London Churches Research Articles

Patriarchal “Love School”: Entrepreneurial Heroic Masculinity and Neoliberalism in A Pentecostal Church in London

Many Pentecostal churches founded in the Global South are now rapidly growing in European cities. Although research is catching up with this development, we know little about how these processes affect gendered and racialized practices regarding sexualities, bodies, and masculinities in former colonial metropolises shaped by neoliberal capitalism. This article addresses this gap by interrogating the transnational movement of Pentecostal masculinities and their economic, sexual, and political dimensions in a church in North London. The contribution argues that the church promotes what I call entrepreneurial heroic masculinity, which consists of three main elements: a gendered conversion narrative, a pastoral masculinity of dominating behavior, and the cultivation of anti-affective, rational love. In this way, traditionalist masculinist tropes are mapped onto a world allegedly full of opportunities for material blessings where becoming a man of God means becoming a faithful self-entrepreneur, which requires strict autonomy from emotions, family, and the government. The article contributes to the critical debate on masculinity and transnational religious movements by demonstrating how the demands and promises of neoliberal capitalism are deeply entangled with the reconstitution of heroic patriarchal subjectivity.

One British Archive: Seeing the Rev. John Clifford Archives and the Gender of Passive Resistance

AbstractThis article discusses the archives of Westbourne Park Baptist Church in London and its world-renowned pastor in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Dr. John Clifford. As leader of the National Passive Resistance League, the fiery Clifford came to be synonymous with the Nonconformist conscience at the height of its political influence in the early twentieth century. The article foregrounds the tension between what I call archival intimacy and archival precarity, while analyzing the power of seeing the diverse photographs in this collection as evidence of the gendered politics of passive resistance in the early twentieth century. Some— though not all—of the collection that I consulted at Westbourne Park Baptist Church in 2016 has now been transferred to the Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford.

Development and evaluation of a manualised mental health awareness and stigma reduction intervention for Black faith communities: study protocol for the ON TRAC feasibility study

IntroductionThis paper presents the study protocol for a feasibility study of a manualised mental health awareness and stigma reduction intervention for Black faith communities, as part of the Outcomes and...

On the Liberation upon Hearing in the Intermediate State

ABSTRACT ‘On the Liberation upon Hearing in the Intermediate State’ is a highly subjective reconstruction of a concert that Éliane Radigue gave in June 2011, when her composition Kyema was played at St. Stephen Wallbrook church in London. This text, written years after the event, is a phenomenological account with which the writer sought to re-live, re-create and conjure up the sound and atmosphere of the performance, taking into consideration the architectural history and acoustics of the venue as well as her emotional resonances with the musical piece. Kyema is the first chapter of Radigue’s Trilogie de la mort (1988–1993), considered by many as her masterpiece. The trilogy was inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead, or Bardo Thodol, which describes and guides consciousness through the six stages in the journey between death and rebirth.

CHANGING YOUR MIND, ONE BELIEF AT A TIME

AbstractThe authors (Carrillo; a leadership coach, founder of WellWater, and curate at HTB Church in London, England); (Wiseman; former corporate executive who now works as a management researcher, executive advisor, and CEO of The Wiseman Group) believe that “To create a durable change in behavior, we need to change the beliefs behind the behavior. We need a change of mind, and one that lasts.” The article builds on the life story and personal/professional growth of Carrillo. They write: “He hasn’t stopped working on himself, but Fernando’s experience illustrates the slow, steady nature of transformational change and the practices that can help us change for good.” They outline “3 Practices to build better beliefs,” portrayed as a “success cycle” figure. The practices are: 1. Change your thought patterns 2. Gather supporting evidence 3. Help others change their minds. For instance, within practice 1 they note: “Our beliefs often begin with the words and actions of others toward us, which can then shape our sense of self. These beliefs need not actually be true to hold powerful sway over our assumptions and perceptions of reality.” This process takes time: “While we may occasionally experience sudden transformation, change is usually gradual, occurring in almost imperceptible increments.”

The Wapping Baptists: Murky Origins and the Silence of John Spilsbery

ABSTRACT The Wapping Baptist church has often been referred to as the oldest Baptist church in London. Historians have confidently placed its origins as early as 1633 when a small group of those adopting believer’s baptism departed from the semi-separatist Jacob-Lathrop-Jessey church, then soon to be pastored by the influential John Spilsbery. However, there is no primary source evidence connecting those of this early exodus to the later Wapping Baptists, and similarly, there is no evidence to suggest that Spilsbery was ever at Wapping (the first suggestion not appearing until 1808). This article will not, unfortunately, clarify the Wapping church origins – they remain murky and obscure – however, it will raise doubt surrounding the traditional narrative.

Nigerian Pentecostal Mission in Europe: Ecumenical and Secular Relations in Britain

African churches face diverse obstacles while attempting cross-cultural mission in the West. These include the influence of external forces such as racism, lack of understanding of European cultures, lack of worship spaces and various perceptions that many wider indigenous Europeans have about Africans and their churches, particularly their theological beliefs. These external factors impose real challenges, which are beyond the control of the leaders of diaspora African churches and interfere with the effort to build relations with the wider white indigenous European host population, whether spiritual or secular. This qualitative study explores the different ways through which Nigerian-initiated churches in London are engaging with British society, both ecumenically and as a social force within the communities. There are indications that a few of the larger churches are building ecumenical relations with mainline Britishchurches, although this is prevalent at leadership level. Similarly, they are well-enough resourced to embark on social community projects which are beneficial to nationals of all races and political activities to court the British royal and political elite and aretherefore establishing their presence within and creating pathways to British society.

Two Danish Artists—Two Not So Divergent Paths: C. C. A. Christensen, Carl Bloch, and the Evolution of Latter-day Saint Art and Aesthetics

Two Danish Artists—Two Not So Divergent Paths: C. C. A. Christensen, Carl Bloch, and the Evolution of Latter-day Saint Art and Aesthetics

Inclusive Heritage: Implications for the Church of England

The Church of England’s historic buildings represent the single largest group of heritage sites in the UK, playing a key public-facing role in the church’s ‘cultural witness’. However, they are complex historic environments implicated in the recent focus on ‘contested heritage’ and imperial legacies. The wider heritage sector’s answer to the adversarial nature of this debate has been to turn contested histories into dialogical opportunities; participatory and collaborative approaches to interpretation and curation have become an important feature of much recent secular heritage work. Yet, the CofE has not yet articulated or embraced the value of similar initiatives for its own collections, with guidance at the institutional level aimed primarily at conservation and protection. This paper initiates a discussion about how engagement with sensitive memories enhances the importance of CofE’s cultural heritage. It offers a preliminary report of a research project led by the author titled ‘Inclusive Interpretations of Christian Heritage’, carried out between 2021 and 2022 at iconic churches in central London. After discussing the theoretical context, project rationale, and method, the paper discusses the connections which Christians from ethnic minority or immigrant backgrounds have to ecclesiastical spaces usually associated with national history. The perspectives of previously unrepresented groups can supplement expert assessments concerning a site’s significance, revealing important areas in which the CofE’s cultural assets hold meaning beyond national or aesthetic importance. The paper argues that widening community engagement represents a crucial task for accentuating the social and civic importance of the CofE’s cultural heritage.

Antonio de la Roche and the discovery of South Georgia

Abstract This article seeks to investigate the claim that South Georgia may have been first discovered in April 1675 by an English merchant called Antonio de la Roche. There are two unresolved questions: whether La Roche was the first to see the island, and whether the island that he saw was South Georgia. I introduce a third uncertainly by questioning whether Antonio de la Roche ever existed. He does not appear in the records of the French churches in London, and the sole source of his biography is the work of a fabricator, Francisco de Seyxas.

The experience of gay christian men attending collaborative workshops facilitated by a sexual health professional and the church

This is a qualitative, ethnographic study on the experience of gay Christian men who attended collaborative workshops facilitated by a sexual health professional and the Church. The idea of this study and subsequent collaboration commenced from the clinical caseload of the researcher within the role of Lead Psychosexual Therapist in a sexual health and HIV clinic in London. The collaboration of the sexual health professional and the Church was based on the realisation that many gay religious patients (especially Christians) were struggling with the two identities. This research focused on the experience of attending those collaborative workshops for the purpose of integrating the two identities (gay and Christian) for the participants. Six workshops were co-delivered in a Church in central London by a lead psychosexual therapist and a Reverend in the Church of England. After each workshop, the 11 participants were asked to give feedback on their experience in the form of haiku poetry. The participants brought images that best described their experience of attending the collaborative workshops to their scheduled one to one interviews. This study accumulated a large volume of data (56 poems, 11 images and transcript analysis). The data were analysed initially individually, and then the overarching themes between the three sets were identified. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that the environment of the collaborative workshops contributed to their experience of attending the sessions, in its physicality and the human dynamics. Attending collaborative workshops facilitated by a sexual health professional and the Church helped gay Christian men integrate the two identities, even amongst the most conservative denominations. A collaboration between sexual health professionals and the Church can facilitate significant integration in the identity of gay Christian men. None

ICONOCLASM AND PROFIT: SALES OF DESPOILED MONUMENTAL BRASSES AND TOMBS IN LONDON, 1547–53

This analysis of the despoilation of monumental brasses and tombs in London during Edward vi’s reign is based on evidence provided by contemporary inventories of church goods and churchwardens’ accounts, supported by fieldwork and discoveries of recycled brasses during conservation. It reveals how the Reformation impacted the fortunes of the London marblers producing brasses, describes how plundered memorials were sold and provides evidence on their fate. Estimates, based on volumes of metal sold, create a potential range of 700–812 brasses lost from possibly forty-three London churches over 1548–53. After c 1550, marblers engraved 2mm thick hammered plate (cast from despoiled latten church goods, such as candlesticks and crucifixes) to sustain production when supplies of looted brasses diminished. The trade in plundered brasses ended after the accession of Edward’s Catholic half-sister, Mary, in August 1553.

The Copy Room: Imagining a Huguenot Library in Early Modern London

This essay illuminates an unexplored intersection between recent work on early modern networks, book history, and the history of libraries. It focuses on a letter book, a continuous record of the French Protestant Church of London's correspondence from 1643 to 1650. The church officials who kept this unusual record found themselves imagining their library and its books as working parts in a vibrant information hub for the Huguenot churches in England. Using methods from microhistory (i.e., plausible inference) and literary criticism to uncover an alternative reading of the letters copied into the letter book, as distinct from the original letters, the article traces the beginnings of a lending library in the church officials’ thinking. In illuminating the letter book's impact, the essay places Huguenots, long treated as a marginalized minority, in the spotlight of a global history, which traces the movements of people, ideas, and goods across newly imagined spaces.

The Lord Mayor's Show for 1621 and 2021: Reconstructing a Triumph

In October 2021, the Beyond Shakespeare group performed the text of Thomas Middleton's Lord Mayor's Show of 1621, The Sun in Aries, at Bow Church in London's Cheapside. Lasting about half an hour, as opposed to the original all-day event, it featured music, child and adult performers, and minimal visual effects. The experiment showed that actors’ voices can be effective even in outdoor spaces (though less effective than music), but also that much of their language is unintelligible without its context. This, then, is what future experiments should attempt to provide.

Religious Spaces of Care in the Postsecular City

This article examines the civic engagement of two Nigerian Pentecostal churches in London: the London Lighthouse and Freedom’s Ark. Firstly, it sets the context by reviewing the literature on immigrant religion and civic engagement, and examining the relationship between faith and social policy during the ‘decade of austerity’ and subsequent COVID-19 pandemic. It then describes the case study churches and outlines their civic activities. Finally, the article considers the characteristics of Nigerian Pentecostal churches that shape their civic activities. The increasing prominence of churches and faith-based organizations in social welfare provision in Britain has led to claims that faith groups are being co-opted into the wider processes of neoliberal governance. Drawing on research conducted in London, I show that in some contexts Nigerian Pentecostal civic activities represent ethical forms of resistance to neoliberal politics, especially those that address issues related to social and economic justice.

Identities in flux: evangelical identity in the time of Brexit and Trump

ABSTRACT Since the British referendum vote in 2016 to leave the European Union, scholars have analysed various aspects of this political landmark moment. However, one area that has lacked attention is the role of religion. This article fills that gap by using identity as a theoretical object of analysis to demonstrate the impact Brexit had, in conjunction with the election of Donald Trump as the Republican nominee and later US President, on British evangelical identities. I show how identities fracture and re-formulate during moments of political upheaval, focusing specifically on ethnographic data collected during fieldwork at a prominent evangelical Anglican church in London during the period 2015–2016. I ask: what does it mean to be British and evangelical? How do these religious and national identities interact with each other? Most importantly, how did this interaction change during the referendum and Trump’s election campaign? By investigating how evangelical British identity altered during these two important political events, this article brings attention to one of the most overlooked aspects of the British referendum: religion.

Heritage, civilization and oblivion in inter-war Britain: the case of the city churches

ABSTRACT This essay investigates public debates over the prospective loss of Christopher Wren’s City of London churches as a window onto changing public attitudes to ‘heritage’ and historic preservation during the inter-war years. It argues that the Great War made a profound impact on the ways in which the British public engaged with notions of heritage and historic preservation. In particular, this essay claims that inter-war debates over church demolition expose the considerable extent to which the war popularised conceptualisations of ‘heritage’ which had, since the 1870s, been entertained exclusively by a small cultural elite

Patriarchy and ‘Useful Women’ in Wesleyan Methodism, 1810–1851

A patriarchal culture, reinforced by church discipline, has been ascribed to Wesleyan Methodism in the first half of the nineteenth century. This article returns to the same archives, Hinde Street Church in London, to present a more nuanced view of Methodist discipline. There were women who held influential positions in Methodist chapels, and they resisted ministerial authority with the support of male as well as female members. During this period, the Church was increasingly focused on maintaining a supportive community, with signifiers of status other than gender, such as perceived ‘usefulness’ in the church community.

BROTHERLY RIVALS: TEMPLARS, HOSPITALLERS AND THE ARCHITECTURAL EXPANSION OF THE TEMPLE CHURCH IN LONDON

The Temple Church, founded as the chapel of the motherhouse of the English Templars around 1160, is among the most intriguing medieval churches in London. Utilising a wide range of textual, archaeological and architectural evidence, this paper provides a new account of the evolution of the ecclesiastical complex from the mid-twelfth century to the mid-thirteenth century, focusing in particular on the form and the function of a series of now largely obliterated auxiliary structures. It argues that one of the driving forces for the construction of these buildings was a competition for both patrons and prestige that existed between the two preeminent military orders of the period: the Templars and the Hospitallers.

Flexible control of acoustic conditions in a music rehearsal space using airbeds

Henry Wood Hall is a former church in central London which was successfully repurposed as an orchestral rehearsal space. However, the trustees of the hall desired a more flexible use of the space and in March 2018 instructed the LSBU Acoustics Group to develop, test and install a flexible solution which would create a balanced acoustic suited to smaller ensembles and voice. This would require the reduction of the reverberation in the hall at low frequencies. The solution should, for a modest budget, be flexible enough to be changed within the hour-long break between sessions. Laboratory tests were undertaken on inflated airbeds in the LSBU reverberation chamber to determine the low-frequency sound absorption potential of these consumer goods. The model with the most promising performance was selected and dependence on inflation was determined. Room acoustic measurements were taken in the hall before and after the airbeds were installed, showing the desired level of reduction in reverberation time in the lower frequency bands.