Singing in the Immanent Frame: Contemporary Christian Worship Songs and the Complex Relationship Between Christianity and Secularisation in Britain

In this paper, I explore the complex relationship between Christianity and secularisation in Britain through the small, but illuminating, window of contemporary Christian worship songs. My focus is on Christian worship songs that utilise battle imagery. To explore changes in British Christianity over the last 30–40 years, I compare Songs of Fellowship with the most popular songs sung in British churches in May 2025. My findings reveal resonance between the shifts observed and key aspects of Charles Taylor’s analysis of secularisation. Therefore, my analysis suggests an ongoing impact of secularisation on Christianity in Britain, specifically evangelical charismatic churches, while also highlighting churches’ resistance to secularising trends. I also consider the roots of secularisation in Christianity and contend that the philosophical and phenomenological limitations of secularisation may be contributing to an increased interest in Christianity, particularly amongst young adults. There is, therefore, a paradoxical relationship between Christianity and secularisation in Britain, with each influencing (and, in some regards, inextricable from) the other. I conclude by considering theological and contextual dilemmas for churches using songs that utilise military metaphors, including how such lyrics may be perceived in a postcolonial context and at a time when concerns about violent expressions of Christian nationalism are a key topic in public debate.