Possessing the Nations: Immigration and the Changing Landscape of the Church in Scotland

Abstract

The landscape of Christianity in Britain has changed significantly in the last sixty years. The presence and influence of old and established church institutions have significantly diminished, but many new groups have emerged to keep the heritage of the church alive. This mixed-methods study presents the changes that have occurred in the Christian landscape of the City of Glasgow in Scotland in recent years. It reports the formation of 110 new churches in Glasgow between 2000 and 2016 and the key role of international immigration in boosting theological diversity and numerical church growth in the Christian landscape of contemporary Scotland.