Abstract:
Rooted in the field of cathedral studies, this paper draws into dialogue three bodies of knowledge:
Edward Bailey’s notion of implicit religion that, among other things, highlights the continuing
traction of the Christian tradition and Christian practice within secular societies; David
Walker’s notion of the multiple ways through which in secular societies people may relate to
the Christian tradition as embodied within the Anglican Church and John Fisher’s notion of
spiritual wellbeing as conceptualised in relational terms. Against this conceptual background,
this paper draws on data provided by 1234 participants attending one of the Christmas Eve carol
services in Liverpool Cathedral to explore the perceived impact of attendance on the
spiritual health of people who do not believe in God and yet feel that Liverpool Cathedral is
their cathedral, and it is this sense of belonging that brings them back at Christmas time.
CONTRIBUTION: Situated within the science of cathedral studies, this paper links in an original
way three fields of discourse: Edward Bailey’s notion of implicit religion, David Walker’s
notion of the four ways of belonging to God facilitated by the Anglican Church and John
Fisher’s conceptualisation and operationalisation of the notion of spiritual wellbeing. The
hypothesis developed from this original integration of theoretical perspectives is then tested
empirically on data provided by 404 participants at carol services who do not believe in God.
