Cremation and Christianity: English Anglican and Roman Catholic attitudes to cremation since 1885

Abstract

Britain was the first modern European country to adopt the widespread practice of cremation, and by 2010, it took place in around three-quarters of all funerals. Although the clergy had ceased to be the exclusive custodians of funeral ritual, their views and example remained highly significant in conveying approval, or disapproval, of cremation to their religious constituencies. This article explores attitudes to cremation among the English Anglican and Roman Catholic leadership in the twentieth-century. In the first half of the century, a number of high profile Anglican bishops promoted cremation by both teaching and example. The Roman Catholic Church, however, remained opposed to the practice, which it equated with atheism and inhumanity. Although the Catholic position began to soften from the 1960s, it is evident that some reticence about cremation remains. The different approaches to cremation illuminate a subtle religious and cultural fault line between the two ecclesial communities which has hitherto been little explored. The article highlights the role of the Cremation Society of Great Britain in working with members of both Churches to normalise cremation.

Resolving the interfaith conflict over burial preparation: Who has the right to bury the dead?

“…For Muslims, there is no doubt that the dead have to be buried in the ground, which is the only lawful way to dispose of them in accordance with Islamic teachings. In contrast, cremation is considered contrary to the Shariʿa (female participant 1, wife of A, Muslim, interviewed 22 February 2021; male participant 1, son of A, Muslim, interviewed 22 February 2021; female participant 2, wife of B, Muslim, interviewed 05 August 2021) and viewed as a sign of atheism and lack of humanity (Knight 2018). Meanwhile, the Protestant participants did not reject cremation or thought it contradicted the teachings of the Bible and a more efficient and cost-effective way of disposing the dead than burial (Beard & Burger 2017), especially in overpopulated cities.…”

Death in the Peripheries: Planning for Minority Ethnic Groups beyond “the City”

“…The Anglican church moved to a position of allowing cremation during the twentieth century, and cremations increased significantly from the 1940s as a funeral choice. However, the Roman Catholic church did not give permission to be cremated until 1963 (Knight 2018). Cremation also matched and then overtook burial as the preferred means for the disposition of the dead, and currently around 77 percent of people have their body remains cremated (see Rugg 2016;The Cremation Society, N.d.).…”

‘That this too, too solid flesh would melt…’

“…This is ironic because this method of disposal was once touted by early proponents, such as William Eassie (a fellow of the Geological Society), as more sanitary than burial (Parsons, 2009). Indeed, the first use of the Cremation Society’s crematorium at Woking in 1885 was conducted only when it was agreed that ‘bodies could be safely and efficiently burned, and rapidly reduced to harmless compounds which posed no danger to the living’ (Knight, 2018).…”