Rock Concerts and Gin Tasting: The Ethics of Transforming Sacred Space Into Entertainment Space

Abstract

In England and other liberal democracies, Protestant cathedrals are increasingly using rock concerts, drinks festivals, and “raves in the nave” to woo a secular population and pay the bills. Whether the ends justify the means, however, is a question that has received surprisingly little attention. Using English cathedrals as a case study, this article examines the ethics of hosting popular entertainments in Church and suggests that they trivialize the serious message of the Christian faith. The ideological rationale for entertainments is traced to cultural changes during the 1960s which accelerated secularization within society and the Church, and led to a growing emphasis on business and marketing strategies to maintain the Church estate. While this has brought material benefits, the article argues that misappropriating sacred space is harmful to both patrons and the Church. The nature of these harms, both tangible and intangible, is considered in detail, and it is suggested that Church entertainments may eventually lead to churches simply becoming “civic” institutions. There are important lessons to be drawn from this not only for churches in England but elsewhere where secular entertainments have gained or may gain a foothold.