Jubilee Centre Report on Faith, Enterprise and Social Purpose

The Jubilee Centre has published a report profiling and celebrating the role of Christians in ethical business and social enterprise in the UK.

According to their website:

‘In one of the largest studies of its kind in the UK, this report celebrates the role of Christians in purpose-driven enterprise.

‘It explores what “good business” looks like today, drawing on examples from many regions and sectors, and the role of faith within this. The report uses case studies to illustrate how businesses are delivering a positive social impact.

‘The report also challenges the Church to affirm and support enterprise and its role in mission today. This is a key challenge for our generation and a great opportunity.’

The report can be downloaded as a pdf here.

A.J. Nickerson on Modern Spirituality

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded here), this one by A.J. Nickerson:

A.J. Nickerson, ‘Modern Spirituality: Learning from the Poets’, Cambridge Papers 30, 4 (December 2021).

Here is the summary:

‘The last decade has seen striking growth in the popularity of alternative spiritual practices requiring neither doctrinal explanation nor institutional affiliation. This essay offers a brief account of such contemporary beliefs before asking what it is like to negotiate the tension between the assumptions of secularity and the impulses towards extra-ordinary forms of experience. Some of the richest accounts of modern spirituality come from the 1930s, and this paper examines some of the period’s profoundest poetic explorations of belief before considering T.S. Eliot’s analysis of the modern situation in the light of Christian revelation.’

Amy Donovan on Creation Care

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded here), this one by Amy Donovan:

Amy Donovan, ‘Reducing disaster risk: Creation care and neighbour love’, Cambridge Papers 30, 3 (September 2021).

Here is the summary:

‘This paper uses current research in disaster studies to argue that for Christians, caring for the environment – whether in seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, prevent pollution or preserve biodiversity – is a form of neighbour love. Environmental disasters are widely accepted in the scientific community as being the result not so much of natural processes as of human ills – the populations that suffer most in disasters tend to be the poorest people in the poorest parts of the world. Furthermore, environmental degradation and climate change are enhancing the intensity and impacts of disasters – particularly on livelihoods and access to water – and the suffering that results from this disproportionately affects the poorest and most marginal groups in society. Christians have a responsibility to help in practical ways to reduce suffering in the world, because the God of grace who saved us cares for this world.’

Jonathan Ebsworth, Samuel Johns, and Michael Dodson on Surveillance Capitalism

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded here), this one by Jonathan Ebsworth, Samuel Johns, and Michael Dodson:

Jonathan Ebsworth, Samuel Johns, and Michael Dodson, ‘Surveillance Capitalism: the hidden costs of the digital revolution’, Cambridge Papers 30, 2 (June 2021).

Here is the summary:

‘We are in the midst of a digitally-enabled industrial revolution. As with previous revolutions, this one is attended by both benefits and perils. In this paper we examine a business model called ‘surveillance capitalism” that funds the free services of this digital revolution. We describe the model itself; demonstrate the intrinsic dependence on deception, addiction, and exploitation; and suggest practical responses that individuals and communities can take to face these challenges with hope and assurance.’

Paul Mills on a Debt Jubilee

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded here), this one by Paul Mills:

Paul Mills, ‘After the Virus: Is it Time for a Debt ‘Jubilee’?’, Cambridge Papers 30, 1 (March 2021).

Here is the summary:

‘The concept of a societal cancellation of debt has an ancient heritage that includes the seven-year cycle of debt elimination found in biblical law. Given the virus-induced economic slump of 2020-21, the idea of substantive debt relief is being revived as a way to alleviate financial burdens on stressed households, companies and governments. The benefits of these proposals need to be weighed against the costs and injustices of changing the “rules of the financial game” retrospectively. But without a principled stance against the bondage of debt finance itself, such relief would only act as a temporary fix. The true lesson from Deuteronomy is that debt should remain short-term, with a “clean slate” within everyone’s grasp, thereby embodying gospel hope within the financial system.’

John Coffey on Difficult Histories

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded here), this one by John Coffey:

John Coffey, ‘Difficult Histories: Christian Memory and Historic Injustice’, Cambridge Papers 29, 4 (December 2020).

Here is the summary:

‘Recent years have witnessed heated debate over how Western nations remember their pasts. A generation of historical research on racial slavery and imperial expansion is now informing public memory. The turn to ‘difficult histories’ has provoked a reaction and calls for the reassertion of ‘patriotic history’. This paper surveys the controversy and asks how Christians should respond. It argues that Christian memory should be shaped by the difficult history we find in Scripture.

Tony Watkins on Philip Pullman

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded here), this one by Tony Watkins:

Tony Watkins, ‘The Art of Darkness: Philip Pullman’s Christian Atheism’, Cambridge Papers 29, 3 (September 2020).

Here is the summary:

‘Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials, is well known for his antipathy towards religion. Yet although he insists that this world is all there is, he seems constantly drawn towards ideas of transcendence. He advocates many Christian values, though he refuses to accept their Judeo-Christian origins, and assumes them in his attack on the church. He sees himself as an enemy of religion, but his atheism has a distinctively Christian flavour.’

Matt Williams on Money and Family Relationships

Matt N. Williams, Money Can’t Fix Everything: The Impact of Family Relationships on Poverty (Cambridge: Jubilee Centre, 2020).

The Jubilee Centre has published a new report, this one by Matt Williams, arguing that ‘family dysfunction is a key driver in poverty and, because of this, healthier families are a big part of the solution’.

Here are some paragraphs from the Jubilee Centre:

‘If you look at the manifestos of political parties on both the left and the right, you’ll see a pattern emerge; in many cases, tackling poverty is seen as a left-wing concern, whilst strengthening family is the sole province of the politically right. This separation of key social and economic issues along political lines is all too common. But what if, after taking a holistic look at the ugly wound of poverty, we find that it’s not just unhelpful, but impossible to talk about poverty without the family?

‘This booklet starts by painting three pictures of contemporary poverty, covering public consciousness of poverty in both Africa and the UK. In part II, it explores how we can recover the overlooked economic reality of family, arguing that the Scriptures give us a holistic perspective on family as part of a wider socio-economic vision. Finally, part III brings this biblical perspective to bear on today’s world. It suggests ways in which these ideas can be applied to face the contemporary challenge of poverty in three key areas: households, churches and government policy.’

The booklet is available as a pdf here, in exchange for an email address.

Jubilee Centre

I meant to post on this a while back – to say that the Jubilee Centre has a new-look website here.

It’s been re-designed around a 'topics' structure, making it easier to explore key areas such as Politics and Government, Economy and Business, Environment, and more.

It also has a dedicated page for their Cambridge Papers along with a listing for their free eBooks – well worth checking out.

David Corbett on the Housing Crisis

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded), this one by David Corbett:

David Corbett, ‘“Birds Have Nests”: Biblical Reflections on the Housing Crisis’, Cambridge Papers 29, 1 (March 2020).

Here is the summary:

‘UK housing prices have risen faster than wages since the mid-1990s, leading to a reduced ability of young people to live in secure homes, and a housing affordability crisis. This paper argues the dominant supply and demand model misdiagnoses the causes of the crisis, and evades difficult questions. Biblical categories prompt a searching critique and can offer insights economics alone cannot provide. By emphasising the concepts of “stewardship” and “home”, there are opportunities for Christians to make a significant contribution in addressing the housing crisis.’

John Wyatt on Artificial intelligence and Simulated Relationships

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded), this one by John Wyatt:

John Wyatt, ‘Artificial intelligence and Simulated Relationships’, Cambridge Papers 28, 3 (December 2019).

Here is the summary:

‘Interactions with apparently human-like and ‘emotionally intelligent’ AIs are likely to become commonplace within the next ten years, ranging from entirely disembodied agents like chatbots through to physical humanoid robots. This will lead to new and troubling ethical, personal and legal dilemmas. Will the promotion of “relationships” with machines contribute to societal wellbeing and human flourishing, or provide new opportunities for manipulation and deception of the vulnerable? As biblical Christians we are called to safeguard and to celebrate the centrality of embodied human-to-human relationships, particularly in essential caring and therapeutic roles, and in our families and Christian communities.’

Christopher Watkin on Christianity, Society, and Freedom

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded), this one by Christopher Watkin:

Christopher Watkin, ‘Are Christianity and Society in Conflict: The Case of Freedom’, Cambridge Papers 28, 2 (September 2019).

Here is the summary:

‘We increasingly hear the argument that biblical values are in fundamental conflict with contemporary Western society, but is that really the case? This paper considers the example of freedom, a core value of Western liberal democracy and also a major biblical theme. Paul’s treatment of the dominant values of his day in 1 Corinthians 1 shows the inadequacy both of straightforwardly opposing biblical and societal values, and of seeing them in simple continuity. The paper draws implications from Paul’s cruciform account for the areas of evangelism, apologetics, and cultural critique.’

Guy Brandon on Gleaning

The Jubilee Centre has published a piece from Guy Brandon, the fourth in an occasional series on the laws in Leviticus, this one looking at the instructions in 19:9-10 related to not reaping to the very edges of a field.

Here are a few paragraphs which capture the gist:

‘The intentional wastefulness of Leviticus 19:9-10 may not sit well with the modern mindset. Productivity and efficiency are vital for maintaining our ever-rising GDP. Time is money, as Benjamin Franklin said – an utterly corrosive idea that has permeated almost everything we do. So, too, are we indoctrinated with the idea that we must get the most out of every resource – including the land, with intensive farming methods that use up the soil and require the constant addition of new fertilisers, and chemicals to maximise yields.

‘But in the Bible, wringing the most out of the land was like wringing every hour and minute out of the week: something that was not just unnecessary, but undesirable. The Bible warns us that an obsession with the “good” of productivity actually prevents us from doing real good: looking after the alien, the orphan and the widow. Permitting gleaning served a kind of double purpose in this respect. It offered direct benefit to the most marginalised in society, who could come and gather leftover crops – just as Ruth does in Boaz’s fields. But it also served as a visible and tangible reminder to better-off Israelites that they were not to prioritise their own harvest and prosperity at the expense of those who struggled to find their next meal.’

The article is available here, and from here as a pdf in the Jubilee Centre’s Engage magazine.

Denis R. Alexander on Healing, Enhancement and the Human Future

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded), this one by Denis R. Alexander:

Denis R. Alexander, ‘Healing, Enhancement and the Human Future’, Cambridge Papers 28, 1 (June 2019).

Here is the summary:

‘This Paper reviews some recent examples of genetic engineering and brain science that make human technoscientific enhancement a pressing moral question. Healing and different types of enhancement are compared. Two rival world-views are considered, Transhumanism and Christianity – with contrasting visions of life after death – world-views which come to strikingly different conclusions concerning the path that leads to true human enhancement.’

Calum Samuelson on Just Pay

The Jubilee Centre has published a booklet taking a look at the issues surrounding ‘current excessive pay packages’ which create ‘a sense of burning injustice in the wider population’:

Calum Samuelson, Just Pay: A Biblical Perspective on the Ethics of Remuneration (Cambridge: Jubilee Centre, 2019).

Here’s the blurb:

‘A CEO is paid hundreds of times more than the “everyday workers” in their own company. The market seems to allow it, but is it morally right?

‘This report proposes a biblical framework for exploring remuneration, which has three major components – justice, dignity and reward. Justice is concerned with the fair amount of pay, to ensure families are protected from destitution. Dignity is concerned with the right kind of work and protects the agency of workers. Finally, reward is about working for the right reasons, and leads to the common good. Together, they provide new insight into the ethics of remuneration.’

More information available from here, from where a pdf of the booklet can be downloaded.

Guy Brandon on Eating Blood

The Jubilee Centre has published a piece from Guy Brandon, the third in a series on the laws in Leviticus, this one looking at the command in 19:26 which prohibits the Israelites from eating blood.

Whilst agreeing there are no kosher laws for Christians, he takes more seriously than many do the letter from the Jerusalem Council sent to Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia, in which they say… ‘You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality (see Acts 15:23-29; cf. 21:25).

‘To summarise: the prohibition on eating blood is one of the only demands made of Gentile Christians (i.e. most of us) in the New Testament. Paul, Peter and other giants among the apostles and elders all agreed on it, and – while ensuring the burden on non-Jewish converts was as light as possible – they nevertheless felt this important enough to state unequivocally. It reiterates a command given by God to Noah, and by extension to all humanity, and that remains consistent across the entire arc of scripture. Hermeneutically, it is very difficult to argue that it is now irrelevant.’

The article is available here, and from here as a pdf in the Jubilee Centre’s Engage magazine.

Judd Birdsall on Religious Persecution

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded), this one by Judd Birdsall:

Judd Birdsall, ‘Pitfalls in Combatting Persecution’, Cambridge Papers 27, 4 (December 2018).

Here is the summary:

‘A great number of Western Christians have laudably invested their time, money, and energy to confront the massive global challenge of religious persecution. Sadly, their effectiveness has too often been limited or undermined by several common mistakes. This paper explores seven of these pitfalls and points to Christian principles that enable us to more effectively advance religious freedom for all. My goal in pointing out these dangers is not to condemn any particular organisation or tactical approach, but rather to commend a more considered, capacious, and constructive promotion of religious freedom.’

Calum Samuelson on Artificial Intelligence

Calum Samuelson, Artificially Intelligent? Grappling with the Myths, Present Realities and Future Trajectories of AI (Cambridge: Jubilee Centre, 2019).

The Jubilee Centre has produced a 48-page book on artificial intelligence, written by Calum Samuelson.

Here’s the blurb:

‘This booklet dispels some of the sensationalism around Artificial Intelligence, asking instead how a fresh understanding of humanity can shape the trajectory of AI development. It draws on research interviews from ten leading AI practitioners and thinkers, and provides a distinctly biblical framework for understanding AI. Addressing all levels of expertise, the insights and guidelines provided will enable Christian leaders in church, business and public service to make informed responses to AI that are rooted in their faith.’

A hard copy is available for £4.00, but – thanks to the generosity of the Jubilee Centre – the booklet can be downloaded free of charge as a pdf from here.

Guy Brandon on Tattoos

The Jubilee Centre has published a piece from Guy Brandon, the second in a series on the laws in Leviticus, this one looking at the command in 19:28 which prohibits the Israelites from the practice of tattooing themselves.

He notes that in Leviticus and elsewhere in the Bible, tattooing and cutting ‘have strong religious connotations’ and ‘are discussed specifically in the context of funeral customs’.

‘The Bible does not suggest that tattooing is intrinsically pagan, even if the only references to tattooing it makes are within a pagan context... However, we also have to bear in mind Paul’s warnings in 1 Corinthians. The body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and there are good arguments around needlessly altering or doing damage to God’s creation and dwelling place...’

The article is available here, and from here as a pdf in the Jubilee Centre’s Engage magazine.

Calum Samuelson on Redeeming Sport

The latest Cambridge Paper from the Jubilee Centre is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded and where a short lecture on the topic by the author can be watched), this one by Calum Samuelson:

Calum Samuelson, ‘Redeeming Sport?’, Cambridge Papers 27, 3 (September 2018).

Here is the summary:

‘Sport is a distillation of the God-given impulse to play. It is experienced within a microcosm of self-imposed rules, which points beyond itself to a grander reality. This microcosm of sport can lead to various ills if idolised or violated. For Christians especially, sport raises difficult, perennial questions. We approach this complex topic with a biblical worldview, which helps differentiate between what sport should be and what sport currently is. Ultimately, we argue that sport should be engaged as a conduit for common grace and a symbol of redemption.’