'People are coming together.... as groups to pray and from all different backgrounds. I really believe that prayer is going to be the cement that is going to bring us together'
Sister Margaret OShea, 2000

	Pulpit from the Central Free Church, Brighton.

Religion upholds a very strong sense of belonging in those who choose to worship. It can be the uniting or dividing factor between communities. Religion can create barriers and alienate people from each other. Equally, it can promote harmony between any number of groups, bringing them together to form one community.

Brighton has had a long tradition of Anglican Christianity. The religious census for 1851 recorded the Jewish faith as being the only religion other than Christianity in the town. As religious attitudes have changed and with the gradual development of Brighton's multicultural society, the range of religions within the city has increased hugely.

See objects on display in the Religion section of Exploring Brighton gallery