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Reform, Top-Down Or Bottom-Up? a Case Study in Public Theology

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Reform, Top-Down Or Bottom-Up? a Case Study in Public Theology Religion in Public Life Project (RPLP) ‘Saving’ Africa: Reform, top-down or bottom-up? a case study in public theology Professor Paul Vallely (Independent on Sunday, Church Times, Third Way, Visiting Professor in Public Ethics and Media, University of Chester) Thursday 6th March, Riverside Innovation Centre, University of Chester Cost for day (including lunch and refreshments) £30.00/£15.00 (unwaged) Conference Programme 10:30 am Tea / coffee served 11.00 am Introductions and welcomes 11.15 am Keynote input: Paul Vallely ‘Saving’ Africa: Reform, top-down or bottom-up? a case study in public theology* 12.00 am Discussion in groups: Resonances and Dissonances 12:30 pm Feedback and Response from Paul Vallely 1.00 pm Lunch/Networking 1.45 pm Theological response to Paul Vallely and discussion: Professor Tina Beattie, Professor of Catholic Studies, University of Roehampton 2:15 pm 2 X 15 minute Case Studies Dr Andrew Orton (University of Durham): “Methodist Deacons in the UK: Negotiating religious boundaries and identities in the public sphere”? Dr Chris Baker (William Temple Foundation and University of Chester): ‘Spiritual capital and political leadership – what role religion in the new progressive localism?’ 2.45 pm Plenary and Exchange 3.30 pm Suggestions/ideas for next event to be held at University of Chichester 2015. Update on social media. 3.45 pm Close *Synopsis of Paul Valley’s talk The problems of economic and political development in poor and emerging nations remain a continuing ethical sore for public theologians. In this second network gathering we aim to examine the role of religion and public theology in international development with special reference to Africa. We will explore and discuss a case study of how religious identity and discourse is strategically negotiated and performed within our post-secular public space. Such analysis will, we expect, generate reflection for each person present on how they negotiate their religious boundaries and identities, authenticity and integrity, for the common good within a complex public dilemma. The main speaker at the second of our network gatherings will be Paul Vallely, the internationally-acclaimed journalist, whose biography Pope Francis – Untying the Knots was published by Bloomsbury in August. Paul writes for The Independent, The Guardian and is a regular columnist for The Church Times and Third Way. He is a consultant on religion and international development. He has written extensively on Catholic Social Teaching and been an editorial adviser to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. In 2005 he was invited to be co-author of Our Common Interest, the report of the Commission for Africa convened by the then prime minister, Tony Blair. The report responded to the challenges of promoting growth, poverty-focused development, institutional capacity-building, social cohesion and a fairer relationship between the continent and the developed world. Its challenges included balancing the growth- orientated agenda of rich-world governments with the voices, perspectives and experiences of ordinary Africans. The final text had to be negotiated between a number of different players – African and Western, economic and social, public and private, political and activist, faith-based and secular. The report is expressed in terms of secular theories of political, social and cultural economy. But it also is suffused with principles on human dignity, subsidiarity and the common good derived from Catholic Social Teaching. Paul Vallely will offer insights and anecdotes on the people and politics enmeshed in the inner workings of this process to create a fascinating case study of the power of implicit theology in public policy. He will explore the tensions within the Commission between those whose starting place was Western economics and those who insisted on beginning with African culture, in which religion plays a key role. And he will reflect on how he negotiated his own religious identity and spiritual capital and that of those around him to fashion a broad-based document aimed at promoting the common good. Theology, he concludes, played an important unacknowledged role in the micro and macro-shaping of this a report which is still highly-influential in the shaping of the economic futures of the developing world. AIMS of the RPLP 1) To create and sustain a network of researchers and practitioners wishing to reflect theologically and strategically on the role and impact of religion within public life in the UK. 2) To encourage and facilitate research, publications and other forms of knowledge exchange in the field of religion and public life in the UK, and in particular as contributions to the disciplines of practical and public theology. 3) To co-ordinate a programme of regular events and gatherings which highlight latest empirical and theoretical developments in the study of the impact of religion on public life and vice versa. Please register by Monday 24th February 2014. Secure online registration is available at: Religion and Public Life Conference Project (RPLP) http://storefront.chester.ac.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&prod ucts_id=29 For any enquiries, please contact Carly McEvoy: [email protected] +44 1244 511031 Please visit http://www.chester.ac.uk/find-us and click Riverside Campus for travel and location instructions to Riverside Innovation Centre .
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