Religion
Many religions are present in northern England, with Christianity remaining the largest since the Early Middle Ages; its existence in Britain dates back to the Roman era and continued through Early Insular Christianity. The Holy Island of Lindisfarne played an essential role in the Christianisation of Northumbria, after Aidan from Connacht founded a monastery there as the first Bishop of Lindisfarne on the request of King Oswald. It is known for the creation of the Lindisfarne Gospels and remains a place of pilgrimage. Paulinus, as part of the Gregorian mission, became the first Bishop of York. It was at the Synod of Whitby that calculations of Easter were brought into line with Roman calculations. In the modern day the three main forms of Christianity practised are Anglicanism, Catholicism and Methodism. In terms of ecclesiastical administration of the Church of England, the entire north is covered by the Province of York, which is represented by the Archbishop of York. Likewise, with the exception of old Cheshire, the north is covered in Roman Catholic Church administration by the Province of Liverpool represented by the Archbishop of Liverpool.
There is a sizeable Muslim population in the north, which ranges from zero percent in many rural areas to 19.4% in Blackburn with Darwen.
Read more about this topic: Northern England
Famous quotes containing the word religion:
“I fancy it must be the quantity of animal food eaten by the English which renders their character insusceptible of civilisation. I suspect it is in their kitchens and not in their churches that their reformation must be worked, and that Missionaries of that description from [France] would avail more than those who should endeavor to tame them by precepts of religion or philosophy.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“Both Socrates and Jesus were outstanding teachers; both of them urged and practiced great simplicity of life; both were regarded as traitors to the religion of their community; neither of them wrote anything; both of them were executed; and both have become the subject of traditions that are difficult or impossible to harmonize.”
—Jaroslav Pelikan (b. 1932)
“As, therefore, we can have no dependence upon morality without religion;Mso, on the other hand, there is nothing better to be expected from religion without morality;Mnevertheless, ‘tis no prodigy to see a man whose real moral character stands very low, who yet entertains the highest notion of himself, in the light of a religious man.”
—Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)