The Church in the Public Square - Dr Jonathan Chaplain

‘The Church in the Public Square?’ was the title for a major day conference held on Thursday, 30th January in Assembly Buildings, Belfast and organised jointly by Union Theological College and the Church and Society Committee of the Presbyterian Church. It was attended by 200 people including ministers, students and MLA’s and officials from the various political parties and the NI Assembly.

At a time when not only has the Christian voice become incomprehensible in many ears, but is often hated and opposed, the aim of the conference was to bring together a number of leading thinkers in the UK to consider the role which Christians and the Church can play in wider community life.

Dr. Jonathan Chaplin is Director of the Kirby-Laing Centre for Christian Ethics in Cambridge and a specialist in Christian political thought. He dealt with the challenge that arises when a diversity of religious communities no longer accept the privatised role allotted to them by liberal secularism but demand public recognition and public influence. Many want public policy to reflect their distinctive religious identity. Can this be done and should we expect, or work for, some degree of practical agreement?