Monthly Archives: October 2010

Halloween, Take 2

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Clive D. Field

Today is Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve). We reported on 1 October (http://www.brin.ac.uk/news/?p=629) about the rapidly growing financial value of the market in Halloween-related products and also noted last year’s Angus Reid Public Opinion (ARPO) survey on the observance of Halloween … Continue reading →

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Religion and Belief in Higher Education Project

Posted on October 29, 2010 by Clive D. Field

The Religion and Belief in Higher Education project, based at the Faculty of Education, Health and Sciences, University of Derby, has just entered its primary data-gathering phase, with separate online surveys launched for higher education staff and students. Commissioned by … Continue reading →

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Take Your Bible to Work Day

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Clive D. Field

In case you did not notice, last Monday (25 October) was the Bible Society’s ‘Take Your Bible to Work Day’, when Christians were asked to take a Bible to their place of employment as a statement of personal faith. The day … Continue reading →

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Names of Baby Boys in 2009

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Clive D. Field

The Muslim name Mohammed (meaning ‘one who is praiseworthy’) has become the most popular name for newborn boys in England and Wales, according to a reworking in today’s Daily Express and Daily Mail of 2009 data released yesterday by the … Continue reading →

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Census 2011 – British Humanist Association Campaign

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Clive D. Field

The British Humanist Association (BHA), the national charity representing and supporting the interests of ethically concerned but non-religious people in the UK, has today launched ‘The Census Campaign’. This is five months to the day before the next decennial population … Continue reading →

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Senior Staff Recruitment in Faith Schools

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Clive D. Field

Recruitment to senior staff posts in Anglican and – especially – Catholic faith schools continues to be more problematical than average according to the sixteenth annual report on The State of the Labour Market for Senior Staff in Schools in … Continue reading →

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Facing the Axe? Diocese of Bradford in the Headlights

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Clive D. Field

Periodic reports about Islam overtaking the Church of England in terms of the number of worshippers have been a feature of media life for much of the past decade. The latest variant on the theme is to be found in … Continue reading →

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Church of England General Synod Elections

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Clive D. Field

The General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England. It came into being in 1970 under the Synodical Government Measure 1969, replacing an earlier body known as the Church Assembly. It comprises three houses: Bishops, Clergy and … Continue reading →

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Lies, Damned Lies …

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Clive D. Field

Were you, like me, too preoccupied with last Wednesday’s Comprehensive Spending Review announcement to remember that 20 October was also the first ever World Statistics Day, co-ordinated by the United Nations? The day was celebrated in over 100 countries and … Continue reading →

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Who Believes in Horoscopes?

Posted on October 14, 2010 by Clive D. Field

Horoscopes have been a prominent feature of British life since the 1930s and still regularly appear in newspapers and magazines and on websites. They form an important part of the complex spectrum of alternative ‘religious’ beliefs. But what credence do … Continue reading →

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