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Category - faith and politics

  • 22 Oct 2012
    Trustworthy leaders or slaughterhouse shepherds?

    When UK chancellor George Osborne and other ministers pledged to slash benefits further, and remove basic rights, while protecting the assets of millionaires, some words of the prophet Zechariah two-and-a-half millennia ago seemed appropriate, says Savi Hensman. She challenges people of faith to develop a more critical perspective on leadership, both political and religious.

  • 20 Sep 2010
    On 'doing God'

    There was a fascinating response from former Labour minister Stephen Timms MP at the weekend to a speech made by Baroness Warsi last week. Speaking to Anglican bishops in Oxford, she criticised Labour in Government for undermining “the positive power of faith” and suggested the Coalition government would "do God".

  • 29 Aug 2010
    Churches and politics: electing to be different?

    Neither fundamentalism nor functionalism offer a way forward for the churches today in terms of their public witness and political engagement, says Simon Barrow. The different stances taken by church bodies in the 2010 general election suggest important lessons for the future.

  • 20 Apr 2010
    How many more people will be taken in by the idea of the 'Christian vote' ?

    It's been fascinating to see recent speculation about whether 'Christians will swing the 2010 UK election?' (BBC)

    Quite often the claims are made without any reference to specific polling data, or the claims are based on very small samples, or online polls.

  • 20 Apr 2010
    Nick Clegg's Christian values

    Telegraph journalist Tim Walker has had a swipe at Nick Clegg over religion in an article entitled: 'Atheist Nick Clegg discovers religion in time for polling day'.

    It concerns a piece that the Lib Dem leader has written for the Church of England Newspaper. The Telegraph suggests "Nick Clegg appears to have undergone a rapid conversion" on the basis that, despite not believing in God "he claims that Christian values are 'central' to his policies".

  • 13 Mar 2010
    Spirituality and politics: Oscar Romero's legacy

    On 24 March 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated by the government of El Salvador, Savi Hensman reminds us. But his legacy of prayerful Christian engagement with the cause of justice and peace in the world cannot be killed off.

  • 21 Feb 2010
    Exploding the myths surrounding the 'religious vote'

    A very interesting set of poll results are out this morning. The poll was commissioned by our friends at Theos and carried out by ComRes.

  • 15 Jan 2010
    Reconsidering the secular - project
  • 4 Jun 2009
    Churches and the rejuvenating of democracy

    Churches could have a vital role to play in rejuvenating democracy, says Jonathan Bartley. But it needs to be through a faith-engagement with politics based on openness and change.

  • 1 Mar 2009
    Faith needs a freedom agenda

    Genuine faith – in God, in the good, in people and in the future of our planet – grows through freedom, depends upon freedom to keep it honest, and can contribute to the shared openness and strived-for equality that is an essential part of our free flourishing, argues Simon Barrow.