Separating the question of establishment, from the question of presence in the community, Jonathan Chaplin argues in 'Beyond Establishment' that the time has come for the ending of privileged constitutional ties between the Church of England and the British state.

Acknowledgements vii Introduction: Awakening ‘the dog that didn’t bark’ 1 1. Defining ‘Establishment’ 15 2. A Theology of Disestablishment 39 3. Deconstructing Establishment: Church, Crown and Government 77 4. Deconstructing Establishment: Church and Parliament 112 5. Disputing Establishment: Secularism, Neutrality, Sectarianism? 134 6. Disputing Establishment: Disengaging from the Nation? 172 Conclusion: Life Beyond Establishment 207

“Thank God someone finally had the courage to write this book - and that it was someone with the insight, erudition and awareness of Jonathan Chaplin. In this thoroughly researched and incisively argued volume, Chaplin breaks the awkward, complicit silence which had fallen over Anglican public theology in recent decades regarding church-state relations. He speaks authoritatively and directly into a historical moment when the UK is on the cusp of further significant constitutional change. There is renewed debate, post Brexit, about a United Ireland and an Independent Scotland. Either of those outcomes, or action to avert them, will drive a recalibration of devolution which will sweep away the House of Lords in its current form. A coming coronation risks exposing the anomalies of a ritual locked in to asymmetric and anglocentric patterns of establishment. This is a book for our times, which is essential reading for anyone interested in how the UK constitution works and the future role of religion in our public life. Chaplin’s book resets the debate about the Church of England and its changing role at the heart of the UK state.”