Village, Andrew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2174-8822 (2025) Attitude Towards Assisted Dying Among Clergy and Lay People in the Church of England. Journal of Anglican Studies. pp. 1-23.

Preview

Text attitude-towards-assisted-dying-among-clergy-and-lay-people-in-the-church-of-england.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (385kB) | Preview

Abstract

Abstract

Attitude towards assisted dying was assessed among 3,230 people who took part in the Church 2024 survey. Asked to respond to the statement ‘I am in favour of allowing assisted dying’, 51% disagreed, 28% agreed and 21% were uncertain, suggesting a sizable minority were either in favour of changing the law or undecided. Those against changing the law tended to agree that it is wrong for someone to take their own life, that only God can give and take life and that the risks of abusing any process are too great. Opinion varied across various groups, with women more in favour than men, the old more in favour than the young, laity more in favour than clergy and Anglo-Catholics or Broad Church more in favour than Evangelicals. Personal and psychological disposition predicted some variations in attitude towards assisted dying, probably because they predisposed individuals to taking more general liberal or conservative stances. The patterns are similar to those seen in several different moral issues debated in the Church of England in the last three decades, suggesting assisted dying might follow a similar trajectory in years to come.

Item Type:	Article
Status:	Published
DOI:	10.1017/S174035532500004X
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BV Practical Theology > BV659-683 Ministry. Clergy. Religious vocations B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BX Christian Denominations > BX5011-5207 Church of England
School/Department:	School of Humanities
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/11847

University Staff: Request a correction | RaY Editors: Update this record