Britons risk ‘losing sight’ of Christian history, leading atheist historian Alice Roberts has said.
The academic, 52, told BBC History Magazine that Christianity is a ‘compelling and important’ part of British culture and appeared to lament the fact that belief is on the decline.
Professor Roberts spoke out ahead of the publication of her new book about the collapse of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity in Western nations.
Her comments appear to be an about-turn from previous abrasive remarks she has made about religion on social media.
Professor Roberts, the former president of secular campaign group Humanists UK, was previously criticised for posting a ‘reminder’ on X on Good Friday in 2021 that ‘dead people – don’t come back to life’.
One critic sarcastically branded her remark ‘very edgy’, while another asked: ‘You gonna denigrate every world religion or just the easy target?’
She has also claimed that schools run by the Church of England are part of an ‘indoctrination programme’ and has criticised the idea of collective worship in state education.
Professor Roberts’ new book, Domination: The Fall of the Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity, is out at the end of this month.
Britons risk ‘losing sight’ of Christian history, leading atheist historian Alice Roberts has said
Professor Roberts, the former president of secular campaign group Humanists UK, was previously criticised for posting a ‘reminder’ on X on Good Friday in 2021 that ‘dead people – don’t come back to life’
Speaking to promote the title, she told BBC History Magazine: ‘I think Christianity is a compelling and important part of our culture.
‘As society becomes more secular, and biblical knowledge declines, we risk losing sight of Christian history.’
But she added there is still a tendency to ‘obscure’ Christianity’s early history and instead treat it as if it appeared ‘fully formed’.
‘For me, it’s about cultural evolution: understanding where it began, who adopted it and who helped spread it. I hope I’ve explored that as objectively as possible,’ she said.
Her book charts the collapse the Roman empire and the spread of Christian belief throughout Europe and the world from the first century onwards.
Professor Roberts also argued that claims of Christianity’s ‘radical uniqueness’ are ‘often overstated’.
She highlighted ‘strong parallels’ with ‘other cults’, including worship of the Roman god Mithras and said that the notion that Christianity ‘invented’ the concept of charity is false.
Bijan Omrani, the author of recent book God is an Englishman: Christianity and the Creation of England, welcomed Professor Roberts’ acknowledgement of the importance of the religion, but called for her to go further.
King Charles III is crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury at his coronation in May 2023
A study last October concluded that Britain is entering its first ‘atheist age’ as parents fail to pass on religious beliefs to their children. Above: A donkey is led at the head of a procession across Putney Bridge for a Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025
He told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s wonderful to see Alice Roberts finally acknowledging the importance of Christian culture.
‘Still, she doesn’t yet give it full credit for its world-changing achievements.
‘For example, the ideas of charity in Christianity are far more radical than anything from Classical thought.
‘But as she’s come this far, it’s time for her also to acknowledge the importance of the actual Christian faith itself which went on to create and give life to the culture.’
Professor Roberts, who has also presented Coast and Time Team, was president of Humanists UK between 2019-2022 and is professor of public engagement in science at the University of Birmingham.
A study last October concluded that Britain is entering its first ‘atheist age’ as parents fail to pass on religious beliefs to their children.
For the first time in history, the UK now has more atheists than people who believe in the existence of a god, researchers from institutions including the University of Kent said.
However, other writers have argued that there is a ‘quiet revival of churchgoing among younger Britons.
A YouGov survey commissioned by the Bible Society found that the number of 18-to-24-year-olds who say they go to church at least once a month has risen from four per cent in 2019 to 16 per cent today.
