2021 Politics and Society Network
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The European Politics and Society Network is designed to teach key Christian political, legal, and social leaders how to be salt and light through effectively communicating Christ’s character in their respective contexts. Applicants should be those who are working in the areas of politics, law, campaigning, or community action. Both seasoned lawyers, activists, and campaigners and aspirants will benefit from the input of leading thinkers and practitioners. Prior preparation will be set for all applicants.
Applicants should be those who are working in areas of politics, campaigning, or community action. Both seasoned campaigners and aspirant politicians will benefit from the input of leading thinkers and practitioners.
Network Leadership
Network Speakers
Andrew Fellows was appointed pastor of a church in Bradford, West Yorkshire in 1988 where he served for seven years. In 1995 his family moved to the English branch of L’Abri Fellowship, where they lived and worked for 21 years. From 2011 to 2016 Andrew was the chairman of L’Abri International.… Read more
Stefan Gustavsson is a member of the European Leadership Forum Steering Committee. He is the director for Apologia – Centre for Christian Apologetics and makes his home in Stockholm. He was the founding general secretary for 16 years of the Swedish Evangelical Alliance. Stefan travels widely… Read more
Charlie Hoare is a co-leader of the European Politics and Society Network. He received his bachelor's degree in History at the University of Durham. After a year of working for a British Member of Parliament, he studied law before taking a master’s degree at the London School of Economics… Read more
Nola Leach is a co-leader of the European Politics and Society Network and served as the Chief Executive of CARE (Christian Action Research & Education), one of Europe’s leading Christian charities, which provides resources and helps bring Christian insight and experience to matters of… Read more
David McIlroy is a practising barrister based in London in the UK. He serves on the editorial board of Law & Justice, teaches the Mission of Justice and the Theology of Law course at Spurgeon’s College, and is a Visiting Professor at the University of Notre Dame (USA) in England. He is… Read more
Alice Neffe is a civil servant in the Polish Administration, which she joined as Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Health shortly before the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this capacity she has been responsible for elaborating, conducting,… Read more
Daniel Strange is director of Crosslands Forum, a centre for cultural engagement and missional innovation. Formerly he was college director and tutor in culture, religion, and public theology at Oak Hill College, London. Strange is a contributing editor for Themelios, Vice-president of The… Read more
Sergiy Tymchenko founded and directs REALIS Christian Center in Kiev, Ukraine. He is also part of the leadership team of Spring of Hope, a church he helped to plant back in 1997. Sergiy has taught at Donetsk Christian University, the Eastern-European Seminary for the Education of Leaders, and… Read more
John Wyatt is professor emeritus of Neonatal Paediatrics, Ethics, and Perinatology at University College London and a senior researcher at the Faraday Institute, Cambridge. His background is as a clinician and researcher in applied neuroscience. He has a long-standing interest in the ethical and… Read more
Network Programme
Sunday, 16 May
What is at the heart of all political discussions? What do governments have to assume in order to establish their parties? In this talk we will survey how the Christian doctrine of human dignity has developed in the history of Western thought and its current status in the contemporary public square.
It could be argued that the greatest ‘discovery’ of the West is the inherent value and dignity of every human person. What few appreciate today is that this discovery is rooted in the Bible. As our Secular Age loses coherence over what it means to be human, it is essential that we are clear on the superior account revealed to us by our Maker.
Monday, 17 May
Secular analyses of Church-State relations often start with the State and then discuss to what extent the State should permit the Church to have a role in society. As Christians, our thinking begins with the mission of God, and then looks at the callings of the Church and government to serve God. This places limits on the authority of governments and gives Christians a mandate to stand up to governments which abuse their authority.
How can we recognize a situation where obedience to human beings means disobedience to God (Acts 5:29)? How does civil disobedience correlate with Biblical direction to honor human authorities? In this talk, Sergiy Tymchenko will share his thoughts and experience on how Christians can be agents of love and peace even when they decide that the only way they can be faithful to truth is to take the route of civil disobedience.
Tuesday, 18 May
The Swedish Evangelical Alliance (re-)started in 2001. For the last 20 years, Evangelicals have gradually become a more public voice. So now is a good time to look at the lessons learned. What are the issues we have addressed, what are the strategies we have applied, what progress have we seen, and what obstacles have we faced?
How are rapid advances in technology changing our understanding of what it means to be human? How can we defend the essential dignity and rights of human beings in a world of invasive digital surveillance, disinformation, and covert manipulation?
Wednesday, 19 May
Any crisis has an impact on politics and the ability to (re)define even the most fundamental concepts. The WWII and totalitarian atrocities shaped our understanding of human dignity in opposition to dehumanising violence. Since the 60’s, societal and technological shifts have recentred the debates on equality resulting from human dignity. Today, we are currently in the midst of a major health crisis, which takes lives, impacts the economy, and is changing our way of life. Policy choices made by European political leaders in response to the pandemic can provide some perspective on the meaning of human dignity. Ultimately, they are all standing in front of very basic questions: “Shall we sacrifice the health or life of a few to save many?” or “Shall we risk actual lives to avoid economic crisis potentially impacting future lives?”.
There is no area in the realm of politics and society into which our Christian faith does not speak. Across this Network, participants have grappled with considerable issues of our day and sought to understand how we as Christians can best stand for the Lord and help His Church shine as a light for hope and truth. This session will bring together the key points that have emerged from across the four days with opportunities for participants to express their take-home points.