Staying Human: Reimagining the Spirit of the Commons
with Professor Luke Bretherton
Join us for this special online lecture and Q & A held by Together for the Common Good. Read on below about the event.
We find ourselves in a period of epochal change as the old era is dying and the new is yet to be born. Amidst cultural confusion, we see fragmentation, dehumanising systems, the breakdown of trust and extreme inequality. As concentrations of money and state power intensify, people feel the loss of agency. There is a growing discontent. Burning questions around how to uphold a common life and how to stay human, hang over us as we try to make sense of what is going on.
In such an unstable context, how should the churches respond? While some are drawn to shoring up tradition, others are rejecting it; some turn to evangelism, some to social action, others to experimental ministries. Some place their faith in managerial strategy, others in contemplative withdrawal, while others are deconstructing, and some are drawn to despair. In institutional form, many churches, in a state of vulnerability, are often tempted into a defensive posture.
However, we are not to be afraid. God is at work, inviting us to participate in spiritual and civic renewal. But what will that look like in such a challenging environment? We are weary and often stuck in old patterns. What can inspire us into a new, constructive imagination?
Inspired by our friend, the late Frank Field, we believe these challenges must be faced with honesty and courage. We are honoured that Professor Luke Bretherton has agreed to speak for us. Bringing deep knowledge of political theology and grounded experience, he is uniquely gifted to set the scene in which we can discern our way forward.
Beginning with the causes of our present condition, Luke will prompt us to reimagine a constructive response. Drawing on the wisdom of Christian thinkers including Winstanley and Maritain, the tradition of Catholic Social Thought, the personalism of Barth and Bonhoeffer, as well as the past histories of the commons, we will consider the Spirit of the Commons, the God-shaped space unmediated by the powers of market and state where we discover what it means to be human with and for others. Luke will address what it means to understand both humanity and the church as a commons, one that is best articulated through a moral economy and rich associational life rooted in grassroots collaborations that serve mutual needs and provide vital spaces for solidarity and fellowship.
Rev Canon Prof Luke Bretherton is the newly appointed Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at Christ Church, Oxford, where he also directs the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Life. Until recently he was the Robert E. Cushman Distinguished Professor of Moral and Political Theology at Duke University, USA and Visiting Professor at St Mellitus Theological College, London. Alongside his academic work, he has deep experience of community organising and practical collaborations with churches, charities and mission agencies. His most recent books include A Primer in Christian Ethics (CUP, 2023) and Christ and the Common Life (Eerdmans, 2019).
REGISTER YOUR PLACE HERE – YOU WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL WITH A LINK.
We look forward to you joining online!
The event will be held before a live invited audience in London, and broadcast on Riverside, a livestreaming platform. You will be invited to submit questions during the Q & A.
This event is supported by CCLA, the UK’s largest charity fund manager.
