Introduction

This chapter introduces the key elements of context that frame Holocaust Memory and Britain’s Religious-Secular Landscape. In societal terms, these are (i) the rising prominence of Holocaust commemoration and education in Britain since the 1990s, (ii) the evolution of Britain’s religious-secular landscape, particularly in terms of increased diversity and the decline of Christian affiliation, and (iii) the current debates about multiculturalism and national identity prompted by Brexit and fears of violent extremism. With regard to the book’s academic context, attention is given to international scholarship on religious responses to the Holocaust but the lack of crossover in Britain between religious studies and the analysis of public Holocaust remembrance.