A book exploring how different Christian politicians have used (and abused) religion in their politics. (2017)
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Alastair Campbell’s ‘We don’t do God’ is one of the most (mis)quoted sound bites 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.
This collection examines how a range of recent and contemporary leaders have ‘done God’: their Christian background and formation; how it has informed their political values and agenda, their priorities and their rhetoric; and what all this says about Christianity and contemporary political power.
The collection covers major political figures of the past thirty years including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Goodluck Jonathan, Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, Theresa May, Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin, Ronald Reagan, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Margaret Thatcher and Donald Trump.
The Mighty and the Almighty: How Political Leaders Do God (2017). Hardback £18.99, with a free ebook version (ebook available separately for £15.99)
