Gods of the Common People
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It is sometimes argued that, despite abandoning formal organizations, the British remain religious. Beyond churches, sects, and denominations, there is supposedly a deep reservoir of folk religion (which constructs magic rituals from Christian themes and places) and superstition. This chapter examines that case in detail and argues that folk religion has declined as fast as the formal organizations on which it is parasitic. Furthermore, superstition has changed in precisely the same way as has formal religion: what were shared beliefs have become highly personalized rituals, justified not by claims of supernatural power, but by the psychology of reassurance.
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2011 ◽
Vol null
(54)
◽
pp. 365-386
2013 ◽
Vol 83
◽
pp. 70-85
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2005 ◽
Vol 34
(3-4)
◽
pp. 339-356
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