The religion gravy-train is beginning to roll. Vast resources are being made available to study religion from a myriad angles, most notably security. Islamic extremism \u201d\u201c 9\/11, 7\/7 and the nightmare fall-out of America\u2019s hapless foreign adventures \u201d\u201c sparked a thousand religion research projects, not least being the \u00c2\u00a3340million Global Uncertainties Programme.<\/p>\n
Religion is trendy. (Not Christianity of course. Not church. Perish the thought.) But any shaven-headed sociologist with an ear-ring, any hijabbed and articulate \u201d\u02dcoutreach worker\u2019, any multi-faith professional in fact will look oddly at you if you mention the traditional reticence of the British about faith. Good grief. Even the leader of the English Defence League is \u201d\u02dctaking religious instruction\u2019 from the sheikh – Usama Hasan – who runs Quilliam Foundation.<\/p>\n
We are at the end of the secularist era. The New Religious Era is upon us.<\/p>\n