The 1960s were a time of explosive change and innovation in the Christian churches, as well as of charismatic leaders like Pope John XXIII and Martin Luther King. Using oral history, Hugh McLeod explains what happened to religion in the 1960s, why it happened, and how the events of that decade shaped the rest of the 20th century.

Introduction ; 1. The Decline of Christendom ; 2. Late Christendom ; 3. The Early Sixties ; 4. Aggiornamento ; 5. Affluence ; 6. New Worlds ; 7. 1968 ; 8. Sex, Gender, and the Family ; 9. The Crisis of the Church ; 10. From 'Christian Country' to 'Civilized Society' ; 11. The End of Christendom? ; Conclusion

`Review from previous edition What is particularly impressive about this book-and one reason why it will not easily be superseded-is its remarkable international scope...Hugh McLeod has given us exactly what we need-a rich, nuanced and encyclopaedic account, which is a measured but effective rejoinder to lazy assumptions about a 'secular 1960s'.' Matthew Grimley 20th Century British History `a fascinating piece of research on the "long 1960s" (1957 - 1974), combining quantitstive data (statistics) with qualitive data (oral history)' Methodist Recorder `The strength of McLeod's history is first, that it uses the oral-history experiences of ordinary people, in a variety of national cultures, who lived through these years, and second ...that it takes seriously the complexity of the changes that came and the significance of their sequencing and social contexts... I hope this book will soon be published in paperback and read widely. It is the 1960s that locate us all.' John Nurser Sofia `McLeod makes effective use of oral testimony to shed light on the many ways in which Christians changed their religious practice, created their own patchwork of values and beliefs or simply lost interest in church affairs.' Benjamin Ziemann, History Today `...the best book in this field...a magisterial assembly of facts, preferably statistics, about the changing status of Churches; and it carries on a dialogue with other scholars who have reached other conclusions while handling the same subject in the mode of sociology.' David L. Edwards, Church Times `Lucidly written [and] admirably concise...Professor McLeod has produced a work that is likely to remain the starting point for new research into the period for many years, perhaps for a generation.' Peter Webster, Reviews in History

An incisive analysis of religious change in the 1960s, including developments in Christianity, new religious movements, and trends towards secularization Use of oral history highlights the ways in which 'ordinary people' experienced the events of the time Combines a detailed account of events in England with extensive consideration of the international context

An incisive analysis of religious change in the 1960s, including developments in Christianity, new religious movements, and trends towards secularization Use of oral history highlights the ways in which 'ordinary people' experienced the events of the time Combines a detailed account of events in England with extensive consideration of the international context