Brown’s Guru: Christians must discover ‘moral centre’
-15/02/06
Jim Wallis, the out
Brown’s Guru: Christians must discover ‘moral centre’
-15/02/06
Jim Wallis, the outspoken US political commentator and activist, hailed by press and media in the UK as Gordon Brownís ëreligious guru’ has urged Christians to go beyond party politics and discover a ìmoral centreî where Christian ethics are applied consistently to a range of political issues.
Speaking at the UK launch of his New York Times bestseller, Godís Politics: Why the American Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesnít Get It, which has been endorsed by the Chancellor and has already sold over 350,000 copies in America, Wallis said:ìPeople are looking for a moral centre, which isnít a mushy political centrism, but which looks at the moral challenges of our time and says ëdonít go left, donít go right – go deeper.í Itís about applying a consistent moral ethic, something that inevitably leads to the crossing of political lines.î
The event, hosted by Christian social action movement Faithworks, attracted around 300 churchgoers and political activists. They were urged by Wallis to focus their efforts on fighting inequality, which he claimed was ìthe pivotal moral issue of our timeî, contributing directly to global poverty, the spread of HIV/AIDS and people trafficking.
Speaking about the impact that Christians in the UK can have on political decision-making, Faithworks Founder Rev Steve Chalke said: ìThe Church must never lose its prophetic edge. We have to learn what it means to be in the company of the king, but never in the pocket of the king. Our concern should not be for just social action, it should also be for social justice. The Church should be involved not just in service, but also in politics, affecting policies and bending them towards justice.î
Faithworks has previously campaigned for increased funding from Government for the work of churches.
The launch, which also included a brief performance from singer/songwriter Martyn Joseph, was one of series of UK events and meetings for the highly acclaimed US author.
These have included a meeting with Ekklesia’s director Jonathan Bartley and appearances on BBC’s Newsnight and the Today Programme.
You can order a copy of ‘God’s Politics’ from the Ekklesia shop by clicking here
Brown’s Guru: Christians must discover ‘moral centre’
-15/02/06
Jim Wallis, the outspoken US political commentator and activist, hailed by press and media in the UK as Gordon Brown’s ëreligious guru’ has urged Christians to go beyond party politics and discover a ‘moral centre’ where Christian ethics are applied consistently to a range of political issues.
Speaking at the UK launch of his New York Times bestseller, God’s Politics: Why the American Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It, which has been endorsed by the Chancellor and has already sold over 350,000 copies in America, Wallis said:’People are looking for a moral centre, which isn’t a mushy political centrism, but which looks at the moral challenges of our time and says ëdon’t go left, don’t go right – go deeper.’ It’s about applying a consistent moral ethic, something that inevitably leads to the crossing of political lines.’
The event, hosted by Christian social action movement Faithworks, attracted around 300 churchgoers and political activists. They were urged by Wallis to focus their efforts on fighting inequality, which he claimed was ‘the pivotal moral issue of our time’, contributing directly to global poverty, the spread of HIV/AIDS and people trafficking.
Speaking about the impact that Christians in the UK can have on political decision-making, Faithworks Founder Rev Steve Chalke said: ‘The Church must never lose its prophetic edge. We have to learn what it means to be in the company of the king, but never in the pocket of the king. Our concern should not be for just social action, it should also be for social justice. The Church should be involved not just in service, but also in politics, affecting policies and bending them towards justice.’
Faithworks has previously campaigned for increased funding from Government for the work of churches.
The launch, which also included a brief performance from singer/songwriter Martyn Joseph, was one of series of UK events and meetings for the highly acclaimed US author.
These have included a meeting with Ekklesia’s director Jonathan Bartley and appearances on BBC’s Newsnight and the Today Programme.
You can order a copy of ‘God’s Politics’ from the Ekklesia shop by clicking here