Interview: Lord Harries on faith in politics

Total Politics speaks to Lord Richard Harries, former Bishop of Oxford, about his book Faith in Politics? Rediscovering the Christian Roots of our Political Values. In his new book, Lord Harries sets out to revive the public faith in politics. Illustrating Christianity as the foundation of our current political morals, Harries hopes to provide an alternative to recent scandals that have marked the political landscape.

Can you tell us a bit about your book?

I argue that the things we believe in as a way of life — democracy, human rights, the rule of law — are not simply the invention of the 17th century enlightenment. They are deeply undergirded by our Christian faith, which is deeply embedded in a Christian culture that we inherited. I believe it is essential for the health of our democracy that religions make their contribution alongside everyone else to form public policy.

What can religion add to the political process?

Certainly if we are thinking of the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, they emphasise that the overall concern of politics must be for the common good. It can’t simply be about sectional interest, about each group or class pursuing its own interest. I would go a step further than that — the common good in a market economy means that government must have a particular concern for those who are left behind by the market, those who in some way are pushed to the wall or vulnerable.

So is religion a force that steps up when politics fails?

I think it can. It is not just about picking up the pieces after the failure of politics. But it is concerned for the total good of society in all aspects. I also want to encourage people to take the political process seriously. It is one of the weaknesses of voter turnout in recent elections being pretty poor. I would like to see a society where everybody took politics serious enough, at least, to vote. The Christian faith is not just about what goes on in personal relationships or about what goes on inside us. It is actually has something important to contribute to public life, not least, helping people to take public life seriously.

Can Britain can reach a stage where it is as acceptable for politicians to be as public about their faith, as it is seen in America?

No, I don’t think so because the two cultures are so totally different. English people in particular are very shy about their religious faith. I think most English people probably have a belief in God tucked away deep down. But they don’t like to talk about it in public, or wave it about. We know that when Tony Blair retired he was asked why he didn’t talk about his religion more. And he said that he didn’t talk about it because, if he had, people would have thought him to be a nutter. British people don’t like politicians bringing their religion into the public in a very overt way, and flashing it about as though they are claiming the moral high ground through their religion. But because of the growing importance of religion in the world and public debate, it may be that we will see more people in Britain talking about their religious faith in a natural way.

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