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Alastair Campbell’s “We don’t do God” is one of most (mis)quoted soundbites of the age.

But, however much it might have been right concerning his political master (and therein lies a debate), it is certainly not true of all contemporary political leaders. Indeed, it is striking how many global political leaders are Christian believers and how far their faith shapes and is shaped by their politics – for better or for worse.

Each month in 2016, we are publishing an essay examining how a contemporary leader has ‘done God’: what is their Christian background and formation; how has it informed their political values and agenda, their priorities and their rhetoric; and what does all this say about Christianity and contemporary political power. The collection will be published together later in 2016.

The collection will cover figures including Tony Blair; Gordon Brown, George W. Bush, Stephen Harper, Torja Halonen, Lula, Angela Merkel; Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Kevin Rudd, Nicholas Sarkozy, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Margaret Thatcher.