William Temple Foundation

We can build peace in a myriad of ways… What we can’t do is remain silent in the face of the suffering caused by war.

Exactly 250 years ago today, on 1st January 1773, the words of Amazing Grace were first heard here in Olney, Buckinghamshire.

In 2022, the William Temple Foundation has marked the 80th anniversaries of William Temple’s Christianity & Social Order and of the famous Report by his friend, William Beveridge, which is often credited with responsibility for the foundation of the Welfare State.

May we use this as a chance to reflect on those giving birth this Christmas, in fearful situations, in refugee camps, and in inadequately staffed hospitals, including those facing trauma, and those whose voices will not be heard, and commit ourselves to doing what we can to ensure that childbirth is safe and supported.

Deep solidarity recognises that the system works for the few rather than for the many, and that nothing will change unless more of the many come together.

Just as Queen Elizabeth showed us there is so much to life, reactions to her death are helping us understand that death is indeed quite something, after all.

With the death of Her Majesty, we have lost a giant in history, who has exhibited for us what it means to embody leadership in uncertain times.

Christianity and Social Order opens with the clearest possible affirmation of the Church’s claim to be heard in relation to economic and political issues.  Its historical reference points come directly from Tawney, and Temple’s description of the nineteenth-century pioneers of the Christian social movement affirms their significance in recovering the Church’s moral authority and commitment to social justice.

The [80th Anniversary Conference] sought to both historically contextualize and reflect on Temple’s most famous publication, Christianity and The Social Order, and also question its and Temple’s relevance for our world today.

This blog is the third of three produced by Research Fellow Dr Matthew Barber-Rowell, as part of our Fellows Fund Programme. In this series, Dr Barber-Rowell sets out the potential role for intra-communities dialogue and local leadership for Curating Spaces of Hope in a post-pandemic society.