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Programme Event
Therese O'Toole & Linda Woodhead
WFD 1 Religion & Superdiversity in the Press
08 February 12
Press Release
Early signs of a new focus on Christianity in Coalition’s words and actions
Revealing their research findings about the Coalition’s record on dealing with faith groups so far, two leading experts passed a mixed verdict to the audience of the first Westminster Faith Debate last night.
On the basis of independent pieces of research, both Professor Kim Knott and Dr Therese O’Toole found that the Coalition, which has been much more up front than Labour in talking about faith, is also taking their cohesion work in a different direction. Unlike the controversial Prevent programme, which focused solely on Muslims, the Near Neighbours programme channels money for interfaith and multifaith cohesion projects through the Church of England.
Kim Knott said “Cameron’s King James Bible speech affirmed strongly that we are still a Christian country and that religions still matters, but the government needs to build on the immense progress made in the last decade in working with the full range of active religious groups in this country.”
Therese O’Toole also welcomed the Coalition’s new stance on faith, but nevertheless warned that new government initiatives, like the Near Neighbours programme, don’t take enough account of how much religion in this country has changed. "We've moved a long way in the last generation," she said. “We are now dealing with highly-motivated, independent, and very professional groups who work alongside others in a the voluntary sector, and know how much they count.” O’Toole’s research focused particularly on Muslim groups like Islamic Relief.
Defending the decision to use the Church of England as broker of its cohesion programme, Dominic Grieve, speaking at the event, said that the Church of England would draw on its 300 years of history of seeing what happens when religious extremism gets the upper hand. He said “The Church of England exemplifies tolerance”, is committed to promoting good relations amongst religious groups, and is trusted by minority faith groups.
He agreed with the two academic’s assertion that religion is usually helpful, not harmful for cohesion, saying “adherence to a faith based discipline brings groups together and thereby strengthens community cohesion; and it provides in many cases a motivation to do good works for the benefit of all."
-ENDS-
Access the podcasts and video from the event here: http://www.religionandsociety.org.uk/faith_debates/identity.
Places are still available for the debates on 7 March, 21 March, 18 April and 2 May: http://www.religionandsociety.org.uk/faith_debates
Clippings
- Elizabeth Hunter 'Faith: Faith and the Coalition: A new confidence in ‘doing God’?' about the first WFD in The Muslim News 24 Feb: http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/paper/index.php?article=5726
- Jonathan Harwood 'Trevor Phillips Sharia law row: what he really said' citing Trevor's WFD contribution 17 Feb: http://www.theweek.co.uk/society/religion/45448/trevor-phillips-sharia-law-row-what-he-really-said
- Janet Daley Telegraph piece with dismissal of Trevor Phillips’ Faith Debate contribution 18 Feb:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9090325/A-good-week-for-the-smiting-of-the-ungodly.html
- Richard Garner’s piece for The Independent about the new RE all-party parliamentary group quoting Trevor Phillips from the first WFD 17 Feb:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/christians-are-not-above-the-law-warns-phillips-6989031.html.
- Charles Moore piece in The Telegraph referencing the Faith Debates, Theos and Charles Clarke 17 Feb:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9089041/To-defend-the-Churchs-role-istodefend-faith-as-a-whole.html
- Ed West’s Telegraph blog referencing Trevor Phillips’ WFD talk 17 Feb: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100138081/trevor-phillips-is-wrong-–-it-is-equality-activists-not-christians-who-are-imposing-their-beliefs-on-others/
- iEngage’s response to The Daily Telegraph front page & Mail 17 Feb: http://www.iengage.org.uk/home/1-news/1704-religion-and-equality-under-the-law
- Daily Mail article also attacking Trevor Phillips’ WFD talk by Daniel Martin 17 Feb: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2102385/Equalities-chief-Trevor-Phillips-accuses-Christians-trying-impose-form-sharia-law.html
- The Daily Telegraph front page on 17 Feb attacking Trevor Phillips' talk at the first Faith Debate: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9087775/Christians-arent-above-the-law-says-equalities-chief-Trevor-Phillips.html?%5Csdg
- Linda Woodhead wrote a piece for the Guardian Online, 14 February: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2012/feb/14/richard-dawkins-british-christianity?CMP=twt_gu
- Cole Moreton wrote a piece in The Telegraph on Sunday on 12 Feb drawing upon Kim Knott and Therese O'Toole's event presentations: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9076902/Fighting-for-the-right-to-pray.html
- Linda Woodhead wrote a piece for the Church Times entitled 'The quiet revolution in UK faith' published 10 Feb.
- Cristina Odone 'Meet the Pollyanna of 'superdiversity', who believes Britain is the happy home of multiculturalism', blog post for the The Telegraph 7 Feb about the 8 Feb WFD: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/cristinaodone/100135499/meet-the-pollyanna-of-superdiversity-who-believes-britain-is-the-happy-home-of-multiculturalism/
- Professor Knott wrote an article for The Tablet published on 4 Feb.
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- The Westminster Faith Debates, running until May 2012, will present the best new research around the most important topics related to the role of religion in public life; the place of faith in schools, the role of faith groups in welfare provision, extremism and religious freedom. All details are available on the website: http://www.religionandsociety.org.uk/faith_debates
- The Westminster Faith Debates are organised by The AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society programme, Charles Clarke and Theos.
- Dr Therese O’Toole is Senior Lecturer in Sociology in the Centre for Ethnicity and Citizenship at the University of Bristol. Professor Kim Knott is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Leeds.
- Press enquiries should be directed to the Theos Press Office
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