why have we in britain got a defender of the faith ?

Answer 1

Because the Queen is head of the Church of England, & her title as head is Defender of the Faith - simple

Answer 2

Just a polite observation from Texas...

Since, as I understand it, in England there are more immigrants attending mosque on a weekly basis than there are Christians (of every stripe) attending weekly church services, it appears that nobody has defended anything. England has become the first Muslim country in western Europe (as some are saying over here). So, what's the point of the title?

Please don't be offended...that's not my goal. Is the above statement accurate? Are people in Britain serious at all about their religion? From a lot of the BBC programming we get here, it doesn't appear so. I'm not particularly religious, but I wonder if a collapse in religion will parallel a collapse of other critical social institutions?

So, DO you have a defender of the faith??? Does it mean anything if you do?

Answer 3

At first glance, defender of the faith sounds like something that belongs in the Camelot era, in a gentler, kinder time. But when you look at what is going on in the world today, faith does need defenders. Not terrorists, not proselytizers, but honest defenders, who have beliefs and will stand up for them -- and will respect the right of others to do the same thing in a non-violent manner.

Answer 4

During the Reformation period in Europe, Catholic Henry VIII wrote a series of articles defending the validity of the Roman Catholic order of Sacraments. For this work, he was awarded the title of Defender of the Faith . Depending on your own viewpoint, things later went pear shaped with Henry after installing himself as head of the Catholic Church in England. Contrary to popular belief, Henry VIII never brought Protestantism to England. The title has been used by successive monarchs ever since, quite ironic that a Protestant Monarch feels proud enough to use a Papally bestowed title! All U.K. coins still carry this title. If you check the legend around the Queen's portrait you will see in Latin the following; ELIZABETH II D.G. REG. F.D.
Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith. ( For purists the legend reads, Elizabeth II Dei Gracia, Regina, Fidei Defendsor)(Apologies if Latin spelling not up to scratch, check speller couldn't cope either)

Answer 5

Henry VIII defended the Catholic Church on alot of Issues.
Pope Leo X conferred upon the king the title of 'Fidei Defensor' (Defender of the Faith), after Henri VIII wrote his famous book, the 'Assertio Septem Sacramentorum,' against Luther and in vindication of the Church's dogmatic teaching regarding the sacraments and the Sacrifice of the Mass, while the supremacy of the papacy is also insisted upon in unequivocal terms.

But later when Henri VIII wanted a divorce, Pope Leo X was dead and gone, and his cousin, Guolio de Medici, better know as Pope Clement VII was in charge, and refused to give the king his divorce. Henri broke away from the Catholic Church, but kept his title of 'Fidei Defensor,' and it has been passed down since.

Answer 6

When Henry VIII was king, he wrote a lot of papers defending the catholic faith. The pope at the time gave him the title "Defender of the Faith". When Henry started his own church, he kept the title and passed it down to his successors.

Answer 7

Since we split with Rome and created a Church of England, we have needed somone to defend the faith. The Monarch carries out this roll.

Answer 8

The title is from the time of Henry VIII, when he split from the Catholic Church in Rome (he wanted a divorce and they told him to naff off). He started his own Church (Church of England) and the title has passed down to every Anglican monarch (I think).

Not-so Bonny Prince Charlie was just being colourful with the 'defender of the faiths' thing -- how he can defend all of them is beyond me, unless he gets initiated into all of them.

Answer 9

i think no

Charles changed the title to defender of faiths and made it as meaningless as the postmosern sense

however John Stott the anglican has done a fairly good job at missions setting aside his views on conditionalism and in history there have bene some good defenders CS Lewis is still going strong with his good buddy Tolkien.

Answer 10

Heritage.