British Foreign Policy and the Anglican Church: Christian Engagement with the Contemporary World

Whilst the views of leaders within the Church of England are frequently canvassed during periods of national crisis, little attention has been devoted to finding out whether there are Church perspectives on contemporary foreign policy issues. The Church of England has not been regarded as an actor with a strong input into international affairs, preferring to speak out on domestic and individual issues. Yet world politics present fundamental ethical dilemmas which call for careful deliberation and the Church has a role to play both in shaping the debate and arguing for particular policy directions. To what extent is national policy shaped by underlying Christian values. Do the campaigning efforts of faith groups really exert influence and guide the development of state policy?

This book seeks to elucidate whether there are particular Christian perspectives on the role that Great Britain should play in the world today. It investigates the role that the Church of England has played in contemporary foreign policy issues: including the use of force - intervention, counter-terrorism and arms sales - and overseas trade, aid and debt forgiveness. The book brings together senior individuals from within the Church, academia and non-governmental organisations to investigate these various ethical dilemmas.