The Evangelical community’s role in UK public policy[1] is both complex and constantly evolving. Evangelicals in particular have given the impression of ambivalence with regard to political engagement throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, switching almost randomly between grand campaigns aimed at major reform and extended periods of relative passivity or even complete disengagement. There has been evidence in recent years of the emergence of a more stable and mature approach to public policy with a wider and readier acceptance and recognition of responsibility to participate meaningfully in the UK’s democratic political community. This has in turn led to the perceived, and often real, increasing influence of evangelicals in political debate, assisted not least through the election of a Christian prime minister, MPs and government officials. The higher profile of evangelical Christians involved in academia, journalism and media, as well as representative and lobby groups has also been important. The emergence of widespread consensus concentrated on crucial and often emotive public issues such as preservation of human life, religious freedom, the importance of the family, social justice, poverty and care for creation has been particularly vital in focussing evangelical voices and actions.
Whilst many regard this as good news (though recently there have been hysterical fears raised by sections of the media in the UK concerning the emergence of a powerful fundamentalist and politically activist evangelical lobby akin to the American model), active evangelical political engagement has not always been accompanied by appropriate levels of expertise, professionalism, communication skills and adequate in-depth analysis of issues. The more evangelical Christians believe they have historic opportunities to help shape society through the use of political influence, the more challenging has become the task to gain agreement from supporters and society itself and to accept the responsibilities that necessarily accompany aspirations for increasing influence. The Evangelical Alliance, for example, has consistently claimed it speaks for over one million Christians in the UK. Such claims undoubtedly help to ensure that the Alliance is listened to by government, especially when both sides find the dialogue to be constructive and helpful. However, the task for evangelicals is not merely one of acquiring the expertise for dialogue at such a level, but remaining faithful to beliefs and faith positions – reflecting the views of their adherents whilst simultaneously educating the evangelical constituency on how to think about complex issues in the first place – both politically and theologically.
Evangelicals are not renowned for authoritative, scholarly, sustained, theologically-grounded thinking on complex social and political issues in ways that have characterised some other Christian traditions, such as, for example, Roman Catholicism. Accordingly, it has not been unusual to find evangelical political engagement appearing somewhat fragmented, inconsistent, unbalanced and consequently ineffective. What is needed for evangelicals to maximise their potential in the UK can be presented in the form of a fourfold challenge.
Firstly, evangelical politics must be rooted in faith in the Lordship of Christ and the authority of the Bible. Secondly, evangelicals must face up to the need to produce greater expert analysis together with more sophisticated study and research. Thirdly, they need to work harder at co-operating with each other, as well as learning to work with others where appropriate. Fourthly, evangelicals need themselves to become far more engaged in aspects of public life on the ground.
A major challenge facing Christians in the 21st century has to do with truth and tolerance in the public arena. In the face of secular and pluralist society structures increasingly antipathetic to the Christian worldview, Christian engagement with the public arena must neither merely reflect secular political agendas nor retreat into a sectarian inwardness or ghetto mentality. Like the Reformers, the Church’s main task involves aiming to change society through allowing a biblical worldview and scripturally balanced agenda to inform and direct its public policy work. A responsible ethical and political philosophy takes Scripture seriously and emphasises its primary authority. It involves knowing a range of relevant issues intimately and doing the related scientific, political, economic and social analysis. It also calls for the employment of ‘sanctified reason’ and common sense. There are many present-day issues which the Bible does not directly mention and comprehensive study and informed assessment of the contemporary world is as indispensable as competence in handling scriptural principles. This approach claims that ‘being’ the Church involves preserving its God-given distinctives, whilst simultaneously engaging constructively with ‘the powers that be’, and where necessary confronting them. In this context, the Evangelical Alliance recently published Uniting for Change: An Evangelical Vision for Transforming Society[2] and Movement for Change: Evangelical Perspectives for Transforming Society[3], which set out the rationale for a vision of a movement for change rooted in a contemporary understanding of the Kingdom of God at work in society.
John Stott has highlighted the need for Christians to develop a ‘Christian mind … which can think with Christian integrity about the problems of the contemporary world’.[4] This points to the fact that evangelicals, apart from a few commendable exceptions, have not been noted for seriously engaging at a scholarly or practical level with contemporary issues. The reasons for this are manifold, but have included fears concerning the social gospel, liberal dilution of biblical truth, ‘surrender’ to the world, and even fundamental theological questioning about whether Christians should engage with the world at all.
But there is evidence that evangelicals now addressing public issues in a more considered and engaged way, listening to other Christians and seeking ways to apply biblical principles in specific contexts. In some quarters, this process has been described as engaging in ‘public theology’, a term defined by Robert Benne as “the engagement of a living religious tradition with its public environment … the economic, political and cultural spheres of our common life”.[5]
This approach contrasts with some popular caricatures especially of evangelicals as being fundamentally opposed to liberal, secular trends in society, notably in the area of equality and human rights. There have until recently also been critical perceptions of evangelicals, especially from the emerging church, with regard to practical social engagement at the grassroots, which, although at one level apparently belied by the prevalence of Christian voluntary projects, nevertheless probably contain some elements of truth. Evangelicals, for example, have been seen as relatively inward-looking and more focussed on their own church affairs, moral issues and doctrinal matters than with the needs of society and weightier matters affecting the wider world. Due sometimes to historical factors, evangelicals have in some cases been relatively reluctant to engage in the social gospel and have not always been swift to adopt a holistic view of mission. However, today the accuracy of such criticisms and the extent to which they may be valid is open to dispute as more and more evangelical churches are taking seriously the full gospel mandate as it specifically relates to social concerns and social justice.
Evangelical groups, such as the Evangelical Alliance and CARE, have over a number of decades tried to engage positively in political processes. Their approach has generally been to seek interaction with key politicians in a constructive way to help influence the gestation of public policy, rather than perhaps by merely making reactionary and declaratory statements, initiating legal challenges, or trying to whip up campaigns. The Alliance, for example, has appointed parliamentary officers in the UK nations to engage with MPs, MSPs, assembly members, civil servants and the wider civic society. Part of their role has been to encourage and persuade evangelical Christians themselves to take part in democratic political processes, both at local and national levels.
Of course, many important new moral and socio-political issues, such as bioethics and human rights are not just controversial public issues. Christians frequently disagree with each other on how to respond and dispute to what extent the Bible or tradition might contribute to ethical debate. Christians have often been more used to speaking to each other than to society, and the task of interpreting the Bible and evangelical concerns in the public realm remains a pressing one if evangelicals wish to be understood and so progress their declared transformational role.
Evangelicals have rightly been identified by their commitment to the Scriptures as the rule for life and faith, and in this regard there is little doubt that evangelicals will remain committed to the pre-eminence of the Bible in the process of social and political theology and ethical decision-making. This inevitably involves the careful contextualising of theological truth and sound hermeneutical principles.[6] By way of illustration, the Evangelical Alliance’s Millennium Manifesto incorporated a decision to create a standing policy commission, which was initiated in 1999. Its remit was to identify contemporary controversial issues, commission relevant studies, and, in adopting an evangelical viewpoint, recommend appropriate policy positions and statements. The issues with which it was primarily to be concerned were to be typically of an ethical nature with societal, national or international implications – as distinct from purely theological and doctrinal concerns. With a strong educational objective and addressed primarily to evangelical Christians and churches, its studies were intended to be of wider application and relevance to the Christian community, but also society at large, as it sought to offer a co-ordinated response to matters of wider public debate. The Commission has functioned as a steering group for the Evangelical Alliance, comprising evangelical representatives from a wide range of academic, scientific and professional disciplines. Its reports and position statements have been produced following a wide-ranging discussion and consultation process, both internally through the Evangelical Alliance membership, and externally with reference to appropriately qualified academics and practitioners in the relevant fields. Its studies are therefore multi-disciplinary and multi-perspectival. Such a process could, perhaps, most accurately be classified as ‘study-dialogue’ methodology. Although the majority of contributors have tended to be themselves evangelicals, interaction with and peer review by scholars and experts from other traditions and faith (or indeed non-faith) sectors has not been shirked.
The Commission’s initial studies, which have received wide acclaim and been extensively applied to real life situations, covered the important contemporary issues of gender identity disorder and GM crops and foods.[7] Transsexuality is a highly controversial subject, surrounded by its own mythology, involving far-reaching consequences for society as a whole and especially involves complex issues relating to religious liberty and the right of churches, for example, to organise and run their own affairs according to their beliefs and ethos. Little prior published material existed, and Christian awareness was virtually nil. The report produced by the multi-disciplinary working group formed the basis for submissions to the government’s consultation process in connection with the Gender Recognition Act, and to date has played a crucial role in the debate concerning recognition of transsexual rights to gender self-determination, culminating in active dialogue with the government and others, including transsexual lobby groups, in the unfolding of the Gender Recognition Act 2004. It was peer-reviewed and commended for its scientific accuracy, ethical judgement, theological relevance and humanity. Subsequent engagement with the government on the basis of the report was largely responsible for significant but crucial concessions made in the Act in respect of religious conscience and church autonomy. Not only has the study proved invaluable to churches and pastoral workers, but it has been used extensively by public bodies and other faith groups to inform themselves concerning a difficult and complex issue. Taken seriously by the academic world, it has directly provoked considerable debate in scholarly journals and elsewhere in the public sphere.
GM crops and foods is an important contemporary issue on which Christians themselves are divided. The Alliance study, undertaken in a fruitful partnership with the Church of Scotland, sought to examine the scientific, ethical, agricultural, economic and theological cases for and against GM. It was able, through a process of managed dialogue and peer review, to produce a balanced and considered treatment of the subject together with an assessment of the implications of GM. The Alliance Council received the report and, armed with an in-depth analysis, had available the resources to formulate an informed position which it believed characterised a sensible and scriptural evangelical response to the issues. The report has received respectful critical review and has spearheaded an up to date Christian response to environmental concerns which are particularly apposite in the light of the 2002 Earth Summit.
Other examples could be multiplied of evangelicals not shirking the challenge of important but complex issues. By way of further example, CARE has set up the Centre for Bioethics and Public Policy to encourage serious academic engagement with what many regard as perhaps the most critical future challenge for the human race.
Such examples act as a useful illustration of ways in which British evangelicals have in recent years engaged in important projects which diverge from stereotypical characterisations of evangelicals being fixated with campaigns related to issues of sexual morality, the sanctity of life, and religious freedom. This has not prevented – nor should it prevent – evangelical Christians recently from being prominently associated with campaigns to preserve standards of taste and decency in the media or to oppose moves to legalise euthanasia, nor from protesting outside Parliament against moves to restrict freedom of speech.
There are of course both opportunities and potential pitfalls for evangelicals in the context of changing forms of relationships between the religious sector and the state and a warning is appropriate here. In recent years the Labour government has been keen to acknowledge, indeed even emphasise, the role of religious groups, not least in helping to deliver social vision on the ground in the form of religiously motivated educationary, community and voluntary projects. Faith groups, including evangelicals, are now regularly targeted by the government to respond to consultations and become involved in working groups and consultative committees, as well as the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights. In some ways, it could be seen that the government has shown a keen desire to engage in partnership with faith groups. A key issue for the Church, and for evangelicals in particular, is the extent to which partnership between Church and State, as well as with other faiths, is possible or indeed permissible and desirable whilst continuing to seek to present an independent faithful witness. There are a number of risks involved with partnership, not least of which is the implicit acceptance of a liberal agenda which inter alia could involve implicit adoption by the Church of public principles of democracy, human rights and secular reason. In this context the concept of ‘public theology’ might well become intrinsically subversive when taken to imply the apparent congruency of Christianity with public values. The Church, if it is not careful and discriminating in its political engagement, could find its distinctive authenticity, its critiquing, counter-cultural role, its prophetic voice for truth in the public square, and not least its missional calling, significantly undermined. Ironically, the Church itself might well run the risk of being reduced to compliance with an agenda that aligns the Christian faith with liberal democracy and a secular political philosophy that sees as one of its main objectives the fundamental privatisation of religion. At the very least, where evangelicals are willing to encourage constructive engagement with the state and civil society, they need to be warned of the evident dangers of partnership and the need to exercise caution whilst continually being reminded of its mission and calling. In other words, evangelical political engagement must not take place at the expense of its prophetic distinctiveness.
During the 19th century evangelical Christians led the way in social engagement and community action in Britain. For various reasons this distinctive was lost for most of the 20th century. More recently, evangelicals across the denominations have reawakened to the challenges and opportunities of holistic mission in the public square – of bearing witness at the interface of ‘faith and nation’. As this reawakening has occurred, the interface itself is subject to rapid and significant change. Overt secularism appears to accompany a more pluralist political reality, however inconsistent and opportunistic this may be. One result is that it may also be more amenable to evangelical involvement. However, this presents its own distinctive problems and dangers. Daunting though these problems and dangers may be, withdrawal and disconnection from socio-political life are not a desirable option for evangelicals in the UK today. This report has suggested constructive ways forward for British evangelicals in the 21st century, but there is still a long way still to go. Our hope is that the work contained here, and the recommendations which follow, will persuade evangelical churches, groups and individuals to take up the challenge of holistic mission in strategic and effective ways, to the glory of God.
[1] This section is partly based on a chapter contributed by Don Horrocks to God in Society: Doing Social Theology in Scotland Today, William Storrar and Peter Donald (eds), (Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 2003), 210-16.
[2] Published by the Evangelical Alliance
[3] Edited by David Hilborn, (Carlisle: Paternoster, 2004)
[4] New Issues Facing Christians Today, (London: Marshall Pickering, 1999), p.36.
[5] Robert Benne, The Paradoxical Vision: A Public Theology for the 21st Century, (1995), p.x
[6] For a useful overview of hermeneutical principles in relation to politics see, for example, Craig Bartholomew, (ed.), A Royal Priesthood: The Use of the Bible Ethically and Politically (Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 2002).
[7] Don Horrocks (ed.), Transsexuality, (Carlisle: Paternoster, 2000); Donald Bruce and Don Horrocks (eds.), Modifying Creation? GM Crops and Foods: A Christian Perspective, (Carlisle: Paternoster, 2001).
