Faith And Politics An Investigation Into Christian Mps In Britain

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Faith and Politics: An Investigation into Christian MPs in Britain

Author : Joshua Bell
Publisher : diplom.de
ISBN 13 : 3954898152
Total Pages : 82 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (548 download)

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Book Synopsis Faith and Politics: An Investigation into Christian MPs in Britain by : Joshua Bell

Download or read book Faith and Politics: An Investigation into Christian MPs in Britain written by Joshua Bell and published by diplom.de. This book was released on 2014-09-01 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This research paper aimed to find out the extent to which faith plays a part in the political decision making of Christian MPs. The MPs who were used in this study were from Christians in Parliament All-Party Group. Interviews took place with seven MPs, in order to question them about the role of their Christian faith as they work within the political arena. These interviews took place in London and consisted of nine questions, dealing with three concise topics; the Christians in Parliament group, personal influences of faith and the future of religion and politics. Amongst a great deal of interesting data, there were a number of key themes that can be drawn from this research. Christian MPs have a unique pressure upon them which derives from their faith and having to balance this in their job as a politician. In response to this pressure, this paper has found that MPs are determined in their endeavours to keep the Christian faith embedded in British society. Also, this paper has highlighted the great extent to which faith impacts individual MPs decision making. Overall, this research has furthered understanding of the impact of faith on Christian MPs and the extent to which this affects their decision making processes. It has enabled us to recognise the constant conflict faced by Christian MPs. This research has also raised awareness of the challenges for Christian members, whilst highlighting the debate regarding the extent to which religion continues to play a part in politician’s decision making. As well providing a compelling insight, this work is a platform for further research into this area of study.

An Investigation Into the Role Faith Plays in Political Decision Making, Through the Eyes of Christians in Parliament All-Party Group Members

Download An Investigation Into the Role Faith Plays in Political Decision Making, Through the Eyes of Christians in Parliament All-Party Group Members PDF Online Free

Author : Joshua Bell
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9783656666790
Total Pages : 90 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (667 download)

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Book Synopsis An Investigation Into the Role Faith Plays in Political Decision Making, Through the Eyes of Christians in Parliament All-Party Group Members by : Joshua Bell

Download or read book An Investigation Into the Role Faith Plays in Political Decision Making, Through the Eyes of Christians in Parliament All-Party Group Members written by Joshua Bell and published by . This book was released on 2014-06-17 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bachelor Thesis from the year 2013 in the subject Politics - Miscellaneous, grade: 2:1 68%, University of Lincoln, course: Religion and Politics, language: English, abstract: This research paper aimed to find out the extent to which faith plays a part in the political decision making of Christian MPs. The MPs who were used in this study were from Christians in Parliament All-Party Group. The desire to investigate this topic derives from a deep personal interest in politics, combined with a sense of intrigue towards the influence of faith. Interviews took place with seven MPs, in order to question them about the role of their Christian faith as they work within the political arena. These interviews took place in London and consisted of nine questions, dealing with three concise topics; the Christians in Parliament group, personal influences of faith and the future of religion and politics. Amongst a great deal of interesting data, there were a number of key themes that can be drawn from this research. Christian MPs have a unique pressure upon them which derives from their faith and having to balance this in their job as a politician. In response to this pressure, this paper has found that MPs are determined in their endeavours to keep the Christian faith embedded in British society. Also, this paper has highlighted the great extent to which faith impacts individual MPs decision making. Overall, this research has furthered understanding of the impact of faith on Christian MPs and the extent to which this affects their decision making processes. It has enabled us to recognise the constant conflict faced by Christian MPs. This research has also raised awareness of the challenges for Christian members, whilst highlighting the debate regarding the extent to which religion continues to play a part in politician's decision making. As well providing a compelling insight, this work is a platform for deeper research into this area of study.

Political and Religious Identities of British Evangelicals

Author : Andrea C. Hatcher
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319562827
Total Pages : 249 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (195 download)

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Book Synopsis Political and Religious Identities of British Evangelicals by : Andrea C. Hatcher

Download or read book Political and Religious Identities of British Evangelicals written by Andrea C. Hatcher and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-07-19 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the paradoxical relationship between the religious and political behaviors of American and British Evangelicals, who exhibit nearly identical religious canon and practice, but sharply divergent political beliefs and action. Relying on interviews with British religious and political elites (journalists, MPs, activists, clergy) as well as focus groups in ten Evangelical congregations, this study reveals that British Evangelicals, unlike their American counterparts known for their extensive involvement in party politics, have no discernible ideological or partisan orientation, choosing to pursue their political interests through civic or social organizations rather than electoral influence. It goes further to show that many British Evangelicals shun the label itself for its negative political connotations and in-/out-group sensibility, and choose to focus on a broader social justice imperative rendered almost incoherent by a lack of group identity. Placing itself at the forefront of an incipient but growing segment of comparative research into the intersectionality of religion and politics, the work satisfies a lacuna of how the same religious tradition can act differently in public squares contextualized by political and cultural variables.

A Mucky Business

Author : Tim Farron
Publisher : Inter-Varsity Press
ISBN 13 : 1789744458
Total Pages : 171 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (897 download)

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Book Synopsis A Mucky Business by : Tim Farron

Download or read book A Mucky Business written by Tim Farron and published by Inter-Varsity Press. This book was released on 2022-11-17 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many Christians are nervous about politics - isn't the political world murky and sleazy, a den of deceit and backstairs deals? At the same time, the image of Christians in politics isn’t great either – often seen as judgemental hypocrites, intolerant and hateful control freaks... shouldn't this mean that faith and politics should be kept firmly apart? In A Mucky Business, Tim Farron, former Leader of the Liberal Democrats Party and friends, explore and defend why Christianity and politics should and must work together. If Christians are to love their neighbours, they need to engage with the issues that affect everyone. Why should Christians leave their beliefs at the door when they enter public life? No one else does! Tim Farron shares his experience as the UK’s best known Christian MP and draws on case studies from across the political spectrum. Many of these case studies come from his successful A Mucky Business podcast. Demonstrating that it’s possible to be both a Christian and to step into the political world with confidence. A Mucky Business will both inspired and better equip christians to care about politics, pray knowledgeably, and engage with politics effectively.

Politics, Prayer, and Parliament

Author : David Rogers
Publisher : Burns & Oates
ISBN 13 : 9780304706334
Total Pages : 166 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (63 download)

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Book Synopsis Politics, Prayer, and Parliament by : David Rogers

Download or read book Politics, Prayer, and Parliament written by David Rogers and published by Burns & Oates. This book was released on 2000-01 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written in a lively and personal style by an insider to both Parliament and the Church of England, this book examines the way in which religion and politics are linked in England. As a parliamentary advisor to prominent senior figures, David Rogers is uniquely positioned to offer insights about both priests and politicians. Whether used as a guide to campaigning and lobbying, as an introduction to the workings of parliament, as a practical study of the role of public prayer, or read as a testimonial on making faith relevant, Rogers' controversial conclusions about the intertwining of church and state sets an agenda that community-minded Christians will find a fascinating and inspiring read.

Faith in Democracy

Author : Jonathan Chaplin
Publisher : SCM Press
ISBN 13 : 0334060257
Total Pages : 168 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (34 download)

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Book Synopsis Faith in Democracy by : Jonathan Chaplin

Download or read book Faith in Democracy written by Jonathan Chaplin and published by SCM Press. This book was released on 2021-04-30 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is the place of faith in public life in the UK? Beyond ‘secularism’ that seeks to relegate faith to the margins of public life, and a ‘Christian nation’ position that seeks to retain, or even regain, Christian public privilege, there is a third way. Faith in Democracy: Framing a Politics of Deep Diversity calls for an approach that maximises public space for the expression of faith-based visions within democratic fora while repudiating all traces of religious privilege. It argues for a truly conversational space, reflecting theologically on the contested concepts at the heart of the current debate about the place of faith in British public life: democracy, secularism, pluralism and public faith.

Faith in Politics?

Author : Richard Harries
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780232531817
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (318 download)

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Book Synopsis Faith in Politics? by : Richard Harries

Download or read book Faith in Politics? written by Richard Harries and published by . This book was released on 2014-11-26 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: * http://dartonlongmanandtodd.blogspot.co.uk/ *In 2004 a public attitudes survey suggested that 31 per cent of British people believed that all or most MPs told the truth. In 2012 this had dropped to 20 per cent.In 2004 50 per cent of respondents believed that all or most MPs did not use their power for personal gain. In 2012 this had dropped to 33 per cent.Over the whole period from 2004–2012 the average level of trust in judges was over 80 per cent, that of MPs less than 30 per cent.The report also showed that 40 per cent of respondents were disconnected or alienated from the political system – seeing no party that could sufficiently express their political views or represent their interests – and they were overwhelmingly sceptical or deeply sceptical about public life.Richard Harries argues that it is essential for the health of our society that we recover confidence in our political values. These values, such as the rule of law, democracy and human rights, are deeply grounded in a Christian understanding of what it is to be a human being in society.This is a new edition with a substantial new introduction of the book first published in 2010, reflecting not only the Scottish Referendum and the rise of UKIP but some important recent writing on the subject.

The Crisis of British Protestantism

Author : Hunter Powell
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781526106735
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (67 download)

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Book Synopsis The Crisis of British Protestantism by : Hunter Powell

Download or read book The Crisis of British Protestantism written by Hunter Powell and published by . This book was released on 2017-01-03 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focuses on the pivotal years of 1638-44 where debates around non-conformity within the Church of England morphed into a revolution between Parliament and its king

Political Visions & Illusions

Author : David T. Koyzis
Publisher : InterVarsity Press
ISBN 13 : 083087206X
Total Pages : 339 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (38 download)

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Book Synopsis Political Visions & Illusions by : David T. Koyzis

Download or read book Political Visions & Illusions written by David T. Koyzis and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2019-05-07 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What you believe about politics matters. The decades since the Cold War, with new alignments of post–9/11 global politics and the chaos of the late 2010s, are swirling with alternative visions of political life, ranging from ethnic nationalism to individualistic liberalism. Political ideologies are not merely a matter of governmental efficacy, but are intrinsically and inescapably religious: each carries certain assumptions about the nature of reality, individuals and society, as well as a particular vision for the common good. These fundamental beliefs transcend the political sphere, and the astute Christian observer can discern the ways—sometimes subtle, sometimes not—in which ideologies are rooted in idolatrous worldviews. In this freshly updated, comprehensive study, political scientist David Koyzis surveys the key political ideologies of our era, including liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, democracy, and socialism. Koyzis gives each philosophy careful analysis and fair critique, unpacking the worldview issues inherent to each and pointing out essential strengths and weaknesses, as well as revealing the "narrative structure" of each—the stories they tell to make sense of public life and the direction of history. Koyzis concludes by proposing alternative models that flow out of Christianity's historic engagement with the public square, retrieving approaches for both individuals and the global, institutional church that hold promise for the complex political realities of the twenty-first century. Writing with broad international perspective and keen analytical insight, Koyzis is a sane and sensible guide for Christians working in the public square, culture watchers, political pundits, and all students of modern political thought.

Christianity and Party Politics

Author : Martin Steven
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 113684838X
Total Pages : 172 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (368 download)

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Book Synopsis Christianity and Party Politics by : Martin Steven

Download or read book Christianity and Party Politics written by Martin Steven and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2010-12-09 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christianity and Party Politics aims to discuss and evaluate the contemporary relationship between party politics and religion. The book focuses on the important role of the Church in both electoral politics and public policy formulation in the twenty first century, and argues that contrary to the established secularisation argument generally applied in Europe, religion continues to be a powerful influence, particularly within British politics. Steven begins by examining the basics of electoral and party behaviour, how religious affiliation has traditionally influenced the way people choose to vote, and how recent surveys have suggested it continues to do so. Moving on to discuss how this affects the behaviour of party politicians, the role of the Christian church as an interest group is analysed; to what extent are these major societal institutions continuing to influence public policy decisions? Broadening the debate out to the international context, the work evaluates how the relationship between party politics and religion has been affected by global factors, the 'war on terror' for example. This discussion is developed through analysing the influences on the way in which Christian groups choose to lobby and influence public policy. Steven suggests that increasing European integration is forcing Christian groups to become more pro-active in their approach, to combat the decline in the more 'automatic' domestic influence they previously enjoyed. In relation this to the influence of American politics is analysed, debating whether tactics from the more pluralist US system being adopted by Church leaders elsewhere? Providing a valuable and long overdue contribution to the field, this work will provide readers with a detailed knowledge of how the worlds of politics and religion interact.

Religion and Canadian Party Politics

Author : David Rayside
Publisher : UBC Press
ISBN 13 : 0774835613
Total Pages : 448 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (748 download)

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Book Synopsis Religion and Canadian Party Politics by : David Rayside

Download or read book Religion and Canadian Party Politics written by David Rayside and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2017-06-07 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religion is usually thought of as inconsequential to contemporary Canadian politics. This book takes a hard look at just how much influence faith continues to have in federal, provincial, and territorial arenas. Drawing on case studies from across the country, it explores three important axes of religiously based contention – Protestant vs. Catholic, conservative vs. reformer, and, more recently, opponents vs. defenders of accommodating minority religious practices. Although the extent of partisan engagement with each of these sources of conflict has varied across time and region, the authors show that religion still matters in shaping political oppositions. These themes are illuminated by comparisons to the role faith plays in the politics of other Western industrialized societies.

God's Instruments

Author : Blair Worden
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0191624411
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (916 download)

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Book Synopsis God's Instruments by : Blair Worden

Download or read book God's Instruments written by Blair Worden and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-03-22 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Puritan Revolution escaped the control of its creators. The parliamentarians who went to war with Charles I in 1642 did not want or expect the fundamental changes that would follow seven years later: the trial and execution of the king, the abolition of the House of Lords, and the creation of the only republic in English history. There were startling and unexpected developments, too, in religion and ideas: the spread of unorthodox doctrines; the attainment of a wide measure of liberty of conscience; and new thinking about the moral and intellectual bases of politics and society. God's Instruments centres on the principal instrument of radical change, Oliver Cromwell, and on the unfamiliar landscape of the decade he dominated, from the abolition of the monarchy in 1649 to the return of the Stuart dynasty in 1660. Its theme is the relationship between the beliefs or convictions of politicians and their decisions and actions. Blair Worden explores the biblical dimension of Puritan politics; the ways that a belief in the workings of divine providence affected political conduct; Cromwell's commitment to liberty of conscience and his search for godly reformation through educational reform; the constitutional premises of his rule and those of his opponents in the struggle for supremacy between parliamentary and military rule; and the relationship between conceptions of civil and religious liberty. The conflicts Worden reconstructs are placed in the perspective of long-term developments, of which many historians have lost sight. The final chapters turn to the guiding convictions of two writers at the heart of politics, John Milton and the royalist Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon. Material from previously published essays, much of it expanded and extensively revised, comes together with newly written chapters to bring fresh evidence and argument to a period of lively debate and interest.

God and Mrs Thatcher

Author : Eliza Filby
Publisher : Biteback Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1849548889
Total Pages : 299 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (495 download)

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Book Synopsis God and Mrs Thatcher by : Eliza Filby

Download or read book God and Mrs Thatcher written by Eliza Filby and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2015-02-24 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A woman demonised by the left and sanctified by the right, there has always been a religious undercurrent to discussions of Margaret Thatcher. However, while her Methodist roots are well known, the impact of her faith on her politics is often overlooked. In an attempt to source the origins of Margaret Thatcher's 'conviction politics', Eliza Filby explores how Thatcher's worldview was shaped and guided by the lessons of piety, thrift and the Protestant work ethic learnt in Finkin Street Methodist Church, Grantham, from her lay-preacher father. In doing so, she tells the story of how a Prime Minister steeped in the Nonconformist teachings of her childhood entered Downing Street determined to reinvigorate the nation with these religious values. Filby concludes that this was ultimately a failed crusade. In the end, Thatcher created a country that was not more Christian, but more secular; and not more devout, but entirely consumed by a new religion: capitalism. In upholding the sanctity of the individual, Thatcherism inadvertently signalled the death of Christian Britain. Drawing on previously unpublished archives, interviews and memoirs, Filby examines how the rise of Thatcher was echoed by the rebirth of the Christian right in Britain, both of which were forcefully opposed by the Church of England. Wide-ranging and exhaustively researched, God and Mrs Thatcher offers a truly original perspective on the source and substance of Margaret Thatcher's political values and the role that religion played in the politics of this tumultuous decade.

Edmund Burke

Author : Jesse Norman
Publisher : Basic Books
ISBN 13 : 0465044948
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (65 download)

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Book Synopsis Edmund Burke by : Jesse Norman

Download or read book Edmund Burke written by Jesse Norman and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2013-05-21 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Edmund Burke is both the greatest and the most underrated political thinker of the past three hundred years. A brilliant 18th-century Irish philosopher and statesman, Burke was a fierce champion of human rights and the Anglo-American constitutional tradition, and a lifelong campaigner against arbitrary power. Once revered by an array of great Americans including Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, Burke has been almost forgotten in recent years. But as politician and political philosopher Jesse Norman argues in this penetrating biography, we cannot understand modern politics without him. As Norman reveals, Burke was often ahead of his time, anticipating the abolition of slavery and arguing for free markets, equality for Catholics in Ireland, responsible government in India, and more. He was not always popular in his own lifetime, but his ideas about power, community, and civic virtue have endured long past his death. Indeed, Burke engaged with many of the same issues politicians face today, including the rise of ideological extremism, the loss of social cohesion, the dangers of the corporate state, and the effects of revolution on societies. He offers us now a compelling critique of liberal individualism, and a vision of society based not on a self-interested agreement among individuals, but rather on an enduring covenant between generations. Burke won admirers in the American colonies for recognizing their fierce spirit of liberty and for speaking out against British oppression, but his greatest triumph was seeing through the utopian aura of the French Revolution. In repudiating that revolution, Burke laid the basis for much of the robust conservative ideology that remains with us to this day: one that is adaptable and forward-thinking, but also mindful of the debt we owe to past generations and our duty to preserve and uphold the institutions we have inherited. He is the first conservative. A rich, accessible, and provocative biography, Edmund Burke describes Burke’s life and achievements alongside his momentous legacy, showing how Burke’s analytical mind and deep capacity for empathy made him such a vital thinker—both for his own age, and for ours.

The Enemy Within

Author : Sayeeda Warsi
Publisher : Penguin UK
ISBN 13 : 0241276047
Total Pages : 416 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (412 download)

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Book Synopsis The Enemy Within by : Sayeeda Warsi

Download or read book The Enemy Within written by Sayeeda Warsi and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2017-03-30 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Hard headed, well informed and intellectually coherent ... it turns conventional wisdom on its head. It deserves to promote a public debate on this subject which has been needed for more than 20 years' Peter Oborne Britain has often found groups within its borders whom it does not trust, whom it feels have a belief, culture, practice or agenda which runs contrary to those of the majority. From Catholics to Jews, miners to trade unionists , Marxists to liberals and even homosexuals, all have at times been viewed, described and treated as 'the enemy within'. Muslims are the latest in a long line of 'others' to be given this label. How did this state of affairs come to pass? What are the lessons and challenges for the future - and how will the tale of Muslim Britain develop? Sayeeda Warsi draws on her own unique position in British life, as the child of Pakistani immigrants, an outsider, who became an insider, the UK's first Muslim Cabinet minister, to explore questions of cultural difference, terrorism, surveillance, social justice, religious freedom, integration and the meaning of 'British values'. Uncompromising and outspoken, filled with arguments, real-life experience, necessary truths and possible ways forward for Muslims, politicians and the rest of us, this is a timely and urgent book. 'This thoughtful and passionate book offers hope amid the gloom' David Anderson QC, Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation 'A vital book at a critical time' Helena Kennedy QC

Reimagining Britain

Author : Justin Welby
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472946065
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (729 download)

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Book Synopsis Reimagining Britain by : Justin Welby

Download or read book Reimagining Britain written by Justin Welby and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-03-08 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby sets out a radical vision for 21st century Britain in this updated paperback edition. It is now three years since Justin Welby first published his Reimagining Britain. The fundamental message of that book remains as urgent as ever. But in this revised and expanded edition, Welby has taken fully into account the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit and all the social and political unrest that has ensued. If anything, the new edition of Archbishop Welby's book is even more important than its predecessor. Here is a radical vision for 21st century Britain. The thesis of this book is that the work of reimagining is as great as it was in 1945, and will happen either by accident – and thus badly – or deliberately. Welby explores the areas in which values are translated into action, including the traditional three of recent history: health (especially public, and mental), housing and education. To these he adds family; the environment; economics and finance; peacebuilding and overseas development; immigration; and integration. He looks particularly at the role of faith groups in enabling, and contributing to, a fairer future. When so many are immobilized by political turmoil, this book builds on our past to offer hope for the future, and practical ways of achieving a more equitable society.

The Rise and Fall of Christian Ireland

Author : Crawford Gribben
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0198868189
Total Pages : 343 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (988 download)

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Book Synopsis The Rise and Fall of Christian Ireland by : Crawford Gribben

Download or read book The Rise and Fall of Christian Ireland written by Crawford Gribben and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ireland has long been regarded as a 'land of saints and scholars'. Yet the Irish experience of Christianity has never been simple or uncomplicated. The Rise and Fall of Christian Ireland describes the emergence, long dominance, sudden division, and recent decline of Ireland's most important religion, as a way of telling the history of the island and its peoples. Throughout its long history, Christianity in Ireland has lurched from crisis to crisis. Surviving the hostility of earlier religious cultures and the depredations of Vikings, evolving in the face of Gregorian reformation in the 11th and 12th centuries and more radical protestant renewal from the 16th century, Christianity has shaped in foundational ways how the Irish have understood themselves and their place in the world. And the Irish have shaped Christianity, too. Their churches have staffed some of the religion's most important institutions and developed some of its most popular ideas. But the Irish church, like the island, is divided. After 1922, a border marked out two jurisdictions with competing religious politics. The southern state turned to the Catholic church to shape its social mores, until it emerged from an experience of sudden-onset secularization to become one of the most progressive nations in Europe. The northern state moved more slowly beyond the protestant culture of its principal institutions, but in a similar direction of travel. In 2021, fifteen hundred years on from the birth of Saint Columba, Christian Ireland appears to be vanishing. But its critics need not relax any more than believers ought to despair. After the failure of several varieties of religious nationalism, what looks like irredeemable failure might actually be a second chance. In the ruins of the church, new Columbas and Patricks shape the rise of another Christian Ireland.