We are delighted that the former Bishop of Oxford, Lord Harries has given the Jubilee Centre an interview about his new book, Faith in Politics?

1. In your book you want us to ‘Rediscover the Christian Roots of Our Political Values’ and explore the Christian influence on freedom, human rights, and democracy. What would you say to secularists claiming that these concepts are a legacy of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment and that any Christian roots have no significance for politics today?

It is important to remember that the claim to be a humanist, which emerged during the Renaissance, was first made by Christians. They wanted to assert the dignity and worth of being human and they did this on the basis of their faith. It is also important to note that some of the key figures in the 17th century enlightenment were Christian believers, such as John Locke. So the Renaissance and the Enlightenment were as much the product of Christian thought as they were of purely secular thinkers.

Furthermore, though of course human rights, equality, liberty and so on can be championed on a variety of grounds, they are fully grounded only on a Christian understanding of what it means to be a human being in society. So the Christian faith continues to be highly relevant. Take human rights for example. This is not just a legal construct but, as Amartya Sen has recently argued, a moral claim upon us. That moral claim is rooted in a belief that each individual is of worth, and that this worth needs protecting, even against the state.

2. Viscount Tonypandy once wrote that 'Politics cannot save society without the inspiration both of Christian values and of the Christian spirit of forgiveness, of love and of service.' What do you see as the contribution to be made by faith in politics in 21^st century Britain and the obstacles preventing it from doing so – both from within and without the Church?

First of all I would like to see the Christian faith, along with other viewpoints, contributing to a renewed sense of moral community. The parliamentary expenses scandal revealed MPs claiming that what they did was legal. Indeed it might have been. But it outraged the wider public who said that it might have been legal, but it was not moral. Parliament is a mirror of society as a whole. We need to re-create a moral milieu in which concepts like honour, decency and what is right are to the fore and not just what is legal, what people feel they can get away with.

Another way I want the Christian faith to contribute to our society is by reviving the concept of public service. This was a crucial and precious feature of our national life until 30 years ago. But now the whole concept of service seems to have gone and too much in our life is dominated by people on the make.

3. Love of God and love of neighbour lies at the heart of the Jubilee Centre’s understanding of the biblical social vision. Can you explain what you mean when you write 'Love of neighbour today has an inescapable political dimension' and the extent to which you think it is possible to achieve a public policy that has an integral connection to the Christian faith?

For much of history it was possible to love one's neighbour through individual acts of kindness or by founding institutions such as hospitals or hospices. But in the 21^st century the state now dominates so much of our lives we have also to be concerned about political policies. For political policies affect so much of our lives for good or ill, and it is sentimental to think we can care about others whilst remaining indifferent to a factor which affects people in such major ways.

The relationship between the Christian faith and a particular policy is not often a very direct and obvious one. That is why Christians should be cautious about what they claim in this way. Nevertheless I do think that the faith offers a view of what it means to be a human being in society which enables us to think about issues in a coherent and consistent way which carries conviction.

4. You would presumably agree with the former Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali’s observation that ‘Christian faith has been central to the emergence of our nation and its development. We cannot really understand the nature and achievements of British society without reference to it.’ But does this necessarily mean Christianity has any continued relevance to our nation’s future development or might society now be better off without it?

I believe strongly that the Christian faith has a continuing relevance to our society. First of all, as indicated in the first answer above, I think our political values, institutions and way of life are grounded in a Christian understanding of what it is to be a human being in society. Take for example Reinhold Niebuhr’s defence of democracy on Christian grounds. 'Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible. Man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.' This stems from a Christian view of being human which sees us as both made in the image of God and crucifiers of Christ. Secondly, I believe, again as indicated above, that the Christian faith has a crucial role to play both in bringing about a much stronger sense of belonging to a moral environment and in reviving the concept of service in public life.

Faith in Politics? Rediscovering the Christian Roots of our Political Values is published by DLT, £12.95.

To read further on these issues, see also: Sustaining Democracy and Three principles for Christian citizens

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