The London School of Economics and Political Science To fulfil the law: evangelism, legal activism, and public Christianity in contemporary England Méadhbh McIvor A thesis submitted to the Department of Anthropology of the London School of Economics for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy London, May 2016 1 Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare this thesis consists of 99,997 words. 2 Abstract This thesis contributes to the ethnographic corpus by charting the contested place of ‘public’ Christianity in contemporary England, which I explore through the rise of conservative Christian political activism and Christian interest litigation in the English courts. Based on twenty-two months of dual-sited fieldwork split between a Christian lobby group and a conservative evangelical church, it is unique in putting the experiences of religious activists at the legal coalface in direct conversation with (one subsection of) the conservative Christian community they appeal to for spiritual and financial support. I attend to the values, desires and goals of those seeking to live out their faith in a context they paint as hostile to its manifestation. I argue that, despite the apparently innovative legal forms through which these values and desires are articulated, the primary motivations of those involved are far from novel. Rather, they reflect historic and abiding concerns within evangelical Christianity: an abhorrence of sin; Christ’s offer of freedom from it; and the duty to tell others of this possibility. Equally longstanding, however, are tensions over how best to discharge these missionary obligations. Thus, this work is also an exploration of the evangelistic anxieties experienced by the members of one church community in their efforts to do so, and of their creative navigation of the competing moral commitments around which their lives are structured. I argue that their theoretical value monism – in which the many goals they seek to achieve can be subsumed under the ideal of submission to God’s Word – takes on particular contours as it is challenged by the value pluralism dominant in twenty-first century London. While Christian activists view high-profile legal cases as vehicles through which to (re)evangelise the nation, I show that evangelicals on the ground are deeply ambivalent about the impact of this ‘legal theology’. 3 Table of Contents Acknowledgments……………………………………………………...5 List of Abbreviations…………………………………………………..8 Introduction: Palm Fronds and Public Squares……………..………9 Chapter One: Confronting a Hostile World……………………...…33 Chapter Two: Publicity and Preaching……………………………..58 Chapter Three: Communicative Doubt……………………..………79 Chapter Four: Grace and Law……………………………………104 Chapter Five: Rights and Relationships………………...…………128 Chapter Six: Human Rights and Broken Cisterns………….……152 Chapter Seven: On Judgment………………………………….…..176 Conclusion: Tears and Trajectories………………………………..198 Bibliography…………………………………………………………211 Legal Cases Cited……………………………………………………229 4 Acknowledgments This thesis would not have been possible without the incredible generosity of my interlocutors at both Christian Concern/Christian Legal Centre and Christ Church, who welcomed me into their respective communities with patience, honesty, and unswerving good humour, and without whose support, encouragement, and candour I would have very little worth saying. At Christian Concern, special thanks are owed to Andrea Minichiello Williams, Andrew Marsh, and Pastor Ade Omooba. Andrea, Andrew and Pastor Ade – and, indeed, the entire staff team, particularly those referenced within as Annabelle, Carrie, Grace, Jake, John, Louise, and Maria - enabled this project from its earliest stages, opening their doors and giving me access to the world of Christian activism. This was an incredible act of bravery, and it is one I appreciate deeply. I am only sorry that so little of what you shared with me could fit in this thesis, but rest assured that I haven’t forgotten John’s penchant for lapsang souchong, nor our mutual love-hate relationship with Left Behind; the fun Carrie and I had celebrating her engagement; Louise’s kindness in taking me out for lunch on my very first day of fieldwork; Maria and Grace’s naming of ‘Ebeakiel’, which still makes me laugh; or any of my other Wimpole Street memories, which are, of course, too numerous to list here. Thank you also to the CLC clients who shared their stories with me, in particular: Colin Atkinson; Shirley Chaplin; Olive Jones; Celestina Mba; Andrew McClintock; Gary McFarlane; Lesley Pilkington; and Dr Richard Scott. Within this group, I am particularly grateful to Gary and Shirley, with whom I visited Strasbourg – thank you for putting up with my questions during what was a very busy trip. (And thank you, Shirley, for the ice cream!) At Christ Church, particular thanks are due to the church staff, to whom I refer throughout the thesis as Danielle, Greg, James, and Luke. While every member of the church community willingly gave of their time, friendship, and expertise, I am especially grateful to Lucy, who first introduced me to Christ Church, to Carol and Leah, with whom I spent so much time studying the Bible, and to Hannah, who went out of her way to introduce me to friends and colleagues. Special thanks are also due to the members of my women’s Bible study group, who welcomed me with such warmth. I learned an incredible amount from all of you, and am grateful to the entire church family for taking me under its wing. To those at both Christian Concern and Christ Church, the words ‘thank you’ do not seem enough to express my gratitude; let me say, instead, that I feel privileged to have been a part of your lives, all of which, in the language of this thesis, were clearly ‘grace-fuelled.’ 5 I will be forever indebted to my supervisors, Fenella Cannell and Matthew Engelke, who have supported me at every stage of my doctoral studies. From the inception of this project to its completion, Fenella and Matthew have provided unflagging support, both academic and pastoral. Their feedback has always struck the right balance between encouragement and critique, and it is no exaggeration to say that this thesis would not have been possible without their input. I feel exceptionally lucky to have had such a caring, supportive, and engaged supervisory team, and extend to them my deepest thanks. In addition to my wonderful supervisors, I have had fantastic peers in the Anthropology Department’s graduate student community. Although every member of this community has contributed, directly or indirectly, to the production of this thesis, special thanks are owed to the members of my incoming cohort, Susannah Crockford, Agustin Diz, Juli Huang, and Katharine Fletcher, and to my long-time friends, Philip Proudfoot and Chris Martin. You have all been an invaluable source of friendship, laughter, and (ongoing!) support. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have spent the past five years complaining to. Thank you to the LSE staff who led seminars in which I presented my work in progress – Charles Stafford; Hans Steinmüller; Deborah James; Mukulika Banerjee; and Nick Long. Thank you to the admin team, and particularly Yan Hinrichsen, who has been an invaluable source of information and practical support. Thanks are also due to Catherine Allerton and Katherine Swancutt, both of whom were incredibly supportive during my first foray into teaching, and to my undergraduate students at LSE and KCL, whose enthusiastic take up of the discipline proved both a welcome distraction from my thesis and the best encouragement I could have found to pursue anthropology further. Outside of the LSE, I am grateful to Anna Strhan for her many helpful comments on my work in progress, and to the members of the Law and Religion Scholars’ Network (LARSN) and the Human Rights Doctoral Triangle for feedback provided during workshops and seminars over a number of years. Thanks also to participants at the conferences where I have presented excerpts of this work. More informally, thank you to Lisa Grant for her tireless support. Lisa consistently went above and beyond the call of duty: attending various churches with me while I searched for a field site; discussing my research as it progressed; listening to presentations; and reading early drafts of my chapters. (Not to mention her unflagging support as a friend and confidante, without which I could not have coped). Thank you, Lisa, for everything. 6 Kinship is at the heart of anthropology, and this thesis is no exception. Thank you to my parents, Peter and Bernadette, for their unfailing love, support, and encouragement – I could never have gotten here without you. Thank you to Marie and Jean-Yves for always being there for me, for always taking an interest, and for helping me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you to Dáire for keeping my feet on the ground, and to Kim for encouraging me to reach for the stars. Thanks to my nieces, Clémentine and Constance, for inspiring me through their exemplary practice of participant observation in the acquisition of culture (not least Clémentine’s increasingly sophisticated efforts at pronouncing my name). Thank you, finally, to Otso Iho. Thank you for accompanying me to church social events; for attending services frequently enough to warrant a shout out from the pulpit; for cooking for my Christ Church and Christian Concern friends; for celebrating my every success; for supporting me through every setback; for a decade’s worth of love and affection.