Sweet charity
Read or watch the 2019 David Goodbourn Lecture, delivered at the Centre for Theology and Justice by Revd Professor Michael Taylor in April 2019.
Michael spoke on the theme ‘Sweet Charity’, discussing charity in relation to justice and, when it comes to Christian charities including churches, the primary importance of what might be called the ‘kingdom frontier’ where Christians engage with others in fashioning a new social order. He highlights a very real disconnect between theology and justice, faith and action.
He had some encouraging things to say about Church Action on Poverty’s vision and work:
Church Action on Poverty takes a far more welcome approach in relation to how it handles its faith, how it works with people and how it looks for more radical change signalled by its determination to end hunger in this country and loosen the grip of poverty. Supposing you do so however, by fixing the benefit system or so-called `Universal Credit`, Church Action on Poverty will be well aware that you still leave questions about adequate economic and social reform hanging in the air.
You can watch the lecture below, or click here to download the text.
At our National Poverty Consultation in November, Revd Deirdre Brower Latz was on our panel for a fascinating discussion about churches, poverty, and the idea of a ‘church of the poor’. We asked her to summarise some of what she said there.
As we start a new year, we revisit the posts on our blog that had the biggest impact in 2018.
At the start of November 2018, Church Action on Poverty and our partners at ‘Life on the Breadline’ held a National Poverty Consultation in Manchester, drawing together many people in the churches who are involved in tackling poverty and injustice. At an opening panel on ‘Church of the Poor’, campaigner Stef Benstead shared these thoughts on Christian responses to poverty.
In this guest blog, Neil Carpenter talks about his new book Austerity’s Victims.
Nick Waterfield, chair of our local group in Sheffield, shares some reflections as he prepares for their annual Pilgrimage event.