ABSTRACT
Cathedrals have a particular place in the history of Britain and in contemporary British society. This chapter will focus on the 42 English cathedrals of the Church of England but even here the contribution of each cathedral to Church and society is unique. The Queen has jurisdiction over the Royal Peculiar churches which include Westminster Abbey. Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches have their own cathedrals but, in the lives of the majority of English residents, it is the image of their Church of England diocesan cathedral that comes to mind with the headline ‘Cathedrals and Church Growth’. In the minds of the public cathedrals are associated with bishops and consequently with the bishop’s throne in the diocesan cathedral. In many respects English diocesan cathedrals bear the hallmarks of being places of Christian tradition and are representative of institutional religion, although some cathedrals might challenge such generalizations.
