In an early Autumn poll conducted by YouGov, 16% of Anglican clergy polled have declared that they are agnostic or ‘unclear’ about God.
Of the 1500 anglican clergy questioned, 2% think God is no more than a human construct.
It is 30 years since David Jenkins, then the Bishop of Durham, caused controversy by casting doubt on the resurrection, but it appears that such unorthodox views are widespread amongst Britain’s priests. In addition to those who describe God as a human creation, the YouGov poll found that 3% believe there is some sort of spirit or life force and 9% argue that it is impossible to imagine what God is like.
Clergy were significantly more likely to hold unorthodox beliefs the older they were and the longer they had been in the ministry. Nearly 90% of those ordained since 2011 believe in God compared with only 72% of those who became priests in the 1960s, the research discovered.
