Building Jerusalem: Nonconformity, Labour and the Social Question in Wales, 1906-1939 (Studies in Welsh History)

Much of the social and industrial history written over the past twenty years has presented the working-class culture of early twentieth-century Wales in terms of a thirst for knowledge that was secular, economic and political.  The emphasis has been on the influence of the union lodge and the workingmen's institute, and high priority given to sport and the public house.  Relatively little attention has been given to religion, despite the fact that the 1904-5 revival brought many thousands into contact with the chapel.  This study examines the relationship between the labor movement and the Nonconformist chapels, and assesses whether the evidence supports claims of a massive exodus from the chapels to the labor movement, with the latter taking the lead in addressing the social and personal needs of the working class.  The author argues that the role of the chapel has been underestimated and that it retained a significant hold on community life during the early part of the twentieth century.