Westminster Abbey is an English church located near the River Thames that has been the coronation grounds for English monarchs since 1066. Benedictine monks founded the Abbey some years before the coronations began, but these monks established the lasting tradition of daily worship that continues to this day. For further information on Westminster Abbey, a good source is:
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history
Pre-Trip:
What amazes me most about Westminster Abbey is not the incredible age, or the iconic architecture, but that Westminster Abbey is still in operation as a functioning church. Some would find it controversial that such a notable icon of Great Britain is a church, but for hundreds of years now, religion and Great Britain have had an undeniable connection. During King Henry VIII’s rule, he at one point was serving as the head of the state, and also the head of the new Anglican religion. People, most notably the first American colonists, left Great Britain on the Mayflower because of religious persecution. Being a Christian has definitely had an impact on the way I live my life and how I look at issues, and I am curious to see the extent of the connection between religion and Great Britain. There are definitely some similarities between Anglicism in Great Britain and Christianity in the United States, but I am curious to see if Anglicism plays a similar societal role as Christianity does in the United States.