Is There a "Religious Right" Emerging in Britain?, by Andy Walton, says that there is "evidence of greater co-ordination among Christian groups with a strong socially conservative commitment, in particular relating to human sexuality, marriage, family life, and religious freedom, about which they are vocal and often willing to resort to legal action".

It is, however, "misleading to describe this phenomenon as a US-style Religious Right", the report says.

The report defines the Religious Right in the United States as "a large-scale, well-organised, well-funded network of groups which has a clear and limited set of policy aims deemed as 'Christian', which it seeks to deliver through the vehicle of the Republican Party".

The US Religious Right campaigns primarily against the liberalisation of abortion laws and gay-rights legislation. It is also characterised by support for the state of Israel, opposition to "big government", and opposition to the teaching of evolution, among other issues.

Is There a "Religious Right" Emerging in Britain? argues that "British Christians are not as fixated on a particular set of specific issues as the US Religious Right. While abortion and gay marriage may not be popular among Christians here, evolution, Israel and small government are not major battlegrounds."

Ed Thornton | To read this article in full, please go to www.churchtimes.co.uk