Faith-Based Advocacy Under the Hostile Environment: The Case of British Churches

This paper examines how historical and institutional contexts shape the advocacy roles of religious actors in immigration politics. Using the case of British churches’ protest against the “hostile environment” policy paradigm, we analyse how different denominations engage in policy-making processes through distinct strategies and forms of cooperation. Drawing on interest group theory and qualitative data from church statements between 2013 and 2019 and semi-structured interviews with policy advisors, we identify contrasting advocacy patterns: while the Church of England, as the established church, primarily employs insider strategies and consensus-oriented communication, nonconformist churches act as “prophetic outsiders”, relying on outsider strategies and conflict-oriented framing. Our analysis further reveals that these churches cooperate in formal and informal advocacy coalitions in which they assume distinct roles. We argue that these divergent approaches reflect enduring institutional legacies of state–church relations and ecclesial histories. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of evolving faith-based advocacy in a multi-religious society.