The Public Square Group

Richard Truss has just received a letter in response to his book ‘The Pattern of God – David Jenkins’ Theology in Church and Public Space’ (https://www.sacristy.co.uk/products/david-jenkins) from an old friend, Dr David Marjot, who is an eminent psychiatrist – he was Ian Brady’s psychiatrist in Broadmoor. Herewith a couple of paragraphs on which Richard says, ‘I would be interested to see others’ reactions.’

“In the school choir at Rochester I used to read the Bible and Prayer Book when needing distraction. I approved of there being but one living and true God; without body, parts or passions; of infinite power, wisdom and goodness. I saw the Godhead as our best guess, within our talents and passions; perhaps God’s and our accommodation to our limitations. But even so, I could not accept the miracles, as I thought them unnecessary today.

We have Messiahs who believe they are in touch with God, such as Moses, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed. They are accepted by a group of followers who, on the Messiah’s death, have leaders who then create a dogma or creed to which all must accept and follow, and those who disagree are heretics who are cast out, often violently. Subsequent prophets try to call people back to virtue, or at least to the prophet’s view of virtue. If I were a devoted convert my impulse would be to set up a sect! (Conversion therapy is a fascinating subject ).”

hosted by The Public Square Group

Terry Drummond and Joe Forde in discussion with Bishop Rob Wickham

On Zoom, 23rd February 2026 at 3pm UTC – if you are not already on the PSG mailing list, please register and obtain a Zoom link by emailing bryant@cix.co.uk


The publication of Faith in the City (FiC) in December 1985 is being marked by a General Synod discussion on February 12th. A briefing paper with the above title is available: GS 2417.

The aim of the PSG discussion on the 23rd February is to consider the potential issues raised by the anniversary; we will be joined by Bishop Rob Wickham, the CEO of the Church Urban Fund, to assist in stimulating our conversation.

Among the key issues that we might discuss are:

Do we need to revisit the findings of FiC in the context of today’s Church and society?

How can we stimulate a discussion in Modern Church and wider on issues of poverty in contemporary society? (See book review at http://thepublicsquaregroup.uk/ by Joe Forde of Chris Shannahan’s new book as context for this discussion.)

What are the key theological themes that we need to address, and key writers that we should consult?

Is there a need for a ‘return’ to a more incarnational theological approach to advancing social justice?

What are the key social issues for today’s Church to address in the context of urban theology and action.

A briefing paper by +Rob for the General Synod discussion will be circulated before the meeting.

Timetable February 23rd. 3pm -5pm.

Introductory statement by +Rob
Introductory statement by Dr. Joe Forde

Followed by discussion.

Drawing on detailed in-depth empirical fieldwork across the UK, ‘Life on the Breadline’ was as a three year (2018-2021) research project that analysed the nature, scope and impact of Christian engagement with urban poverty in the UK, set in the context of the austerity drives stemming from the 2008 financial crash. It was also the first academic, theological analysis of Christian responses to UK poverty during that period. [1] Chris Shannahan was a core project team member and the project’s lead researcher. In this book, he provides an authoritative, accessible and illuminating exposition of the theological influences that shaped the project, and that he argues have sown the seeds of an austerity-age theology of liberation. He also provides a summary of the project’s core findings.
In chapter 1, he analyses the, ‘nature, causes and impact of contemporary poverty’ (p. 4). Chapter 2 focuses on the project’s methodology; what Shannahan describes as, ‘the ‘nitty-gritty’ grounded approach to hermeneutics’ (p. 5). In chapters 3 to 6 he analyses four approaches to Christian engagement with austerity age poverty. The first, is what he calls the ‘Caring’ approach, which emphasises the Church as being a servant community, motivated by a theological vision of the common good and human flourishing as central to meeting the needs of those experiencing poverty. The second, is what he calls the more politicized ‘Campaigning and Advocacy’ approach, which he connects with God’s ‘preferential option for the poor’ and, ‘the framing of the Church as a liberative movement called to speak truth to power’ (p. 6). The third, is what he calls ‘The Self-help and Enterprise’ approach, which emphasises self-reliance and aspiration as being key motivators necessary for transcending poverty. The fourth, is what he calls the ‘Community Building’ approach, that sees the Church as ‘a companion community’ and that emphasises ‘grassroots solidarity and relational Incarnational spirituality as the building blocks for a holistic engagement’ (p. 6) with poverty and its causes. In chapters 7 and 8, he draws on the arguments he has developed to begin to shape what he calls, ‘the methodological and thematic foundations for an austerity-age theology of liberation’ (p. 6).
A key theological theme running through his analysis is that poverty is structural; hence, systemic in its origins and causes. This is in line with the way Gustavo Gutiérrez, the father of Roman Catholic liberation theology, in his seminal work of 1971:‘A Theology of Liberation’, described it as being a result of structural sin. Thus, while Shannahan acknowledges, ‘As individuals we are accountable for our actions and decisions’ (p.18), he argues we are not accountable for, ‘the structural injustice that limits our opportunities and the choices we make’ (p.18). Therefore, from his perspective, in an age of austerity, a credible theology of liberation must, ‘move beyond flawed analyses that divorce poverty from its structural roots and apolitical visions of the common good’ (p. 18). Hence, for Shannahan, poverty is political, and, for an austerity-age theology of liberation to be credible and effective, it must be a political theology, capable of speaking truth to power and of bringing about changes that address the structural causes of poverty.
Shannahan sets his analysis in the period of austerity that began in the UK in June, 2010 with the austerity budget, passed by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, that saw significant cuts to public expenditure, including to the funding of the Welfare State. This, and later legislation, such as the Welfare Reform Act of 2012 that brought in cuts to welfare benefits, resulted in a deepening of inequality and a consequential rise in poverty levels. From Shannahan’s perspective, ‘such policies rupture the social fabric of British society and a shared commitment to the common good’ (p. 21). Indeed, he sees poverty as, ‘an insidious form of violence that can suffocate the life out of us.’(p. 22). In the struggle to overcome and eliminate poverty, Shannahan is unambiguous in his view that each of the four theological approaches to tackling poverty which he examines, have a role to play in shaping our response to it; hence, a role ‘in the forging of a new austerity-age theology of liberation’ (p. 199). However, he is more sympathetic to the ‘Community Building’, ‘Caring’, and ‘Campaigning and Advocacy’ approaches, than he is to the ‘Self-help and Enterprise’ approach, seeing the latter as being capable of deepening, ‘inequality by addressing individual poverty without challenging the structural injustice that causes it’ (p. 120).
Shannahan’s analysis is particularly strong in the skilful way in which he handles the historical contribution that Christian theology has made to tackling and reducing poverty. In this regard, his summaries of the contributions that traditions such as Catholic Social Teaching, the Social Gospel Movement, Christian Socialism, Christian Realism (of the kind espoused by Reinhold Niebuhr and Archbishop William Temple, Ronald H. Preston and John Atherton), and, more recently, the Christians on the Left movement, are informed, accurate and relevant. Again, he is of the view that all of these traditions can and should contribute to sowing the seeds of an austerity–age theology of liberation, and offers suggestions for how this might be achieved. He also touches on the British Liberation Theology tradition developed by Revd Dr John Vincent at the Urban Theology Unit (later renamed as the Urban Theology Union) in Sheffield, though with important contributions from Professor Chris Rowland and others. I would have licked to have seen more on the contribution that urban theology has made (and can make) to the alleviation and reduction of austerity-based, urban poverty. However, this does not in any way reduce my admiration for the comprehensive way in which Shannahan’s analysis covers so much ground, in ways that are clear and apposite.
Shannahan concludes the book by identifying a number of challenges he considers are essential for developing and sustaining a ‘rigorous and contextually authentic austerity-age theology of liberation and [to] ensure its traction within and beyond the academy’ (p. 199). These cover inter alia the work of the theologian, the church, the role of charities, the need for theological reflection, the need for a more proactive and sustained commitment from all participants in poverty alleviation by engaging in the political arena and with political purpose, and a need for solidarity to become a key feature of this movement for change. Roman Catholic values that place an importance on every person’s dignity, agency and the capacity for achieving solidarity in the field of human endeavour, feature prominently, in what is a call for action. As he puts it: ‘For the sake of all whose lives have been lost to the slow systemic violence of austerity-age poverty there can be no more delay’ (p. 206).
Shannahan has produced an important book on poverty, especially poverty caused by austerity, and the consequences for those who experience it, as well as on possible ways of overcoming it. It is a book that is based on a considerable amount of qualitative and quantitative research, which has benefited from a project group methodology that has been characterised by a multi-disciplinary approach to its information gathering and analysis. I have no hesitation in recommending it to all who share an interest in poverty, its causes and consequences, and possible ways of overcoming it.
Notes
[1] ‘Life on the Breadline: Christianity, Poverty and Politics in the 21st Century City, a Report for Policymakers in the UK’, is available for download via a Google search.

Dr Joseph Forde is Chair of Church Action on Poverty, Sheffield. He is author of: ‘Before and Beyond the ‘Big Society’: John Milbank and the Church of England’s Approach to Welfare’ (James Clarke & Co. 2022) and co-editor, with Terry Drummond, of: ‘Celebrating Forty Years of Faith in the City’ (Sacristy Press, 2025).

Bleeding for Jesus by Andrew Graystone

DLT https://www.dartonlongmantodd.co.uk/titles/2328-9781913657123-bleeding-for-jesus 

Review by Terry Drummond

The forthcoming election in January and consecration in March of our new Archbishop offers an opportunity for the Church of England to consider the priority and importance of taking the issues linked to safeguarding to be a key area for strategic development. The issues have been discussed and in theory policies developed that are meant to offer sustained action.

The recent Channel 4 programmes on the life of John Smyth (see https://www.channel4.com/news/topic/john-smyth)   highlighted a specific problem that was covered up and ignored for a number of years. Whilst this is an extreme example of a failure of safeguarding its ramifications cannot be underestimated. Not the least failure was the lack of any serious review by Archbishop Welby’s staff at Lambeth Palace.

In the book these issues are described in detail and challenge anyone who declares that safeguarding is well organised in the Church of England.

The agenda on safeguarding is much discussed: the question must be one of outcomes:  Do these discussions lead to positive and creative responses?

In reading this book I was at first overwhelmed by the narrative which is a description of the misuse of the Christian faith in the context of Evangelical Christianity. Whilst its focus is on a particular individual, it also describes and explores other examples of the misuse of faith for personal gratification.

In reflecting on the themes explored, it all too easy to fall into the trap of believing that issues of safeguarding in the Church of England have been fully described and the problems associated with it dealt with. The reality described by Andrew Graystone is every different and his analysis reinforces the perception that a focused approach is needed and is rooted in a centralised approach that ensures that safeguarding issues are taken seriously and the victims given the critical support that is required. 

There has been a plethora of safeguarding news in the Church of England in recent years, often based on complaints from survivors that support has been limited and on occasion non existent.

In this book, we are given a detailed analysis of one of the worst examples of the vicious treatment of boys who attended Iwerne summer camps organised and led by John Smyth, who was a well-known barrister who professed an Evangelical Christian faith.

His legal work included representing Mary Whitehouse in he campaign to ban Gay News, and a campaign to ban the National Theatre’s production of Howard Brenton’s play Romans in Britain which included scenes of homosexual behaviour.  

This book highlights the fact that some of those men most critical of homosexuality were themselves deeply involved in homoerotic behaviour, arguing a conservative theological position on sexuality in all its manifestations whilst hypocritically hiding personal predilections  that were a contradiction of their public announcements.

The first two thirds of the book are in many ways a graphic exploration of the activities of John Smyth in particular. He established links with Winchester School and was a regular speaker at Christian meetings which he used to identify boys who would be invited to attend the Iwerne camps. Through these contacts he went on to identify boys who were given special treatment in exploring the basis of an Evangelical approach to the Christian faith. 

A key focus of the discussions was on all the elements of what constituted sinful behaviour. Whilst these would include what might be described as normal youthful behaviour, others were narrowly defined rules that related to attending the camps. The outcome of the discussions were for a minority a demand that they be punished for all minor errors. 

The punishment (and this is where the book is most disturbing) was regular beatings with canes and twigs. The outcome of which was broken skin and blood that required nappies to control and hide the reality of what had happened.

Smyth also had a predilection for nakedness which he wanted to share with some of the boys, a sure sign of homo-erotic behaviour combined with a sadistic personality. All of which was hidden behind teaching a conservative Evangelical view of morality and sinfulness.

The outcome was a report by the Iwerne Trust in 1982 which identified the problems and whilst the report went into some detail it was to be kept secret and only available to a small group for the next 30 years.

Another outcome of the report was that Smyth moved with his family to Zimbabwe and later South Africa.In both countries he created more camps and continued his sado-masochistic activities. In addition he demanded of his own children obedience and an expectation that they would always abide the strict rules that he established.

The book, in addition to concentrating on Smyth, describes the activities of other leading Evangelicals who whilst they preached a conservative morality, in the privacy of their own homes and elsewhere were exploiting young men and women.

The final third of the  book is a review of the Church of England with a particular focus on Lambeth Palace on issues of safeguarding. Graystone shows that whilst attempts were made to respond to the issues, all too often these were at best half hearted. In particular the importance of supporting victims was often lost in attempts to close down the issues.

Under the Arch-Episcopacy of Justin Welby this was especially noticeable.He had for instance known Smyth: and whilst it is argued that he was briefed on the report into Smyth’s activities he seemed to show selective loss of memory. The issue of safeguarding led to his resignation. 

Graystone ends the book with recommendations for the Church of England and anyone with an interest in the issues surrounding this key area of work and ministry will learn much from his analysis.

To those who say that this topic is overplayed, all I can say is read this book and be shocked!

Revd Dr Terry Drummond

 

The Public Square Group has identified the following areas of concern: 

Post Pandemic: The future is uncertain, although effective vaccines have been found and people are receiving their jabs. Many institutions, including retail, hospitality, entertainment and international travel companies, will have to change. There is a strong likelihood that there will be considerable unemployment. There are serious economic challenges ahead and we must not allow a lost generation of unemployed people, especially among the young, to emerge. 

The Environment: The challenge is with us all internationally. If anything it has become more urgent, as has been well documented in the media. The dangers of damaging climate change continue to increase. We must ensure that a genuine biodiversity is maintained. For the planet to survive we need to re-establish a strong interconnectedness with the whole of nature. Every nation has to be serious about finding effective ways of protecting the environment.

National disunity: Discussions that led up to Brexit exposed deep divisions within British Society. Examples include the real possibility of the break-up of the UK and the continuing north/south divide in England. There are tensions between young and old, urban and rural, black and white. Much bridge-building has to take place. We need to learn how to find better ways of dealing with differences, whether they are of a racial, religious, sexual, gender or other nature.

Global disunity: The current international situation does not inspire much confidence, although the situation in the USA is now more promising. The refugee problem continues unresolved. The UN needs to be strengthened if international disputes are to be settled. If we are to solve current problems, interconnectedness with other countries is needed. 

Populism: This persists, even with the change of President in the USA. There are signs of it within the UK government with a diminution of democracy revealed in a desire to remove the checks and balances that previously were considered necessary for the good governance of Britain. Examples include attacks on the Civil Service and the Judiciary. Incoherent notions about sovereignty have become common. 

The Media: The growth of the Internet and the rapid world-wide dissemination of news and opinions has posed serious questions for the Press and for public broadcasting. Social media platforms can wield more power than governments but are not subject to the same legal controls as the traditional media. They can enable widespread public participation but fake news and conspiracy theories need to be exposed for what they are. A balance needs to be found between freedom of speech and censorship and enshrined in law. There is also growing concern over media ownership and the future of public broadcasting, especially that of the BBC.

Politics: There needs to be an acknowledgement of the positive contribution politics and politicians make to society. Most of those who enter politics and public service do so with every intention of making a genuinely valuable contribution. Their integrity is overshadowed by the widely publicised misbehaviour of the few. Politics and public service need to be re-evaluated in a positive light.

Individualism: There has been a growth in individualism which does not fit well with the interconnectedness we are commending. With the 18^th century Enlightenment there has come a corrective to an earlier view that many people were not capable or even allowed to think freely. There has to be a balance between human freedom and human responsibility, between the individual and society. 

Hospitality: This has long existed as a key element of Judeo-Christian and other faith traditions. Separate from the present refugee crisis, there has been an increase in migration from the southern to the northern hemispheres. Ensuring there is a spirit of hospitality rather than hostility is crucial if such movements of people are to be managed positively. This needs to be considered alongside questions of poverty, war, and economic development which are the motivation for much migration. 

In December 2020 we set up the Public Square Group to explore the issues raised above. Where there has been sufficient agreement we have set up sub-groups on particular issues. 

Part of our brief is to search for allies with whom to collaborate in order to make a contribution to the wider society. We are on the lookout for people to join this enterprise. If you are interested please get in touch.

David Driscoll (1942-2025)                               Richard Truss