MPs, peers, journalists and other opinion formers attended a Theos debate in the Attlee Suite of the Houses of Parliament last night, entitled 'Reviving Faith in Politics'.
The BBC's Christopher Landau chaired the debate with Tim Farron MP (Liberal Democrat), Andy Reed MP (Labour), Andrew Selous MP (Conservative) and author and activist Jim Wallis. The panellists discussed the extent to which the church should seek to shape public policy.
In a wide-ranging discussion, the panelists agreed that there was no ideologically neutral position in public policy and that every political decision was a moral one. The categories of 'left' and 'right' could be unhelpful and it was important to avoid dividing up issues (e.g bioethics and social justice) to correspond with them. The role of the church should be to articulate a positive vision of the common good and work towards it. The more difficult question was about how the church should try and influence policy and the extent to which the state should be used to implement its vision.
The event was Jim Wallis' last event in the UK to publicise his latest book, Seven Ways to Change the World, before returning to the United States today. In May Jim (pictured here with Theos Director Paul Woolley) authored the foreword to a new Theos report, arguing that the church must think carefully before partnering with government.
To purchase Jim Wallis’ latest book click here.
To purchase a copy of the latest Theos report, click here, or contact the Theos office.
