3 PARADOXES IN THE RELATIONS BETWEEN RELIGION AND POLITICS IN AN ENGLISH CITY

This paper reports findings from a recent study of the interpenetratio n of religion and politics in relation to school education in a large and religiously diverse English city. The findings are based mainly on data collected through interviews with fifty representatives of the c ity's faith communities, elected Councilors, Council officials, school teachers and administrators, and staff in community development organ izations. The main objective is to analyze three paradoxes which arise in a country which lacks a constitutional separation of church and st ate and which contains significant non-Christian minorities. The main finding is that Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs are able to bring their dis tinctive religious values to bear on debates about educational policy in spire of a political opportunity structure which may appear to excl ude them.