From Raikes’ revolution to rigid institution: Sunday Schools in twentieth-century England

Chapter two outlines the origins of the Sunday School movement including the nature and function of the National Sunday School Union. It goes on to present a general historical account of twentieth-century Sunday Schools and their reasons for decline through a review of the relevant literature and presents quantitative information from the historical research. It argues that decisions made by churches and Sunday Schools in the twentieth century were at least as significant in their decline as external factors.