Shaping debate on religion in public life.

Religion and Public Policy

Our research contributes towards progressive, practical changes in church and faith communities, public policy and academia. Following the visionary thinking and social concerns of Archbishop William Temple, our research promotes economic, social and political wellbeing.

Introduction

The Foundation’s earlier publications and research focussed on the contribution of religion to political economy, following in the truest traditions of Archbishop William Temple’s work. Political economy refers to the ways in which the very foundations of the social order are shaped by the combination of political and economic ideas and practices. The lifetime of the William Temple Foundation, since 1947, has seen the shift from Keynesian macro-economics and post-war reconstruction to the neo-liberal consensus of the early 80s, and the new political and economic landscapes emerging from the 2008 financial crash, including the resurgence in populism and nationalism. We continue to comment and debate the nature of political, economic and social change from both faith-based and secular perspectives.

Temple Tracts

Poole, Eve (2016) Ethical Consumerism (William Temple Foundation).

Smith, Greg, (2016) The Seven Pillars of Religion in the Public Sphere (William Temple Foundation)

Poole, Eve (2015) God and Money (William Temple Foundation).

Steedman, Ian and Arrigo Opocher (2015) Work, Leisure and the Good Life: A Trying Triangle  (William Temple Foundation).

 

Research Papers

Faith and Finance – a place for faith-based economics (PDF, 252KB)

Baker, C and Timms, S. (2020) Keeping the Faith: Partnerships between faith groups and local authorities during and beyond the pandemic (London: All-Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society).Available at https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/29489/

Baker, C. and Timms, S. (2022) Keeping the Faith 2.0: embedding a new normal in partnerships between faith groups and local authorities during and beyond the pandemic (London: All-Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society) Available at Keeping the Faith – APPG on Faith and Society.

 

Books

Baker, C and Elaine Graham (eds,) (2018) Theology for Changing Times: John Atherton and the Future of Public Theology London: SCM Press.

Reader, John (2017) Theology and New Materialism: Spaces of Faithful Dissent (Palgrave Macmillan).

Poole, Eve (2015) Capitalism’s Toxic Assumptions – Adam Smith’s 7 Deadly Sins (London, Bloomsbury).

Atherton J., (2014) Challenging Religious Studies: The Wealth, Wellbeing and Inequalities of Nations; (London: SCM Press).

Poole, Eve (2010) The Church on Capitalism – Theology and the Market (Basingstoke, Palgrave).

Poole, Eve & Millar, Carla (eds) (2010) Ethical Leadership – global challenges and perspectives (Basingstoke, Palgrave).

Atherton, J (2008) Transfiguring Capitalism: An Enquiry into Religion and Global Change, (London SCM Press).

Atherton, J. and Skinner, H. (2007) Through the Eye of a Needle: Theological Conversations over Political Economy, (Peterborough: Epworth).

Atherton, J (2003) Marginalisation, (London SCM Press).

Steedman I. (2001) Consumption takes Time. Implications for Economic Theory (London/New York: Routledge).

Atherton, J. (2000) Public Theology for Changing Times, (London: SPCK).

 

Book chapters

Poole, E. (2015) ‘A Framework for Theology about Capitalism and the Market’ in Theology and Economics – A Christian Vision of the Common Good, ed Sean Doherty and Jeremy Kidwell (Palgrave).

Atherton, J. (2013) ‘Alliances for Progressive change: Economics, Wellbeing and Religions’ in New Approaches to Public Theology. Essays in Honour of Toine van den Hoogen

Steedman, I, (2007) ‘On not traducing economics’ in J. Atherton and H. Skinner (eds.), Through the Eye of a Needle (Peterborough: Epworth Press)

Baker, C. (2007) ‘Entry to Enterprise: Constructing Local Political Economies in Manchester’, eds. J. Atherton and H. Skinner, Through the Eye of a Needle – theological conversations over political economy, Peterborough (Peterborough: Epworth Press)

Poole, E. (2007) ‘Organisational Spirituality – away with the fairies?’ In Sethi, Dipti. Performance Management and Culture (Hyderabad: Icfai University Press).

Steedman, I. (2004) ‘Philip Henry Wicksteed’, in New Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

Steedman, I. (2000) ‘On some concepts of rationality in economics’ in P. E. Earl & S. F. Frowen (eds) Economics as an Art of Thought: Essays in memory of G.L.S. Shackle, (London and New York: Routledge).

 

Journal Articles

Baker, C. (2022) ‘”Building back better” and the search for values: critically reclaiming Temple’s social thought for a post-pandemic policy landscape’, Theology, 125 (4), p282-88).

Baker, C. (2022) ‘Volunteerism in a post-COVID society: Lessons for Church and Society’, Crucible, July 2022, (p.25-34).

Baker, C and Power, M. (2018) ‘Ghosts in the Machine: Beliefs, Values and Worldviews in the Workplace and Business Environment’, Journal of Beliefs and Values, 39(4), p474-489.

Baker, C and Dinham, A. (2017) ‘New Interdisciplinary Spaces of Religion and Belief in Contemporary Thought and Practice: an analysis’, Religions 8(2), 16; doi:10.3390/rel8020016

Stokes, P., Christopher Baker and Jessica Lichy (2016) ‘The Role of Embedded Individual Values, Belief and Attitudes and Spiritual Capital in Shaping Everyday Postsecular Organisational Culture’ – European Management Review 13, 37-51.

Poole, E. (2014) ‘The Just Share Lecture’ Faith in Business Quarterly 16:3, pp17-24.

Smith, G (2012) Faith in Local Government: The Emergence of Religion in the Politics of an Inner London Borough 1975-2006 The Politics and Religion Journal, Vol IV, (No 2) 157-181

Poole, E. (2011) ‘Management as Sacred Trust’ Crucible, Jan-Mar 2011.

Poole, E. (2008) ‘Baptizing Management’ Studies in Christian Ethics 21:1, pp85-97.

Poole, E. (2006) ‘Angels Rush In…’ Faith in Business Quarterly 10:1.

Steedman, I. (2004) ‘British economists and philosophers on Marx’s value theory, 1920 – 1925’ in Journal of the History of Economic Thought 26 (1): 45-68.

Poole, E. (2004) ‘The Case for a Capitalist Theology’ Faith in Business Quarterly 8:4.

Steedman, I, (2000) ‘Welfare Economics and Robinson Crusoe the Producer’ in Metroeconomica, 2000, 51(2): 151 – 167.