Linda Woodhead

Professor Linda Woodhead, F.D. is Maurice Chair in Moral and Social Theology, KCL, London

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About

As a Distinguished Professor, Linda Woodhead, F.D. is Maurice Chair in Moral and Social Theology, KCL, London

Her research utilises a range of methods and approached, focusing mostly on religion, belief and values in modern societies.

In addition to her academic work, Professor Woodhead is co-founder of the Westminster Faith Debates and also a regular commentator on religious and cultural issues on radio and television. She is currently writing about the rise of ‘no religion’ and the values and beliefs of the ‘nones’.

Her most recent books are That Was the Church That Was: How the Church of England Lost the English People (with Andrew Brown, 2016) and Christianity: A Very Short Introduction (new revised edition 2014).


I am interested in how people make meaning outside of traditional religious institutions, and chaplains and chaplaincies are already ‘out there’. Like sociologists, chaplains do their work in the midst of society; I always find we have a great deal in common and much to learn from one another.

Linda Woodhead


Selected publications

  • Levitt, M. and Woodhead, L. (2020) 'Choosing a Faith School in Leicester: admissions criteria, diversity and choice', British Journal of Religious Education, 42:2, 224-241
  • Woodhead, L. (2016) 'The Rise of ‘No Religion’ in Britain: The Emergence of a New Cultural Majority', Journal of the British Academy, 4, pp. 245–61
  • Woodhead, L. (2016) 'Intensified religious pluralism and de-differentiation: the British example', Society, 53 (1), pp. 41-46
  • Woodhead, L. (2014) Christianity: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press

A global reputation

Sheffield is a research university with a global reputation for excellence. We're a member of the Russell Group: one of the 24 leading UK universities for research and teaching.