Between Pulpit and Pew

Outside the formal teachings of the established religious institutions of many 'advanced' societies, there continues to exist a rich body of 'unofficial' or 'folk' religious beliefs and practices. This book provides an insight into the nature of folk religion in a small fishing village in North Yorkshire. Using a combination of sociological and historical methods, David Clark first explores the impact of an official religion - Methodism - on the village in the early nineteenth century, and its subsequent place in village life. He goes on the describe the ways in which Methodism relates to a more diffuse set of folk beliefs and rituals, such as those surrounding birth and death, the transitions of the annual cycle and the rigours of the fishing economy. The result is a fascinating portrait of official and unofficial religion within one local community. It also makes an important contribution to scholarly debates about the significance of folk religion within the wider religious culture, and will be of considerable interest to teachers and students of the sociology and anthropology of religion, and of local history.