About the lecture

In this lecture, we explore why it is that women appear to be more 'religious' than men, focusing in particular on: (i) popular perceptions of religiosity in the UK and elsewhere; (ii) the importance of the work done by the Pew Research Centre ('The Gender Gap in Religion Around the World'), which shows that women are in fact generally more religious than men, especially among Christians; (iii) the global variations in the overall picture, e.g. in Muslim countries, in China, etc.; (iv) the striking gender gap in 'alternative spirituality', e.g. yoga, reiki, and other holistic practices; and (v) the extent to which men tend to hold positions of power within religious organisations.

About the lecturer

Professor Linda Woodhead is Distinguished Professor of Religion and Society at Lancaster University. She has written widely on religion in modern society. Her recent publications include That Was The Church That Was: How the Church of England Lost the English People (2016) (as co-author), Christianity: A Very Short Introduction (2014), and Everyday Lived Islam in Britain (2013) (as co-author).