For Catholics in England, the year 2000 marks not only the second millennial anniversary of Christ's birth but also the 150th anniversary of the restoration of the Roman Catholic hierarchy of England and Wales. The centenary in 1950 was celebrated with much reflection, but much has happened in the momentous half-century since.

This book offers a comprehensive collection of research-based material on the huge social and religious transformations that Catholics have experienced during this period. Including both historical and sociological perspectives, as well as personal...

Michael Hornsby-Smith offers an overview of Catholic social thought particularly in recent decades. While drawing on official teaching such as papal encyclicals and the pastoral letters of bishops' conferences, he takes seriously the need for dialogue with secular thought. The 2006 book is organized in four stages. Part I outlines the variety of domestic and international injustices and seeks to offer a social analysis of the causes of these injustices. Part II offers a theological reflection on the characteristics of the kingdom of God which Christians are urged to seek. Part III reviews...

This book is about change in the Roman Catholic community in England and Wales. It argues that in the post-war years of economic growth and expanded educational opportunities, Catholics born in Great Britain achieved rates of upward social mobility comparable to those of the general population. In so doing there arose a 'new Catholic middle class', likely to be crucial for the future of Roman Catholicism in England and Wales. However, since one quarter of English Catholics were first-generation immigrants who had experienced some downward mobility, it could not be said that English Catholics...