The Archbishop of York has called on the church in England to rediscover its self-confidence as he warned that the future of Britain could be one in which God is completely excluded from the public realm.

"Britain is tired of its own culture and the unbridled consumerism and secularism have led many to assume that human beings alone can make themselves," said Dr John Sentamu. "God has been totally shut out. What we are in danger of developing is a culture that excludes God from public consciousness."

In his speech entitled 'Uncovering the purposes of God' delivered at York Minster, Sentamu warned: "The relegation of religious thought and of religious motivation to the lowest form of knowledge, not only runs the risk of negating the role played by Christian champions of social justice but more importantly risks removing those core and essential values of human worth which are essential in discovering God's purposes."

Sentamu also recalled his appeal at his inauguration sermon as the 97th Archbishop of York for the Church in England to "once again be a beacon" for the people of England.