Cultural Defence

• As we saw in Topic 3, Bruce (2002) argues that religion in such situations offers support and a sense of cultural identity in an uncertain or hostile environment. As Bird (1999) notes, religion among minorities can be a basis for community solidarity, a means of preserving one's culture and language, and a way of coping with oppression in a racist society.
• In the case of Black African and Caribbean Christians, many found that White churches in the UK did not actively welcome them and some turned to founding or joining Black-led churches, especially Pentecostal churches. Similarly, evidence from Brierley (2021) shows a significant growth of new churches in London catering for specific languages and nationalities as a result of recent immigration.