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Introduction
andthosethatdonot.6Tus,howeverweakly,vaguely,andobliquely,theBible,
Britishcultureandsocio-politicalrealitycontinuetoafectoneanother.
TefactthatDavidCameronemphasizedthelinkbetweentheBibleand
diferentaspectsofBritishlife(politics,institutions,culture,values,identity)is
quitenoteworthy.Itseemstobesymptomaticofthemorewidelyfeltconcern
aboutwhatbindsBritishpeopletoday,aconcernwhichurgesbothpoliticians
andscholarstoreconsiderandrearticulateoldperceptionsofcohesion,com-
monalityandidentityofpeopleinBritain.Suchreconsiderationisprecipitated
bythechallengesBritishsocietyisfacing:manyBritishpeopleprioritizetheir
Scottish,WelshorEnglishidentityovertheirsenseofbeingBritish;theimpactof
immigrationandmulticulturalismisasustainedchallengetothesenseofsocial
integrity;globalizationcarriesout,asLindaColleyputsit,“assaultsonterritorial,
economicandattitudinalboundaries”(2007:29)andthreatenstodilutetheidea
ofnationaluniqueness;BrexitandtherelatedshifintherelationswithEurope
bringforthquestionsaboutthewayBritonsunderstandtheirownspecificity.
Teseconcernsandchallengesarefrequentlyexaminedtodayinconnection
withtheconceptofBritishness,which-althoughnotoriously“protean”(Crick
2007:149)andambivalent(Parekh2007:33)-createsaframeworkforadis-
cussionaboutnationalbondsandself-identification.SinceBritishness“means
diferentthingstodiferentpeople”(Kellner2007:63),inpublicandacademic
debateitcametoencompassvariousideas.Itcanbeequatedeitherwiththe
politicalandpragmaticunderstandingofbeingBritish(definedthroughcitizen-
shiporthrough“goodgovernmentandsocialjustice”[Crick2007:152-153]),or
withtheinstitutions-and-valuesideaoftheBritishidentity,whichforegrounds
theimportanceof“publicculture”,itsdemocraticpracticesandliberalvalues
(Parekh2007:37-38).AsColleyexplains,Britishnessistheobjectofscrutiny
todaybecauseitsoldermarkershavedisappearedorgotweakened(theempire
disintegrated,Protestantismlostitssocialimportance,theforeignotherisno
longereasilyidentifiable)(2007:22).Suchprofoundhistoricaldevelopmentson
theonehand,andtheincreasingdiversityofBritishsocietyontheother,solicit
criticalreflectionabouttheconnectivethatbindsBritonstoday.
Inthisstudy,theconceptofBritishnessisnotusedinanessentialistsense,as
anahistoricalkernelwhichallBritishpeople(should)share,orasasetofattributes
they(should)alldisplay.Rather,Britishnesswillbeevokedhereasacomplexclus-
terofbothhistorically-shapedandemergenttendenciesandideas,withinwhose
6AsCameronputit,“TeBiblehashelpedtoshapethevalueswhichdefineourcountry.
Indeed,asMargaretTatcheroncesaid,CweareanationwhoseidealsarefoundedontheBible.’
Responsibility,hardwork,charity,compassion,humility,self-sacrifice,love,prideinworkingfor
thecommongoodandhonouringthesocialobligationswehavetooneanother,toourfamilies
andourcommunities,thesearethevalueswetreasure.Yes,theyareChristianvalues.Andwe
shouldnotbeafraidtoacknowledgethat.[ł]TevalueswedrawfromtheBiblegototheheart
ofwhatitmeanstobelonginthiscountry”(2011:n.p.).
