An independent faith-based research institution
Christianity and the New Social Order - a manifesto for a fairer society (SPCK, 2011) - now published (click here)
Launched House of Lords, October 17th 2011
We aim to continue the visionary thinking of Archbishop William Temple about the ongoing search for a just and inclusive society.
We research into:
- Faith-based engagement in civil society
- Contribution of religion to wellbeing and happiness
- Postsecular Cities
- Religion and Political Economy - including the Religious Futures Network
Breaking News....
Disaptches from the Frontline no 2 - read the second in our series of response papers from the WTF council to current social, political, economic and religious issues entitled Sex and the City.
John Atherton has just secured a contract for a new book for publication by SCM Press in 2015. Entitled Religion and Progressive Change - Towards a New Religous Studies it will expand on the inaugural lecture John gave at the University of Chester in September 2011 as Visiting Professor in Religion, Ethics and Economics. Click here.
John Reader (Senior Research Fellow) and Chris Baker (Director), together with Daniel Whistler from the University of Liverpool, have just edited a special edition of the journal Political Theology. Published in April 2012, it is entitled Speculative Philosophies and Religious Practices, and it emerged from the first ever meeting of philosophers of religion and practical/public theologians held at the Centre for Faiths and Public Policy conference earlier this year of the same name. Contributors include Graeme Smith, Katharine Moody, Elaine Graham, Beverley Clack, John Reader, Anna Strhan.
Dispatches from the Frontline - read the first in a new series of response papers from the WTF Council to current social, polititical, economic and religious issues entitled, Spiritual Progression in Economic Recession?
John Reader, one of our Senior Research Fellows, continues his recent publishing run with a new book for SCM Press entitled Theological Reflection for Human Flourishing. Co-authored with Helen Cameron, Victoria Slater and Chris Rowland, it comes out later in 2012 and is the first collaboration between WTF and the Oxford Centre for Ecclesiology and Practical Theology. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Theological-Reflection-Human-Flourishing-Encounters/dp/0334043905
John Atherton and Chris Baker are both giving papers at a conference which is a follow-on to the Speculative Philosophies and Religious Practices event held at the University of Chester in 2011. The conference is entitled Educating Wellbeing - The Contributions of Philosophy and Religion and is held at Liverpool University on 10th February 2012. http://philevents.org/event/show/910
We are very excited about the new directions and purposes agreed by the Council of the Foundation and contained within our Development Plan 2011 - 2016. We think it creates a clear direction for the Foundation's travel over what is likely to be a very challenging, but also hugely exciting period for society and religion in the UK and beyond.
Recent Research papers
- Read Chris Baker's think-piece on new spaces of geographies of religion (PDF, 156KB) given at the Royal Geographical Society on the 1st September, 2010
- Read Re-entering the Third Space? - re-evaluating Ed Soja's spatial theory in and for the postsecualr city (PDF,220KB) delivered by Chris Baker at the Associaiton of American Geographers, Washington, April 2010
- Download John Reader's latest paper on Blurred Encounters and Public Theology entitled The Dark Side of Public Theology: Counting the Cost of Encounter.
- Seeking hope in the indifferent city - faith-based contributions to spaces of production and meaning making in the postsecular city (Word,92KB) paper delivered by Chris Baker at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers, Boston, April 2008
- Glendale Alive - report for the Rural Mission and Ministry Initiative April 2008
- Read Faiths and Finance - a place for faith-based economics, written by John Atherton and others - a joint Islamic/Christian initiative. This report was launched at the Christian-Muslim Forum event at Manchester Town Hall on November 15th 2006.
- Our 2006 report Faith in Action - The dynamic connection between spiritual and religious capital (PDF, 271KB) is now available.
More news, more research, more publications...