their emphases on liberty, conscience and the value of every human being in the eyes of God? How did the Free Churches, traditionally allied to the Liberal Party, react to the growing importance of the Labour Party between the wars? This book addresses these questions at a range of levels: including organisation; rhetoric; policies and ideals; and electoral politics. It is shown that the distinctive religious setting in which Labour emerged indeed helps to explain the differences between it and more Marxist counterparts on the Continent, and that this setting continued to influence Labour approaches towards welfare, nationalisation and industrial relations between the wars. In the process Labour also adopted some of the righteousness of tone of the Free Churches. This setting was, however, changing. Dropping their traditional suspicion of the State, Nonconformists instead increasingly invested it with religious values, helping to turn it through its growing welfare functions into the provider of practical Christianity. This nationalisation of religion continues to shape British attitudes to the welfare state as well as imposing narrowly utilitarian and material tests of relevance upon the churches and other social institutions. The elevation of the State was not, however, intended as an end in itself. What mattered were the social and individual outcomes. Socialism, for those Free Churchmen and women who helped to shape Labour in the early twentieth century, was about improving society as much as systems "-- Provided by publisher Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes Print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed Subject Labour Party (Great Britain) -- History -- 20th century SUBJECT Labour Party (Great Britain) fast Subject Free churches -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century Christianity and politics -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century Church and state -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century Radicalism -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century Socialism -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century 1900 - 1999. History of religion. British & Irish history. HISTORY -- Europe -- Great Britain. RELIGION -- History. POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Political Process -- Political Advocacy. Christianity and politics Church and state Free churches Politics and government Radicalism Religion Socialism SUBJECT Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1910-1936. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85056918 Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1936-1945. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85056919 Great Britain -- Religion -- 20th century. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85056936 Subject Great Britain Genre/Form History Form Electronic book LC no. 2016029921 ISBN 9781441101600 1441101608 9781474211079 1474211070 1441115897 9781441115898

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